Would vampires call each other vampires?

[Xitra_Blud]

I'm writing from a vampire's point of view and I'm having a hard time explaining when another vampire is introduced or does something. Often times I describe their appearance (pale skin, sharp claw, fangs, etc.) so that the reader will get the hence that it's a vampire without me saying so but I've come to realize I can do that all the time. For example, the part I'm writing now, my vampire has come to a cottage she's never been to before. When she knocks on the door a vampire answers. Would she say, "A vampire answers the door"? "A young man answers the door"? or what?

 

[Ireth]

I'd go with "vampire", personally. It'd be the same thing as if the people in question were elves, dwarves, or any other sapient fantasy race.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

If your vampires recognize themselves as being different from the majority population, then yes, they would think of each other as vampires. In our urban fantasy environment, our preternatural characters define themselves as being different from the human majority. Vampires call themselves vampires, therian are therian, even wizards don't call themselves human, etc.. So unless your vampire character doesn't realize that the other character is also a vampire (and thus may default to human or what-have-you, rather like we have our own social default settings), you can probably go ahead and have her call him a young male vampire.

 

[Xitra_Blud]

If your vampires recognize themselves as being different from the majority population, then yes, they would think of each other as vampires. In our urban fantasy environment, our preternatural characters define themselves as being different from the human majority. Vampires call themselves vampires, therian are therian, even wizards don't call themselves human, etc.. So unless your vampire character doesn't realize that the other character is also a vampire (and thus may default to human or what-have-you, rather like we have our own social default settings), you can probably go ahead and have her call him a young male vampire.

They live in a vampire world inhabited by a few humans. She wouldn't consider herself to be different but would consider humans to be since they are only considered food to her and where she lives. It seems kind of odd for her to say "vampire" being that most everyone she knows is a vampire but I don't think she'd call him a man either since the term "man" would be more of referring to humans.

 

[Queshire]

Honestly if vampires are the majority and she comes from a vampire culture I think she wouldn't call them vampires just like you wouldn't say "A human comes to the door" Maybe have humans referred as like cattle or something in that nature instead of man?

 

[wordwalker]

Good point. It sounds like what you want to do is establish early on that to them, everyone is a vampire unless the character notices someone is "only human." Then in the next few scenes mention, just as readers' impressions are forming for that scene, that again most of the people there have fangs, or "still only a hundred years' wisdom," or some other quiet but clear sign that, yes, the "assume they're vampires" rule is still in effect. After one clear statement and a few reminders, all the reader needs is a clear statement when someone is human (or if circumstances might leave it in doubt but they're vampires).

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

In my view no. In order to recognise the person as someone distinctive because of race etc, they'd have to be different in some way. As Queshire says in our world we wouldn't say a human comes to the door. So my thought would be either he's just "a man" to her - maybe "a male" if there's some distinctive difference between men a woman, or you work with description that pins him down. "An ageing blood tooth came to the door" etc. Something that's enough to tell the reader he's a vamp without actually saying it.

Cheers, Greg.

 

[Svrtnsse]

In my WIP all of the characters are members of the Anfylk race. Anfylk are not humans, but there are far more humans in the world than there are fylkin. The fylkin generally refer to each other in the same way humans refer to each other: they are a people, a male fylk is a man and a femaly fylk is a woman.

The main difference between anfylk and humans is that anfylk are shorter, chubbier and have hairier legs (yes, they're hobbit rip-offs). For the most part I don't make a fuss about this, but like wordwalker suggests, I mention it now and then to remind the reader they're not humans.


Examples:

The way she'd fallen left her legs bare to the knees and Enar got a good look at round calves covered in a fine blonde fur. He noted, with some excitement, that she wore it straight and unbraided; a style which he quite fancied. It had long since gone out of fashion back in the city, but it reminded him of his time at the university and the girls he met there.

He looked at his feet. Dirty and unshaven they'd taken him far in the last few days. He imagined what they'd be like if he stayed out here. There'd be none of this soft, pink, skin and gentle stubble, that's for sure. He'd have a hard leathery hide covered in coarse fur. He'd have feet that could walk barefoot through snow and ice and think nothing of it; very manly, very rustic. He smiled to himself – as if.

Both of these sections describe the nonhuman feature of the anfylk in relation to other things that a reader should be familiar with. Now substitute anfylk for vampires and hairy legs for fangs and pale skin and you should be able to apply the same principles - if you want to.

 

[Penpilot]

To me, it all depends on how you're setting things up, and the culture they live in. Humans may not say stuff like "A human walked up to me." but they do say "a man/woman/a black man/woman walked up to me." Humans call each other Man/Woman/Brother/Sister. "Hey man, what's up?" They say stuff like "I'll kick your White/Black/Chinese/Mexican ass." to people of their own races.

What are the social divisions? If the vampires don't call themselves vampires, then what are they called? Everybody calls themselves something. I don't see any reason they couldn't call themselves vampires or vamps for short. I'm Chinese. I say stuff like "That Chinese guy over there needs to turn off his phone in the theatre." so why can't a vampire say something like "Sit your vamp ass down."

 

[srebak]

Actually, the OP makes a good point, the term "Vampire" is a word created by humans. Why would members of a sentient species refer to themselves by a name given to them by another? Wouldn't they have their own term for themselves?

 

[TWErvin2]

If vampires are very proud of their race--what they are, superior to others, or believe so, they might name themselves vampires.

Just a side question that struck me, which I am sure can be solved by the blood of other creatures, as at least prey/hunting wise, if the predators outnumber the prey (vampires far outnumber humans) there is a concern for an environmental imbalance leading to unsustainability.

 

[Jabrosky]

Would you rather your vampires called each other smeerps?

 

[Penpilot]

Just a side question that struck me, which I am sure can be solved by the blood of other creatures, as at least prey/hunting wise, if the predators outnumber the prey (vampires far outnumber humans) there is a concern for an environmental imbalance leading to unsustainability.

I believe that's the exact plot for the movie Daybreakers. I haven't seen it but here's the synopsis.

In a world 10 years into the future, vampires make up the vast majority of the population with only 5% of the human race remaining. This presents particular challenges as the vampires' food supply - human blood - is dwindling and rationing is now the norm. There is growing evidence that vampires deprived of an adequate blood supply are themselves evolving into wild, vile creatures that attack anyone and anything in order to survive. Dr. Edward Dalton, a vampire and hematologist who works for a pharmaceutical firm, has been working on finding an artificial blood supply that will meet the vampire society's needs. He is sympathetic to humans and sees his work as a way of alleviating their suffering but his views on finding a solution change considerably when he meets someone who found a way to transform himself from being a vampire to again take human form.

 

[Ireth]

I'm writing a historical fantasy about vampires in 14th century Scotland. Since that's well before the term "vampire" was invented, I use the term "blood-drinker(s)" and the Gaelic translation "sumair(ach) fala". You could play around with translations as well if you wanted. Sanguivore(s), haemophagoi (sing. haemophagos)... whatever works for the language, etc. you're going for.

Technically my Latin and Greek examples mean "blood-eater" rather than "blood-drinker", but the basic intent is still the same.

 

[Xitra_Blud]

there is a concern for an environmental imbalance leading to unsustainability.

Their world exists within our world, so they can cross back and forth and feed on the humans of earth then go back to their own world.