CLASSIC VAMPIRISM AND RECENT CHANGES Change often occurs due to the simple nature of time. What once represented a finite and constant definition will change and evolve. Genres blur and mix mythologies. The realm of the supernatural in literature is no stranger to this trend. Wizards are no longer called Merlin and spend their days under the patronage of a heroic king; the average wizard now has common names like Harry or Ron and goes to school, saving the world. Cyclops currently means a laser-eyed, leather-wearing, crime-fighting man, not a one-eyed island beast. Vampirism does not escape this change. No longer can you consistently find a vampire as the bloodthirsty, life-sucking demon of a story. Recent popular fiction humanizes vampires, embodies them with humans' common individual struggles, and distorts vampire ethics to fit that reform. This trend exists outside of works traditionally classified as vampire literature and spans the breadth of fiction. Samples from across the spectrum of vampires in literature, Stephenie Meyer's popular teen romance series Twilight and Christopher Moore's absurdist humor novels Bloodsucking Fiends and You Suck, demonstrate the common humanized portrayal of vampires and its effects. To understand the evolved nature and image of vampirism in recent popular fiction, one must first understand previous depictions and assumed standards. Vampires, and all monsters for that matter, typically exist to represent one of humanity's greatest fears: the fear of the unknown. Vampires embody this through many facets, namely death and the dark world of the night. Rosemary Ellen Guilley, Ph.D. and vampire scholar, briefly summarizes the central part of the article relating to their species. They technically come from deceased humans and therefore have no body heat or need to eat, breathe or go to the bathroom. As soon as the sun rises over the horizon, Moore's vampires automatically collapse and enter the "sleep of the dead" and survive only by drinking blood (Fiends 28). Vampires also possess keen senses and immense strength, capable of completing impossible feats such as running up the side of a building and feeling the heartbeats of those around them (Fiends 24). Unable to be harmed by traditional means, Moore's creatures feel little pain and heal quickly. Vampires possess the ability to shift between human form and mist. Moore gives his vampires the unique ability to see the auras of humans around them. Healthy humans radiate a bright pink glow; the sick emit a dim gray light.