GUEST POST--Domenick Dicce author of You're a Vampire: That Sucks: A Survival Guide

Hey all! I have here Domenick Dicce author of the book, You're a Vampire: That Sucks: A Survival Guide sharing his top ten list of vampires!

I love Top 10 lists. (You can blame David Letterman.) When given the opportunity to write a blog for A Great Read, a top10 vampire list seemed like the perfect fit.  I love vampires and my book You're a Vampire: That Sucks! A Survival Guide was being released on Tuesday. If that's not destiny, I don't know what is.  

1. Dracula

It's unoriginal, but he is the foundation of our modern vampire mythology.  There have been countless takes on this classic character since his creation in 1897.  A quick IMDB search will show over 200 movies with the word Dracula in the title.    

2. Lestat de Lioncourt

Anne Rice is our centuries Bram Stoker.  She turned the monster vampire into a sympathetic hero.  Lestat’s character within The Vampire Chronicles is the main reason for that shift.  

3. Graf Orlok

Nosferatu and its main character might have just been a rip off of Dracula, but time has cemented Graf Orlok into vampire history.  While Dracula is portrayed by handsome, dapper actors, Orlok looks the part of a monster.  The 1922 prosthetic make-up used in the film is still the template for modern day special effects wizards.

4. Count von Count

How many kids have learned to count thanks to this Sesame Street Muppet suffering from arithmomania? By taking the OCD behavior associated with vampires, Count von Count has made learning numbers fun!  "AH AH AH AH AH!"    

5. D

The Vampire Hunter D was how I first learned about the dhampir.  The combo of a dhampir wandering a post-nuclear world hunting vampires fully embraces my inner geekdom.   I made a reference to him in my book, but my editor wisely suggested I remove it. Those unfamiliar with Vampire Hunter D would assume D was simply a typo missed by the copy editors.

6.  David

The Lost Boys is one of my all time favorite vampire films.   Long before Kiefer Sutherland was kicking terrorist’s butts in 24, be was a rebellious teenage vampire causing chaos and loving it.

7. Liam/Angelus/Angel

In all honesty, this probably has a lot to do with Joss Whedon.  As a geek, the man is a hero to me. The character is amazingly complex, with a constant inter struggle.  As a vampire given a soul, he carries enormous guilt for his evil past.  He is now on a crusade for good, but if he experiences true happiness himself, he will once again become a monster. Whedon, you are the master.

8. Bunnicula

Bunnicula is a vampire rabbit that sucks the juice out of vegetables.  This was one of my favorite books as a kid.  Now that I am a father, I look forward to reading it to my children.

9. Count Chocula

Let’s take a highly sexualized and violent monster, turn him into a cartoon character and then use him as a spokesman for selling sugar cereal to children.  How could he not make the list?

10. Count Domenick Dicce

Hey, it's my list and I can put any vampire I choose.   This witty vampire wrote the definitive guide to vampires in 2015.  You can buy his book, You’re a Vampire: That Sucks! A Survival Guide, at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and your local bookstore.

By: Domenick Dicce

http://www.domenickdicce.com/

Thanks Domenick!