(Warning:Spoilers ahead for the Sookie Stackhouse books and “True Blood”)
Move over, Twi-hards. Today, “True Blood” fans get center stage as “Dead in the Family,” the tenth book in author Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Series, hits bookstores.
Fans invested in “True Blood” protagonist Sookie Stackhouse’s love life have been eagerly awaiting the new title since 2009’s “Dead and Gone” ended on a romantic cliffhanger. Niall, Sookie’s fairy great-grandfather, told the telepathic barmaid that “the vampire is not a bad man, and he loves you.” But then gramps left the human world forever, before clarifying if he meant the blonde Eric Northman or the brunette Bill Compton. (One thing we know–Sookie will begin book 10 “officially” involved with hunky Nordic vamp Eric. In fact, the two have exchanged blood so often, they share a powerful “blood bond.” Eric also sneakily arranged for them to be married by vampire law.)
The fact that Eric and Sookie have such a close relationship may come as a surprise to fans who only began ’shipping vampires with the launch of Alan Ball’s TV adaptation of the series for HBO in 2008. But as any “TB” novel fans will tell you, their Eric bears scant resemblance to the wry, sadistic vampire played so terrifyingly by Alexander Skarsgard on the small screen. Harris’ creation may be powerful and frightening, but her Eric also has a playful sense of humor — he wears pink spandex in one memorable scene — and demonstrates a tenderness towards Sookie often lacking on TV. He has a joie de vivre, or perhaps more appropriately, a joie de mourir.
According to Tamara Thompson, a recent co-host of the “Last Bite” podcast at sookiestackouse.com, the romantic dream sequences Sookie has about Eric during season 2 of “True Blood” gave fans of the books “a glimpse” of their Eric, the kind and sensitive vampire they know, love and want to see more of on the small screen.
Meanwhile Eric’s rival Bill Compton, portrayed as a smoldering southern gent by Stephen Moyer in the TV series, also has a few extra flaws in Harris’s world, such as a penchant for wearing thick glasses while he obsessively looks through computer vampire databases and, you know, an inability to stay faithful.
Ollie Chong, the Editor/administrator of truebloodnet.com, explains the difference more succinctly: “In the books and show, the roles are reversed — who is the bad guy, who is the good guy? If you watch the TV series first, you’re likely to be more pro-Bill, but if you read the books first you like Eric.”
One thing’s for sure: the Sookie-Bill-Eric triangle won’t be solved anytime soon — on screen on or the page. Harris has said Sookie won’t made her final choice until her fate is sealed, which won’t happen for another three books. And on-screen, Sookie is facing an escalating level of violence that may put romance on the backburner.
As Maria Galarza-Catuira, Thompson’s co-host at the “Last Bite” podcast, says: “When you listen to a lot of fans talk about the show, they’re entrenched in this romantic triangle. But if you’re really invested in the book series, you’re just looking forward to seeing if Sookie gets her happily ever after. It may not be about who’s she’s with, but if she survives.”
Listen to Chris, Kelly and Maria talk about the latest True Blood episode and discuss what may be the aftermath of Eric’s flashback, the dossier that was found in Bill’s home, Sookie’s special power, the next episode and more.
Join Chris, Kelly and Maria discuss the jaw-dropping season finale of Vampire Diaries, review Dead in the Family and go over news bites & much, much more…
Listen to Tamara and Maria interview a new author on the scene, Carolyn Crane. She has just debuted the first in the Justine Jones: Disillusionist trilogy, Mind Games.
Listen to Maria and Tamara interview MaryJanice Davidson, author of the popular Betsy the Vampire Queen series.
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