An Overview of the Sookie Stackhouse Novels
Charlene Harris' Books That Influenced the HBO True Blood TV Series
Jun 12, 2009
Move over Twilight, there's a new and more adult-friendly vampire series in town! Gentlemanly vampires, a main character with psychic abilities, run-ins with shape-shifters, a romantic southern atmosphere and a sprinkling of adult flavor all contribute to this series' popularity.
Overview of the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mysteries Series
The Southern Vampire Mysteries, or as some readers refer to them, the Sookie Stackhouse series, is narrated by Sookie Stackhouse, a young southern woman living in Bon Temps, Louisiana who happens to have telepathic ability. Other main characters in the series include Bill Compton, the gentleman vampire from the Civil War area, Eric Northman, Bill's vampire higher-up and Sam Merlotte, Sookie's boss and a genuine shape-shifter.
The series centers around Sookie and her relationship with these characters, both romantic and platonic, most notably the conflict that arises when she is torn between the affections of vampires Bill and Eric.
The first book in the series, Dead Until Dark, was published in 2001 and met with popular response from readers. There are currently nine published books in best-selling author Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse/The Southern Vampire Mysteries series:
- Dead Until Dark
- Living Dead in Dallas
- Club Dead
- Dead to the World
- Dead as Doornail
- Definitely Dead
- All Together Dead
- From Dead to Worse
- Dead and Gone
- A Touch of Dead (to be released in late 2009)
HBO's True Blood TV Series Tie-In
The most immediate and notable variation between the Sookie Stackhouse book series and the True Blood TV series is the introduction of many additional characters. For instance, in the Southern Vampire Mysteries, characters like Jason, Tara and Lafayette make only minor and fleeting appearances, whereas in the TV series they play important roles in driving the plot.
Another noticeable difference is that the books are Sookie-centric, told from Sookie's first-person perspective, while in the TV series Sookie still clearly remains the main character, the story lines shift to other characters as well. This gives the TV series more range of appeal and also allows for a better plot flow.
While the HBO series turns up the sexual content, presumably to engage viewers, the books are more toned down, though there are sex scenes within the book series.
Overall, the Southern Vampire Mysteries series is highly recommended reading for those who enjoyed the Twilight series and are looking for something with a little more bite. Colorful characters, entertaining plot lines and a more adult flavoring make these books, and their TV series counterpart, guilty pleasures worth sharing.
For those looking to catch up on the TV series, the first season of True Blood is available on DVD and the second season will begin airing on HBO Sunday, June 14, 2009.
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