Twilight vs. True Blood

When I first heard all the buzz on TV and online about the Twilight series, I wasn't that interested. I didn't get any of the references to Edward, Bella, and Emmett. Once I heard it was a book for teenagers, I lost interest, thinking it was probably just the next Harry Potter phenomenon, and as much as I like to read, even I got tired of those.

Then I found out that my friends were reading the series by Stephenie Meyer. Women in their 30s and 40s. And they loved it! But it's a book about vampires, I thought. So not up my alley. I don't really like scary stuff. I was never big into Stephen King or Anne Rice. Twilight certainly wouldn't be a book that I would enjoy.

However, my friends insisted that I had to see what all the fuss was about. Reluctantly, I bought a copy of the book and started reading. I didn't get up off the couch. I probably finished in 3-4 hours! It was such an easy, enjoyable read, I couldn't believe it!

I guess you could say I was "bitten" by the whole vampire trend.

So when HBO began airing the series True Blood, also about vampires, I figured I'd give it a try, too. Again, I'm not really into the whole bloodsucking creatures of the night theme, but True Blood, based on the Sookie Stackhouse series of novels by Charlaine Harris, quickly became one of my favorite can't-miss, have-to-TiVo shows.

If you still haven't caught on, pick up Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and read the book before catching the movie. If the teen-targeted series is a little too "young" for your tastes, check out True Blood on HBO.

The heroines in both Twilight and True Blood are human. Twilight's Isabella Swan is a teenager who moves to Forks, Washington, to live with her dad. True Blood's Sookie Stackhouse lives in Bon Temps, Louisiana with her grandmother. Both women find themselves attracted to the vampires that are attempting to live harmoniously with the other humans in the area.

Isabella, or Bella, meets Edward Cullen at school and it's obvious that he and his "family" are attractive, but there's definitely something different about them. Isabella can't help but be intrigued by the Cullens, but is at first offended when Edward seems to be repulsed by her. (The scene I'm referring to in the movie is almost comical!) Edward is uncontrollably attracted to the smell of the blood flowing through Bella's veins, but must control himself around her. He is inexplicably drawn to her and ends up saving clumsy and careless Bella from several dangerous situations - a van sliding in the icy parking lot and coming straight at her, a group of men in a dark alley way poised to assault her. Bella starts considering Edward's strange characteristics - icy cold skin, absent from school on sunny days, super-fast reflexes - and starts to connect the dots. Though she learns that Edward is really a vampire, she's already so in love with him, she doesn't care.  Edward takes it upon himself to take care of and protect Bella.  He finds it frustrating that he can't seem to read her mind like other humans and vampires.

In Dead Before Dawn, the book that spawned the HBO series True Blood, Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress in a small town in Louisiana where rumors about vampires are flying left and right. While there are many people in the town of Bon Temps that are anti-vampire, Sookie thinks that vampires should be given equal rights as humans and that they can't be all that bad.

When Sookie meets vampire Bill Compton, she's convinced. Bill is a charming and handsome Southern gentleman - not a monster. Her friends and family, and other Bon Temps residents, aren't so easily convinced. There are people in Bon Temps out to kill and drain vampires for their blood - vampire blood is like an extremely potent drug and can be sold for a big profit. And there are also people in Bon Temps that just plain don't like vampires. Sookie's not one of them, though, and she quickly falls for the dashing vampire, for reasons beyond his chivalry and his good looks.

Sookie has a puzzling talent - she is telepathic.  She can hear the thoughts and read the minds of other people - even when she doesn't want to.  This is sort of the opposite of Bella in Twilight, whose mind can't  be read by vampires.  Although at times this ability can come in handy, Sookie works very hard to tune out other people's thoughts.  Thankfully, with Bill, she can't hear his thoughts, so being alone with him provides her with a lot of much needed peace and quiet.

The leading men in Twilight and True Blood are both vampires. However, these two guys are very different.

Edward's family of vampires have all been "created" out of necessity or brought together by Carlisle Cullen, the vampire father figure. The Cullens are living in secrecy and have abandoned the typical vampire lifestyle. Rather than feeding on humans, they have adopted an alternative vampire lifestyle which includes hunting big game animals for blood, rather than the unsavory practice of feeding on human victims. In Twilight, however, not all of the vampires practice this lifestyle. The Cullens are different from other vampires in other ways as well. They don't seem to be bothered by garlic, or crosses, or silver. Unlike most vampires you've heard of, these vampires don't necessarily have to avoid sunlight in order to stay alive. They avoid sunlight to avoid being turned into dazzling, sparkling, diamond-like super-good-looking models. And to avoid giving away their secret. Most vampires all have special powers or talents, such as Edward's ability to read minds - except for Bella's.

True Blood's vampire Bill is your more "traditional" vampire. He still drinks the blood of humans. He can't go out in sunlight or he'll turn into a crispy critter. He sleeps in a coffin, or in a secret compartment under the floorboards of his house. He can't go into a human's house unless he's invited. Silver will bind him and burn his skin. However, he does dispel some vampire "myths" for Sookie. Holy water doesn't do anything, crosses don't bother him, and garlic is just an extremely offensive odor. Like the Cullens in Twilight, Bill is incredibly strong and has very quick reflexes.

Unlike the Cullens, Bill must drink the blood of humans, or synthetic bottled blood, to sustain his life and energy.  He feeds on Sookie, but tries to do so gently.  He even encourages her to take vitamins to maintain her strength and to keep her blood healthy for him.  When Sookie is hurt or injured, he returns the favor and lets Sookie drink some of his blood to heal her wounds.

Both Twilight and True Blood have their share of "bad" vampires. In the Twilight series, there are bloodthirsty vampires hunting after Bella that the Cullens must try and stop. There is also the Volturi, a band of law-enforcing vampires who oversee the vampire world and insure that the vampire secret is kept well guarded.

True Blood has its share of shady vampire characters as well. There is Eric, who runs the vampire bar Fangtasia, and a whole horde of other dangerous vampires who aren't as civilized as Bill. Many of the vampires in True Blood are unsavory folks that attract the attention of "fang-bangers" - people who want to have sex with and get bitten by vampires. If someone is branded as a "fang-banger" then they're generally looked down upon by most of the people in Bon Temps. Sometimes the "fang-bangers" get more than what they bargained for and end up getting drained and killed by a vampire.

Twilight and True Blood also have some other interesting characters. I don't want to spoil any surprises or give anything away, but these books are about more than just vampires!

Once you get past all the vampire folklore, both Twilight and True Blood both have truly interesting, romantic love stories.

In Twilight, there are the star-crossed lovers Bella and Edward, who you just know are meant to be together. But how is a human teenage girl supposed to be with a vampire who's been stuck as a teenager for decades and decades? Their chaste romance builds and heats up throughout the rest of the series and keeps readers eager for more.

In True Blood, Sookie grapples with her romance with vampire Bill. As a vampire, he can't come out during the day, so she knows that her life with him won't be "normal." Her friend and boss, Sam, wants to pursue a relationship with her as well, but that's not exactly a "normal" relationship, either. You'll have to watch the show to find out.

The True Blood actors have a love story off the set.  In a June interview on The View, Stephen Moyer revealed that he and Anna Paquin were a couple in real life as well as on screen.

And let's face it. Robert Pattinson and Stephen Moyer, the leading men in Twilight and True Blood, respectively, are both very easy on the eyes.

There's been quite a buzz around Twilight star Edward Pattinson. Many women, young and older alike, think he's hot stuff. Many women also question his hairstyle and grooming habits. I'm undecided. Sometimes in the movie, he seems strikingly handsome; other times, as my friend pointed out, he looks like Edward Scissorhands. Some women will agree that he's cute, but say that the Edward in their heads when they read the book, is hotter than onscreen Edward. Teenage girls, however, will disagree.

Vampire Bill, or Stephen Moyer, is also ruggedly handsome in his own right. Vampire Bill was made vampire during the Civil War, so he still behaves like a true Southern gentleman. He is charming, old-fashioned, and chivalrous, but when it comes to Sookie, he is extremely protective and blazingly passionate. Both characteristics make Bill extremely appealing.