What does everyone think of the concept of space vampires?

[Moodib]

The Wraith is another example of a cool space vampire and some vampires from space don't drink your blood but suck your energy instead.

Anyone familar with that episode of Buck Rogers called Space Vampires that has the awesome Vorvon? he is a space vampire with fangs but doesn't bite people but drains their lfieforces instead with his hands and does the same to other people.

And does Killer Klowns from Outer Space count as a vampire movie? they are intergalactic alien creatures with fangs and sharp teeth but don't bite people, instead they stab them with sharp straws and suck their blood. The movie is listed on vamprie movie lists and some filmographies.

 

[Gov Kodos]

By space vampires, do you include Borg and Wraith? If so, the lesson for space vampires is that they must be handled with care. They have great potential but become laughable so very easily.

But traditional, Dracula-style vampires in space, ech. That's just stupid.

I remember a Twilight Zone anthology novel, that had a short story where aliens have blasted the Earth to smithereens. They find some odd humans who've survived. I liked the irony of the story, vampires becoming humanity's avengers on the aliens. But generally, the traditional vampire and action of a Dracula tale doesn't work, however, with the right twist it's all right.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Mmmm. Mathilda May...

 

[saturn5]

If you haven't yet, see "Lifeforce" a 1985 movie. THAT is pure space vampire cheese

No it's pure cheesecake!
Until Eliza Dushku came along Mathilda May replaced Lynda Carter as the world's sexiest woman in my eyes

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Vulcan space zombies.

 

[Mike Farley]

 

[Silvercrest]

They don't call them stargates for nothing.

 

[Distorted Humor]

if they are blood-sucking, then its going to be hard not to make it cheesy. Lifeforce draining is ok. A slight modification of Soul-hunters would be cool...

 

[Checkmate]

I prefer supernatural ones to sci-fi ones. The former is at least based on real myths and legends. The latter always (always) comes across as pure cheese and highly uncreative.

 

[Greg Cox]

I think this is an idea that never works.

Vampirella begs to differ . . . .

 

[Pingfah]

Vampires, spaceships, naked Mathilda May, zombies and Patrick Stewart, all haphazardly crammed together by the guy who brought us such subtle masterpieces of restraint as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II and Spontaneous Combustion?

I cannot understand how anybody can not love Lifeforce.

 

[Greg Cox]

By space vampires, do you include Borg and Wraith? If so, the lesson for space vampires is that they must be handled with care. They have great potential but become laughable so very easily.

But traditional, Dracula-style vampires in space, ech. That's just stupid.

I remember a Twilight Zone anthology novel, that had a short story where aliens have blasted the Earth to smithereens. They find some odd humans who've survived. I liked the irony of the story, vampires becoming humanity's avengers on the aliens. But generally, the traditional vampire and action of a Dracula tale doesn't work, however, with the right twist it's all right.

That was "And Not Quite Human" by Joe Hensley. It appeared in a paperback collection titled Rod Serling's Triple W: Witches, Warlocks, and Werewolves--which wasn't technically a TZ collection, but close enough.

My dad read me that story when I was a kid, and it made a lasting impression on me. In fact, I later co-edited an entire anthology of sf vampire stories titled Tomorrow Sucks.

Really.

It's out-of-print now, but, last I heard, there's a new edition in the works . . . .

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

I'm not sure about movies, but the worst/cheesiest adaptation on tv was the Atavus of EFC. Not the 1st Atavus (regressed Taelons), not the 2nd Atavus (balanced fusion of Taelon & Jaridian) but the 3rd Atavus (dirty haired green plastic outfitted freaks with stupid names). I think EFC Season 5 is a decent contender for the absolute worst season ever for a sci-fi/fantasy genre show. Part of what made it so bad was the contrast with the scheming but incredibly ambiguous and hard to pin down Taelons. Then lower the acting bar down a few notches, hit the writer in the head with a brick a few times and you have Season 5 stories: Renee the space vampire hunter, complete with her spunky red-headed side kick.

And yet, it still could have been redeemed if they'd just played around with some femslash subtext between Renee Palmer & J Street!

 

[Greg Cox]

Vampires, spaceships, naked Mathilda May, zombies and Patrick Stewart, all haphazardly crammed together by the guy who brought us such subtle masterpieces of restraint as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II and Spontaneous Combustion?

I cannot understand how anybody can not love Lifeforce.

Agreed. I actually prefered it to the original novel, which I remember being rather dull and talky. A series of lectures disguised as a novel . . . .

 

[Nerys Myk]

If Frida Kahlo and a Ferengi had a child...

 

[SiT:TiNG down]

I kinda like them, if they're done well in a science fiction fashion. I suppose then they're not technically "vampires" in the traditional dark sense, but then again I also like it when magic is explained by science. Kate Nevermore does a good version of the scifi vamp in Blood for the Living (which I just read yesterday & LOVED, so totally on my mind!), but they're more genetically altered disease afflicted than supernatural. Was WAY better written than Twilight, imho. Can't stand the sparkly vamp idea.

 

[RAMA]

Im sick of zombies and vampires at this point...

 

[Greg Cox]

And let's not forget C. L. Moore's "Shambleau," which is possibly the very first space vampire story. Not to mention Bava's PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

The whole vampire thing got messed up when they went from being classic scary creatures and monsters to being....your boyfriend.

WTF?

I dunno, wasn't that a big part of Bela Lugosi's appeal? Might seem odd now since tastes have changed and he seems a bit, err dumpy and old-looking by today's standards, but he was quite the sex symbol in his day.

Im sick of zombies and vampires at this point...

Yeah, let's have some aliens! Anybody remember aliens?!?

I'd even go for a robot or two.

 

[Greg Cox]

The whole vampire thing got messed up when they went from being classic scary creatures and monsters to being....your boyfriend.

WTF?

I dunno, wasn't that a big part of Bela Lugosi's appeal? Might seem odd now since tastes have changed and he seems a bit, err dumpy and old-looking by today's standards, but he was quite the sex symbol in his day.

.

Exactly. People don't really think of him that way anymore, but the original 1931 Dracula was released on Valentine's Day and advertised as "The Strangest Love Story Ever Told!"

The vampire as matinee idol is nothing new.

As for aliens, I wasn't aware they had gone away. What about I Am Number Four, V, The Event, Paul, Falling Skies, Battle: Los Angeles, Skyline . . and that's just in the last year or so!

Robots are a little rarer, but we do have Real Steel coming out in October . . . .