Alpha Female Vampires — Where Are They?
Let me start by saying I’m not a radical feminist. I’m a 30-something woman with a college degree who owns and operates a small publicity firm. Like many people, I am a huge vampire fan. But when I watch vampire films or TV shows, or read about these creatures of the night, I’d like to see a female vamp who’s large and in charge — like me. Not a child like Claudia in Interview with the Vampire. And not some feral femme who’s subservient to an alpha male, like one of Dracula’s brides. Nor can I identify with a mindless predator like Dracula’s first victim, Lucy, aka the “Bloofer Lady.”
(Spoiler alert!) Furthermore, while I fully support the rights of trans and nonbinary people, I can’t quite connect with a vampire who appears to be a preteen girl but is actually a young boy. This is how Eli is portrayed in the novel, Let the Right One In, something only hinted at in the movie of the same name. By the way, the book and movie are truly awesome and Eli is an amazing character. But there is something rather dependent about her which is not how I picture myself.
By now you’re waiting for me to namedrop the one alpha female vamp we’re all familiar with (although surprisingly few actually remember her name!). It’s Akasha, played by singer Aaliyah in the 2002 film Queen of the Damned, adapted from the novel by Anne Rice. Pat yourself on the back for knowing this one. So…got any more?
Anything? OK, I’ll share one I discovered in a critically-acclaimed novel that’s only beginning to get the attention it deserves. Her name is Fiona from the 2020 novel Fiona’s Guardians by Dan Klefstad. The book hasn’t yet appeared on Hollywood’s radar although I think it would make a highly bingeable Netflix series. In Fiona we have a beautiful, sexy vampire who uses “soft power” to get what she wants from the human guardians who work for her. Occasionally, though, she reveals her true self which is that of a perpetually hungry killer. Anyone who double-crosses her quickly realizes that she means business and their mistake has been a fatal one.
When reading about Fiona, it was easy to picture her as the head of a corporation with its claws in various hospitals where insiders steal blood and sell it to Fiona’s head human, Daniel. Much of the action is provided by a group of vampire hunters, the Mors Strigae, who are basically a Vatican SWAT team that has a long history with Fiona and her undead “family.” Although they’ve been around for centuries, the mission of Mors Strigae remains the same: eradicate every last vampire and their chosen humans.
Recently, a leading magazine of gothic horror, The Dark Sire, lauded Klefstad’s novel, giving it 5/5 skulls.
If they ever do make a film or streaming series, I’d cast Angelina Jolie as Fiona or maybe Jessica Chastain with a black wig. If you’ve got one better, let me know in the comments. But read the book first. You will not be disappointed.
