occult

The Last Vampire is an admirable sequel to The Hunger, published seven years earlier. The story follows Miriam Blaylock from Tailand to Paris and back to New York where she had intended to visit the once a century Conclaves where the Keepers convene. Mariam is considered quite a rebel in the eyes of other Keepers since she lives her life in the mainstream, flaunts money, technology, and is up to date with all of the latest marvels of modern time. During her visits, something goes seriously wrong and the old Keepers are being killed, removed from the face of the earth. Miriam, now also on the run for her life, return to the sanctity and protection of her New York home, and nightclub.

The book retains the style of it's predecessor, The Hunger, of seven years ago. The same colorful writing style, amusing descriptions, and suspense is consistent in both books. Surprising turn of events and an intriguing storyline continue to develop throughout. I read them back to back and could barely tell that there was such a span between the two books.

Based on the apparent outcome of the book, I would have liked to have more of a history of the Keepers and how they originated and developed throughout time. Perhaps Mr. Strieber will provide additional books at some later time. If you liked The Hunger, then you should read this sequel.

"THE HUNGER" was one of my favorite vampire novels growing up (and if you had read the book, the movie can be appreciated as well). Strieber's vivid imagery (I can never forget the descriptions of Miriam Blaylock's house),clever plot devices as well as the depiction of glamourous and rich vampires was unforgettable. I was very excited to hear that Miriam Blaylock was back in "The Last Vampire" but am disappointed with the book. It starts off very good and Strieber's descriptive prose weaves yet another dreamy spell as we follow Miriam through the streets of Bangkok and Paris seeking out "The Keepers" to warn them of a group of destructive humans that threaten their existence. About half way, though, the plot begins to disintegrate as Miriam unbeleivably falls in love with a very cocky and unlikable CIA agent. It is all too much and some chapters, such as the one where they finally make love, is unbelievably stupid as Miriam runs around screaming "I'm in love, I'm in love!". The chapter contains some of the worst dialog I have ever read! The ending sets the book up for a sequel but the whole turn of events in Miriam's life is disappointing, unbelievable and a let down.

Miriam is an enduring character. I was delighted to read this sequel to "The Hunger." Apart from the fact that the film version of "The Hunger" did not at all do the book justice, the performances of Catherine Deneuve (Miriam), Susan Sarandon (Sarah), and David Bowie (John) made the film, and even after all of these years, the book, a tremendous cult success.

I'm reading "The Last Vampire," and loving every page. Strieber's creative ideas of human herds and his own spin on vampire history and behavior are compelling and throught provoking. I can't help but notice that the character Miriam in "The Last Vampire" appears to be precisely and deliciously written for Deneuve. I'm chalking this up to character visualization, since so many people liken Miriam to Deneuve. This gets me to thinking that there might be a film in the works, or at least the beginnings thereof. A little net searching turns up the fact that the movie rights have been sold. But, and here's the kicker, Deneuve and Sarandon, who made "The Hunger" movie adaptation a MAJOR success, aren't being considered for the movie adaptation of "The Last Vampire"? Miriam Blaylock is over 3000 years old, but Catherine Deneuve, born in 1943, is too old to play her? Miriam's youth is supposed to be timeless. In case Hollywood hasn't noticed, Deneuve is timeless. What is the problem with Hollywood and older actresses? I can't imagine why the film industry would fail to consider the cult fan base for this project.