Vampire (Stephen King)
Encyclopedia
Vampire
s appear throughout Stephen King
's fictional multiverse
. They appear in the novels 'Salem's Lot, Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah, and The Dark Tower; the short stories "One for the Road", "The Night Flier
", "Popsy", and "The Little Sisters of Eluria
"; and are mentioned in a number of other stories. Marvel Comics
' The Dark Tower: End-World Almanac includes a detailed entry on their categorization.
; the fictional setting of 'Salem's Lot and works related to it; and the "real" world.
All three types of vampires drink blood to survive. However, while they are immune to blood-borne disease
s, they can pass them on to their victims. Due to this, in King's multiverse vampires were instrumental in causing the AIDS pandemic
in the 1980s.
Most also seem to require being "invited" into a particular area or building by the proper "owner" of the territory. Once invited, they seem to be able to come and go as they please, even if their invitation is verbally revoked.
s", the last remnants of the Prim (magical beings who predated creation and dissolved when Gan
made the multiverse). Although humanoid
in shape, they are extremely deformed, with an emaciated appearance; enormous, inch-long teeth that force their mouths open; and large amounts of tumors, body hair, and other physical defects. Their bodies are adapted for the seeking and consuming of blood: their noses are attuned to smell even traces of blood from long distances, their teeth are built for piercing and draining skin, their stomachs can expand to hold as much as half their body weight in blood, and their tongue is long and prehensile, and can produce anticoagulant
s to apply to bites on victims.
Type Ones have lifespans of thousands of years, and can hibernate for hundreds of years. They also are surrounded by blue or indigo auras
. These represent their life energy, and when the aura goes out, Type Ones almost immediately putrefy into stinking yellow puddles. Type Ones are especially vulnerable to cross
es, which cause them to burst into flame.
Type Ones are also known as "Grandfathers", and their presence is almost always signified by the presence of "Grandfather Fleas". Grandfather Fleas are large, vicious insects that not only drink blood but eat flesh and lay eggs in corpses. Grandfather Fleas usually begin to appear prior to the arrival of a Type One. Billy-bumblers (such as Oy
), creatures native to All-World, are especially adept at killing Grandfather Fleas and are often trained to do so.
light, resulting in them shunning daytime for night activities.
It also known that Type One vampires can create thralls to serve as their slaves and executors. Presumably these are not Type Two vampires; Richard Throckett Straker, the thrall of the Type One vampire Kurt Barlow, showed considerable intelligence and independence, moved in sunlight, and showed no taste for blood.
that causes temporary memory loss and disorientation in their victims, allowing them more leeway in feeding. However, Type Threes cannot pass along vampirism to those they bite. Type Threes also generate a faint version of the Type One aura, along with a smell such as burnt onions or hot metal, which those with psychic
powers can detect. Type Threes can be killed with normal weapons, and when die their bodies dissolve away, leaving no residue or trace.
mentions literal vampire bat
s whose bite turns victims into vampires.
In The Dark Tower, the existence of "psychic vampires" is revealed, who feed on emotions as opposed to blood, can change shape, and can mask their surroundings via a glammer
.
, Maine
, before being killed by Ben Mears and Mark Petrie.
into his cottage on Odd Lane (the street that crosses Tower Road in the White Lands of Empathica) and treats them to a feast. Afterwards, he tells them that before entering All-World, he was a stand-up comedian. Roland asks to hear some of his act, during which Dandelo comes close to making Roland laugh to death. Susannah avoids entrapment because she is in the bathroom at the time, tending to a troublesome sore on her face. There she discovers a note apparently left by Stephen King
himself (the note even acknowledges itself as a deus ex machina
) that helps her puzzle out Joe's true identity. Before he can sap all of Roland's life force, Dandelo is killed by Susannah with two shots to the head.
It is later revealed that he had kept Patrick Danville
captive as a 'food source' to drain of emotions; at one point Dandelo ripped out Danville's tongue, preventing him from speaking.
from small airport to small airport, killing and draining victims during his travels. Tabloid journalist Richard Dees nearly captured him, but was instead left framed for the murders by the Night Flier himself. In the notes to Nightmares & Dreamscapes
, King states that the Night Flier is possibly also the titular character of his story "Popsy", who rescues a possibly-vampiric child from an abductor.
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s appear throughout Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's fictional multiverse
Multiverse
The multiverse is the hypothetical set of multiple possible universes that together comprise all of reality.Multiverse may also refer to:-In fiction:* Multiverse , the fictional multiverse used by DC Comics...
. They appear in the novels 'Salem's Lot, Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah, and The Dark Tower; the short stories "One for the Road", "The Night Flier
The Night Flier
"The Night Flier" is a horror short story by Stephen King, first published in the anthology Prime Evil: New Stories by the Masters of Modern Horror, and then in King's own 1993 Nightmares and Dreamscapes collection....
", "Popsy", and "The Little Sisters of Eluria
The Little Sisters of Eluria
"The Little Sisters of Eluria" is a novella by Stephen King. It was originally published in 1998 in the collection Legends: Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy...
"; and are mentioned in a number of other stories. Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' The Dark Tower: End-World Almanac includes a detailed entry on their categorization.
Classification
The majority of vampires that exist in King's multiverse consist of a standard type. These standard vampires exist in at least three facets of King's multiverse: All-WorldAll-World
All-World is a fictional location in Stephen King's The Dark Tower series of novels. All-World is the world known to contain the "Keystone Tower" in the Dark Tower series. It is the only world that contains the Dark Tower in its physical form; all others contain a representative of the Tower, such...
; the fictional setting of 'Salem's Lot and works related to it; and the "real" world.
All three types of vampires drink blood to survive. However, while they are immune to blood-borne disease
Blood-borne disease
A blood-borne disease is one that can be spread through contamination by blood.The most common examples are HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and viral hemorrhagic fevers....
s, they can pass them on to their victims. Due to this, in King's multiverse vampires were instrumental in causing the AIDS pandemic
AIDS pandemic
The acquired immune deficiency syndrome pandemic is a widespread disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus .Since AIDS was first recognized in 1981, it has led to the deaths of more than 25 million people, making it one of the most destructive diseases in recorded history.Despite recent...
in the 1980s.
Most also seem to require being "invited" into a particular area or building by the proper "owner" of the territory. Once invited, they seem to be able to come and go as they please, even if their invitation is verbally revoked.
Type Ones
Type One vampires are "lesser demonDemon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s", the last remnants of the Prim (magical beings who predated creation and dissolved when Gan
Gan (Stephen King)
Gan is the creative overforce in the cosmology of the fictional Stephen King multiverse. Stephen King's inspiration for the word remains unknown, but he may have taken it from a Hebrew word, which means, simply, "garden." Gan's role in the novels is very much in line with the concept of God or the...
made the multiverse). Although humanoid
Humanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
in shape, they are extremely deformed, with an emaciated appearance; enormous, inch-long teeth that force their mouths open; and large amounts of tumors, body hair, and other physical defects. Their bodies are adapted for the seeking and consuming of blood: their noses are attuned to smell even traces of blood from long distances, their teeth are built for piercing and draining skin, their stomachs can expand to hold as much as half their body weight in blood, and their tongue is long and prehensile, and can produce anticoagulant
Anticoagulant
An anticoagulant is a substance that prevents coagulation of blood. A group of pharmaceuticals called anticoagulants can be used in vivo as a medication for thrombotic disorders. Some anticoagulants are used in medical equipment, such as test tubes, blood transfusion bags, and renal dialysis...
s to apply to bites on victims.
Type Ones have lifespans of thousands of years, and can hibernate for hundreds of years. They also are surrounded by blue or indigo auras
Aura (paranormal)
In parapsychology and many forms of spiritual practice, an aura is a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person or object . The depiction of such an aura often connotes a person of particular power or holiness. Sometimes, however, it is said that all living things and all objects...
. These represent their life energy, and when the aura goes out, Type Ones almost immediately putrefy into stinking yellow puddles. Type Ones are especially vulnerable to cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
es, which cause them to burst into flame.
Type Ones are also known as "Grandfathers", and their presence is almost always signified by the presence of "Grandfather Fleas". Grandfather Fleas are large, vicious insects that not only drink blood but eat flesh and lay eggs in corpses. Grandfather Fleas usually begin to appear prior to the arrival of a Type One. Billy-bumblers (such as Oy
Oy (Dark Tower)
Oy of Mid-World is a primary character in Stephen King's The Dark Tower. He was introduced in the third book, The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands, and became a member of the ka-tet for the rest of the series....
), creatures native to All-World, are especially adept at killing Grandfather Fleas and are often trained to do so.
Type Twos
Type Two vampires are former humans who have been bitten by a Type One vampire. Type Two vampires have both limited intelligence and almost no free will, serving almost entirely as an extension of the Type One vampire that bit them. Type Twos have an "unquenchable thirst" for blood, yet are extremely allergic to ultravioletUltraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
light, resulting in them shunning daytime for night activities.
It also known that Type One vampires can create thralls to serve as their slaves and executors. Presumably these are not Type Two vampires; Richard Throckett Straker, the thrall of the Type One vampire Kurt Barlow, showed considerable intelligence and independence, moved in sunlight, and showed no taste for blood.
Type Threes
Type Three vampires are humans who have been bitten by a Type Two vampire. Type Threes can pass as normal humans, as they are able to move in sunlight, survive off of normal food instead of solely blood, and have a higher degree of intelligence and personality than Type Twos. In addition, their bites contain an enzymeEnzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
that causes temporary memory loss and disorientation in their victims, allowing them more leeway in feeding. However, Type Threes cannot pass along vampirism to those they bite. Type Threes also generate a faint version of the Type One aura, along with a smell such as burnt onions or hot metal, which those with psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
powers can detect. Type Threes can be killed with normal weapons, and when die their bodies dissolve away, leaving no residue or trace.
Other types of vampires
In The Gunslinger, Roland DeschainRoland Deschain
Roland Deschain of Gilead is a fictional character, the protagonist and antihero of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. He is the son of Steven and Gabrielle Deschain and is descended from a long line of "gunslingers", peacekeepers and diplomats of Roland's society...
mentions literal vampire bat
Vampire bat
Vampire bats are bats whose food source is blood, a dietary trait called hematophagy. There are three bat species that feed solely on blood: the Common Vampire Bat , the Hairy-legged Vampire Bat , and the White-winged Vampire Bat .All three species are native to the Americas, ranging from Mexico to...
s whose bite turns victims into vampires.
In The Dark Tower, the existence of "psychic vampires" is revealed, who feed on emotions as opposed to blood, can change shape, and can mask their surroundings via a glammer
Glamour (presentation)
Glamour originally was a magical-occult spell cast on somebody to make them believe that something or somebody was attractive. In the late 19th century terminology a non magical item used to help create a more attractive appearance gradually became 'a glamour'...
.
Kurt Barlow
Kurt Barlow is a Type One vampire who terrorizes the town of Jerusalem's LotJerusalem's Lot (Stephen King)
Jerusalem's Lot is a fictional town in the works of horror fiction writer Stephen King...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, before being killed by Ben Mears and Mark Petrie.
Sister Mary
Sister Mary, called the "Big Sister", is the leader of a group of vampiric nuns in the short story "The Little Sisters of Eluria". She and her coven are encountered by Roland Deschain after he is badly beaten by Slow Mutants. When trying to escape from the Little Sisters, Roland is temporarily stopped and almost killed by Mary, before being saved by a dog with a cross-like pattern on its coat. From her ability to control Grandfather fleas, immense strength, immunity to firearms, and control over other vampires, Mary is most likely a Type One vampire.Dandelo
Dandelo is a psychic vampire who feeds on emotions. He makes an appearance in The Dark Tower. Using the name of "Joe Collins", he lures Roland Deschain, Oy and Susannah DeanSusannah Dean
Susannah Odetta Holmes Dean is a fictional character from Stephen King's The Dark Tower series...
into his cottage on Odd Lane (the street that crosses Tower Road in the White Lands of Empathica) and treats them to a feast. Afterwards, he tells them that before entering All-World, he was a stand-up comedian. Roland asks to hear some of his act, during which Dandelo comes close to making Roland laugh to death. Susannah avoids entrapment because she is in the bathroom at the time, tending to a troublesome sore on her face. There she discovers a note apparently left by Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
himself (the note even acknowledges itself as a deus ex machina
Deus ex machina
A deus ex machina is a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object.-Linguistic considerations:...
) that helps her puzzle out Joe's true identity. Before he can sap all of Roland's life force, Dandelo is killed by Susannah with two shots to the head.
It is later revealed that he had kept Patrick Danville
Patrick Danville
Patrick Danville is a fictional character created by Stephen King, featured in the novels Insomnia and The Dark Tower.-Insomnia:Patrick was introduced as a child in Insomnia, a budding artist who was destined to die saving the lives of two men, one of whom must not die...
captive as a 'food source' to drain of emotions; at one point Dandelo ripped out Danville's tongue, preventing him from speaking.
The Night Flier
The "Night Flier" is a vampire mass-murderer who pilots a Cessna SkymasterCessna Skymaster
The Cessna Skymaster is a United States twin-engine civil utility aircraft built in a push-pull configuration. Its engines are mounted in the nose and rear of its pod-style fuselage. Twin booms extend aft of the wings to the vertical stabilizers, with the rear engine between them. The horizontal...
from small airport to small airport, killing and draining victims during his travels. Tabloid journalist Richard Dees nearly captured him, but was instead left framed for the murders by the Night Flier himself. In the notes to Nightmares & Dreamscapes
Nightmares & Dreamscapes
Nightmares & Dreamscapes is a short story collection by Stephen King published in 1993.-Stories:-Adaptations:"The Night Flier" and "Dolan's Cadillac" were both adapted to films of the same respective names. "Chattery Teeth"' was adapted into a segment of the film Quicksilver Highway...
, King states that the Night Flier is possibly also the titular character of his story "Popsy", who rescues a possibly-vampiric child from an abductor.