Choices

Vampires in pop culture today are not inherently evil. Like humans they can choose their own path. This is prominently seen in vampire romance novels, as discussed in an article by Helen T. Bailie. She references many adult romance novels that portray vampires not as soulless demons created by the devil, but as individuals making their own choices."The evil vampire makes a deliberate choice to embrace his darker nature, while the vampire hero not only struggles against the temptation but will sacrifice himself rather than succumb to it." [Bailie, 143] This allows the vampire to be a hero or a villain, lending the vampire a level of complexity not achieved by the stereotypical vampire of previous decades, and people can easily relate to that internal struggle. Vampires have become more human than monster, with vampirism being viewed and treated more as an addiction or disease.