R&R 107 | Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story

It's been a while since I've updated, but I've got a good excuse: wisdom teeth extraction recovery. I'm still healing but all's going well, and I felt like picking up the blog again. Have been doing lots of reading the past week, let's add some reviewing to that, starting with a very fun book by Christopher Moore!

Christopher Moore
Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story
(first in a series)
First published in: 1995
This edition: Simon and Schuster, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4165-5849-1
Genre: humor, vampires
Pages: 290
Cover design & illustration by William Staehle

You know, I'd just finished two Sookie Stackhouse novels back to back when I started reading BLOODSUCKING FIENDS. It took me a while to get into, probably because I wasn't sure I felt like reading another vampire story. Don't get me wrong, I love anything supernatural, and I think vampires are my most favorite sub-category. But if you've been following my project and blog for a while, you also know that I love variety in books.

Nonetheless, I was too curious. Christopher Moore is irresistible to me (yes you are, big guy), and I was curious about his take on vampire fiction. And BLOODSUCKING FIENDS had me giggling from the start. I was helpless against one-liners such as, "He won't last longer 'n a fart on a hot skillet". Moore knows just how to woo a reader. My resistance to yet another vampire book also didn't last much longer than said fart on said hot skillet.

Moore's vampire is a feisty redhead (instant relatability) named Jody, a baby vamp, who struggles to get used to her new undead status. Mentor-less, she's kind of on her own: from dealing with cravings to super hearing to PMS, she's alone in this one. It would be easier if she could walk in daylight, but alas, the sun's effects on Jody more closely resemble that of skin frying than skin sparkling. Unfortunately, the world doesn't really cater to those who roam about in the wee hours of the night. What's a lone vamp to do? Oh! Find a human minion to take care of her bizniz, that's what.

Jody quickly finds a willing one in the form of C. Thomas Flood (or: Tommy), a guy a couple years Jody's junior who falls for the persistent redhead immediately. So what if she's a little quirky? Love is in the air, mutual, and things seem to be going well, until Jody meets her maker. Her vampire maker, that is. And this fellah is looking to cause some trouble for the two lovebirds.

Often I wonder if Moore is on crack (fish people, a giant horny lizard, shall I go on?) when he writes his books, but I love it that he puts his wild imagination into words and shares the crazy. He's unconventional and makes his own rules.
BLOODSUCKING FIENDS tones it down a little, but you know what, I really liked that. Vampire spoofing is entertaining and insane enough; Moore wisely decided that it had enough comedic value. One of the most memorable moments: Jody goes to a vampire support group – she being the only real one, the rest just vampire groupies, wannabees. I thought it was hilarious. Sometimes less is Moore.

BLOODSUCKING FIENDS, which is the first in a series (YOU SUCK and BITE ME follow), is still a delicious kind of nuts though, so if you like Moore for the crazy, FIENDS won't disappoint. I decided very early on that I would continue reading the sequels, a good sign for a "pilot" novel.

The humor combined with vampire lore reminds me a lot of the humor of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, though the latter of course also dealt with issues such as impossible love, sacrifice, the death of a parent (among many more losses), the apocalypse. Moore definitely keeps it strictly campy and fun, providing giggles and pleasant reading throughout.

The story's setting is A+; San Francisco, which Moore also used for a backdrop in A DIRTY JOB. Speaking of A DIRTY JOB, a familiar character joins the cast of BLOODSUCKING FIENDS: The Emperor (plus canine entourage) – a welcome addition. When I watch TV shows, I'm such a sucker for cross-overs. I love it when fandoms hook up and make beautiful babies together. The same goes for books. Moore's characters regularly step out of their own books to visit others, which I see as a little treat for fans of his books.

What bothered me is that there were some errors in editing; an example is the mention of a nightclub, one moment its name is 753, the other time it's 754. Which is it? But you know, that's all I have to complain about. A little bit of messy editing.

I'd say that this book is a very good one to start with if you're new to Christopher Moore. It's definitely one of my favorites of his already, and I really can't wait to see what else he comes up with, vampire-wise.

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