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207-566: Stephenie Meyer ( / ˈ m aɪ . ər / ; née Morgan ; born December 24, 1973) is an American author and film producer. She is best known for writing the vampire romance book series Twilight , which has sold over 160 million copies, with translations into 49 different languages. She was the bestselling author of 2008 and 2009 in the United States, having sold over 29 million books in 2008 and 26.5 million in 2009. An avid young reader, she attended Brigham Young University , marrying at

414-736: A Bluewater Productions title that celebrates influential women in society and pop culture. Meyer was the second bestselling author of the decade, according to a list published by Amazon , beaten by J. K. Rowling. Despite Meyer's success, her novels have been highly criticized. The New York Times called the premise of Twilight "attractive and compelling"; however, the review continues, "the book suffers at times from overearnest, amateurish writing", indicating that Meyer's relied too much on "telling" rather than "showing" and that there were excessive references to Edward's attractiveness and Bella's swooning. An article from The Guardian criticized Bella's character, calling her "a clumsy, selfish nincompoop with

621-528: A British Book Award for Children's Book of the Year, despite competition from J. K. Rowling 's The Tales of Beedle the Bard . In 2009, Meyer faced plagiarism accusations for Breaking Dawn . Author of The Nocturne , Jordan Scott, claimed the circumstances around Bella's supernatural pregnancy and subsequent transformation into a vampire were similar to the storyline of her novel and indicated that Meyer plagiarized

828-870: A National Merit Scholarship , which helped fund her undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah , where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature in 1997. Although she began and finished her degree at BYU, Meyer took classes at Arizona State University in fall 1996 and spring 1997. She met her future husband, Christian "Pancho" Meyer, in Arizona when they were both children. The couple married in 1994 and have three sons. Christian retired from his job as an auditor to take care of their children full time. Before writing her first novel, Twilight , Meyer considered going to law school because she felt she had no chance of becoming

1035-573: A fifth season episode of the X-Files titled Bad Blood , and the Discworld novel, Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett . Some modern fictional vampires are portrayed as having magical powers beyond those originally assigned by myth, typically also possessing the powers of a witch or seer. Such examples include Drusilla from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Drusilla was a seer before she

1242-496: A general apostasy and maintains that it is a restoration of 1st-century Christianity and the only true and authorized Christian church. Church leaders assert it is the only true church and that other churches do not have the authority to act in Jesus' name. This, the refutation of the authority of all other Christian churches, is a doctrine common to almost all Christian churches. The church's cosmology and plan of salvation include

1449-509: A "vegetarian", choosing to feed only on animals. He chooses to uphold these values despite the daily temptation, which only augments when he meets Bella; he finds her blood nearly irresistible. Edward undergoes a transformation in which Bella's trust in Edward allows him to trust his own ability to overcome temptation and keep Bella safe. Self-control is a prominent theme in the Twilight series,

1656-450: A Russian officer, Boris Liatoukine, who is a vampire. In German literature, one of the most popular novels was Hans Wachenhusen's Der Vampyr – Novelle aus Bulgarien (1878), which, on account of the author's first-hand experience of Ottoman society, includes a detailed description of the multicultural society of Bulgaria, and which contains an atmosphere that is "in some parts comparable to Dracula ". The most famous Serbian vampire

1863-530: A belief in the Bible, the divinity of Jesus , his atonement and resurrection , and a form of apostolic succession . Nevertheless, the LDS Church differs from other churches within contemporary Christianity in other ways. Differences between the LDS Church and most of traditional Christianity include disagreement about the nature of God, belief in a theory of human salvation that includes three heavens ,

2070-491: A benefit designed to help pay her friend Faith Hochhalter's medical bills after Hochhalter was diagnosed with breast cancer. Meyer donated many advance reader copies and original manuscripts for auction. The Host was adapted into a film with Andrew Niccol directing, and Saoirse Ronan starring as Melanie Stryder, Max Irons as Jared Howe and Jake Abel as Ian O'Shea. The film was released on March 29, 2013, to generally negative reviews. It received poor critical reviews and

2277-532: A copyright claim. Since the release of Twilight , Meyer has been described as writing with "all plot and no style" and including "very little characterization", with her writing characterized as "fairly" poor. Meyer's prose lacks a consistent style or voice; for example, her short story "Hell on Earth" is driven more by dialogue alone, in contrast with the ornate descriptions found in the Twilight series. Meyer relies on detailed expository descriptions and active voice in her novels; she often opens her sentences with

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2484-461: A curse as she retains her child-body for her entire vampire lifetime and any modifications on her body, such as even cutting her hair, grows it back to the same length as it was before. A similar occurrence can be observed in the Twilight series - when Bella is turned into a vampire, her wounds heal, hair becomes healthy and shiny, her broken back and ribs get mended, the color comes back to her skin, and her sunken eyes, cheeks and skinny body return to

2691-554: A doctrine of exaltation which includes the ability of humans to become gods and goddesses in the afterlife , a belief in continuing revelation and an open scriptural canon, and unique ceremonies performed privately in temples, such as the endowment and sealing ceremonies. A number of major Christian denominations view the LDS Church as standing apart from creedal Christianity. However, church members self-identify as Christians. The faith itself views other modern Christian faiths as having departed from true Christianity by way of

2898-547: A female vampire with lesbian inclinations who seduces the heroine Laura while draining her of her vital fluids. Le Fanu's story is set in the Duchy of Styria . Such central European locations became a standard feature of vampire fiction. Another important example of the development of vampire fiction can be found in three seminal novels by Paul Féval : Le Chevalier Ténèbre (1860), La Vampire (1865) and La Ville Vampire (1874). Marie Nizet 's Le Capitaine Vampire (1879) features

3105-447: A film in 1983) continued the theme of open sexuality and examined the biology of vampires, suggesting that their special abilities were the result of physical properties of their blood. The novel suggested that not all vampires were undead humans, but some were a separate species that had evolved alongside humans. This interpretation of vampires has since then been used in several science-fiction stories dealing with vampires, most famously

3312-420: A fundraiser for a book seller's battle with breast cancer called Project Book Babe. After the release of Eclipse , the first three "Twilight" books spent a combined 143 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list. The fourth installment of the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn , was released with an initial print run of 3.7 million copies. Over 1.3 million copies were sold on the first day. The novel won Meyer

3519-508: A gifted storyteller, not a gifted writer, noting numerous technical flaws in her novels. Furthermore, Riess criticized the "retrogressive gender stereotypes" in Meyer's work. The Quileute do have a tradition that their ancestors transformed from wolves to people, but most of the descriptions of the Quileute in the novel are inaccurate. The Quileute tribe described her use of their traditions in

3726-479: A healthy state; in fact she is brought back to life from the brink of death by turning her into a vampire. In the Dracula novel, the vampire hunter Van Helsing prescribes that a vampire be destroyed by a wooden stake (preferably made of white oak ) through the heart, decapitation , drowning, or incineration. The vampire's head must be removed from its body, the mouth stuffed with garlic and holy water or relics,

3933-448: A lot of my basic beliefs into the story. Free agency is a big theme." Meyer cited BYU professor Steven Walker as having influenced her work. She explained that he revealed a new way for her to see and study literature, which impacts her writing. Meyer has cited many novels as inspiration for the Twilight series, including Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and Lucy Maud Montgomery 's Anne of Green Gables and its sequels. Each book in

4140-420: A man whose love is rejected by a respectable and pious maiden threatens to pay her a nightly visit, drink her blood by giving her the seductive kiss of the vampire and thus prove to her that his teaching is better than her mother's Christianity . Furthermore, there have been a number of tales about a dead person returning from the grave to visit his/her beloved or spouse and bring them death in one way or another,

4347-561: A month of its release, and later rose to #1. The novel was named the Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and a New York Times Editor's Choice. Despite its success, Twilight was one of the most challenged books of 2009 according to the American Library Association for being sexually explicit, age-inappropriate, and for religious views; some schools and libraries were asked to remove

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4554-547: A notorious 15th-century Wallachian (Romanian) warlord, or Voivode , this has been debunked by multiple scholars. Unlike the historical personage, however, Stoker located his Count Dracula in a castle near the Borgo Pass in Transylvania , and ascribed to that area the supernatural aura it retains to this day in the popular imagination. Stoker likely drew inspiration from Irish myths of blood-sucking creatures. He

4761-419: A novella, and a series of commercially successful film adaptations . Aside from young adult novels, Meyer has ventured into adult novels with The Host (2008) and The Chemist (2016). Meyer has worked in film production and co-founded production company Fickle Fish Films. Meyer produced both parts of Breaking Dawn , the Twilight film series' finale, and two other novel adaptations. Meyer's membership in

4968-517: A pale appearance rather than the dark or ruddy skin of folkloric vampires and their skin is cool to the touch. As in folklore, literary vampires can usually be warded off with garlic and symbols of the Christian faith, such as holy water , a crucifix , or a rosary . According to literary scholar Nina Auerbach in Our Vampires, Ourselves , the influence of the moon was seen as dominant in

5175-547: A particular inspiration because she uses the different emotions portrayed in their songs as influences for various genres of scenes. According to professor of American religious history Jana Riess, a prominent theme in Meyer's novels is agency. In The Host , the Seeker believes that she is saving the human race by perfecting and controlling, similar to the Latter-day Saint belief that Satan 's plan for human salvation

5382-436: A passage in his epic poem The Giaour (1813), Lord Byron alludes to the traditional folkloric conception of the vampire as a being damned to suck the blood and destroy the life of its nearest relations: But first, on earth as vampire sent, Thy corpse shall from its tomb be rent: Then ghostly haunt thy native place, And suck the blood of all thy race; There from thy daughter, sister, wife, At midnight drain

5589-470: A portion of God's kingdom. According to LDS Church theology, men and women may be sealed to one another so that their marital bond continues into the eternities. Children may also be sealed to their biological or adoptive parents to form permanent familial bonds, thus allowing all immediate and extended family relations to endure past death. The most significant LDS ordinances may be performed via proxy in behalf of those who have died, such as baptism for

5796-488: A prolific author and a newly powerful figure in the publishing market". Wayne Janes of the Toronto Sun agreed, saying "Meyer's success points up another trend—the virtual domination of the best-seller lists the last few years by what would normally be classified as young adult fiction", and noted, "In the absence of a new Harry Potter adventure, teens, fantasy enthusiasts and women (sales are mostly to women) who swoon at

6003-484: A remarkably popular and ever-expanding contemporary publishing phenomenon. L. A. Banks ' The Vampire Huntress Legend Series , Laurell K. Hamilton 's erotic Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series, and Kim Harrison 's The Hollows series, portray the vampire in a variety of new perspectives, some of them unrelated to the original legends. Vampires in the Twilight series (2005–2008) by Stephenie Meyer ignore

6210-469: A tale from classical Greece . However, in that tale, the youth is not the girl's betrothed, no religious conflict is present, no actual sucking of blood occurs, and the girl's return from the dead is said to be sanctioned by the gods of the Underworld . She relapses into death upon being exposed, and the issue is settled by burning her body outside of the city walls and making an apotropaic sacrifice to

6417-436: A very influential horror writer of the late 20th and early 21st century, evidenced by the nearly sixty books he has published over the past 50 years selling around the world in multiple languages. King's repertoire often hybridizes traditional vampire folklore with the coy charm inspired by Bela Lugosi's performance while increasing the physical violence, carnage, and overall butchery. His work describes very graphically in detail

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6624-409: A wolf, bat, mist and fog. He can also crawl up and down the vertical external walls of his castle in the manner of a lizard. One very famous trait that Stoker added is the inability to be seen in mirrors, which is not found in traditional Eastern European folklore, as Stoker combined the folklore of Jiangshi being terrified of their own reflection with the material fact of the silver backed mirrors of

6831-447: A writer. She later noted that the birth of her oldest son—Gabe—in 1997 changed her mind: "Once I had Gabe, I just wanted to be his mom." Before becoming an author, Meyer's only professional work was as a receptionist at a property company. According to Meyer, the idea for Twilight came to her in a dream on June 2, 2003, about a human girl and a vampire who was in love with her but thirsted for her blood. Based on this dream, Meyer wrote

7038-516: A young Meyer met her future husband at church. She studiously read the Book of Mormon , citing the book as having "the most significant impact on [her] life". However, Meyer dislikes when media constantly mentions her religion, saying that the press does not emphasize the religions of other authors. Meyer is cited as having played a part in bringing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints more into

7245-490: Is Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith , in which the historic Abraham Lincoln has a fictional secret identity as a hunter of evil vampires. The 21st century brought more examples of vampire fiction, such as J. R. Ward 's Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and other highly popular vampire books which appeal to teenagers and young adults. Such vampiric paranormal romance novels and allied vampiric chick-lit and vampiric occult detective stories are

7452-541: Is a foundational sacred book for the church; the terms "Mormon" and "Mormonism" come from the book itself. The LDS Church teaches that the Angel Moroni told Smith about golden plates containing the record, guided him to find them buried in the Hill Cumorah , and provided him the means of translating them from Reformed Egyptian . It claims to give a history of the inhabitants from a now-extinct society living on

7659-482: Is a tendency, however, for authors to pick and choose the ones they like, or find more realistic ones, and have their characters ridicule the rest as absurd. For example, in the movie Blade , the vampire hunter Blade tells Karen Jenson what kills vampires (stakes, silver, and sunlight), and dismisses tactics seen in vampire movies (namely crosses and running water) as ineffective. Some vampires can fly. This power may be supernatural levitation, or it may be connected to

7866-649: Is also encouraged. The theology of the LDS Church consists of a combination of biblical doctrines with modern revelations and other commentary by LDS leaders, particularly Joseph Smith. The most authoritative sources of theology are the faith's canon of four religious texts, called the " standard works ". Included in the standard works are the Bible , the Book of Mormon, the D&;C and the Pearl of Great Price . The Book of Mormon

8073-531: Is also notable in the novel that Dracula can walk about in the daylight, in bright sunshine, though apparently in discomfort and without the ability to use most of his powers, like turning into mist or a bat. He is still strong and fast enough to struggle with and escape from most of his male pursuers. Fatal exposure to sunlight of a vampire in their coffin dates at least as far back as The Story Of Yand Manor House (1898) by E. and H. Heron; such scenes in vampire films however, most especially 1922's Nosferatu and

8280-421: Is applied to astronauts via gene-therapy. At the end of the novel it is implied the vampires have taken control of earth and may be exterminating baseline humanity. In recent years, vampire fiction has been one of many supernatural fiction genres used in the creation of mashups . These works combine either a pre-existing text or a historic figure with elements of genre fiction. One of the best-known of these works

8487-637: Is believed to bind its participant to Jesus Christ, who saves them in their imperfection if they continually keep their promises to him. Baptism is performed by immersion, and is typically administered to children starting at age eight. Church members believe that through the ordinances of temple sealing and temple endowment , anyone can reach the highest level of salvation in the celestial kingdom and eternally live in God's presence, continue as families, become gods , create worlds, and make spirit children over whom they will govern. Other ordinances performed in

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8694-453: Is called "Crucifix Glitch", leading to them dying out when modern technology with all its structures swept the world). Implied to have vastly superior intelligence and problem-solving capabilities, they were recreated from gene snippets for special tasks, with special drugs alleviating their crucifix glitch. One particularly important vampire trait is their ability to hibernate for extended periods of time, which makes cryogenic stasis possible and

8901-451: Is in stark contrast to the vampire of Eastern European folklore, which was a horrifying animated corpse. However, as in folklore, the literary vampire is sustained by drinking blood. They do not need other food, water, or even oxygen. They are sometimes portrayed as being unable to eat human food at all, forcing them to either avoid public dining or mime chewing and eating to deceive their mortal victims. The fictional vampire, however, often has

9108-552: Is led by a president , who is considered a "prophet, seer, and revelator." Within the church, he is referred to as "the Prophet" or the "President of the Church." He is considered the only person who is authorized to receive revelation from God on behalf of the whole world or entire church. As such, the church teaches that he is essentially infallible when speaking on behalf of God—although the exact circumstances when his pronouncements should be considered authoritative are debated within

9315-717: Is no drinking and smoking in the novels (with the exception of her 2008 The Host , which contains drinking). Despite pressure to include a major sex scene, Meyer was adamant against including graphic sex in her series. According to Lev Grossman of Time , some of the series' appeal is due to its lack of sex and its eroticizing of abstinence . As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Meyer acknowledges that her faith has influenced her work. In particular, she says that her characters "tend to think more about where they came from and where they are going, than might be typical." Meyer says that she does not consciously intend her novels to be influenced by her religion or to promote

9522-517: Is often included in the lists of larger Christian denominations , though some Catholics , mainline Protestants and Evangelicals have considered the church to be distinct and separate from mainstream Christianity . The church has an open canon of four scriptural texts : the Holy Bible , the Book of Mormon , the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C), and the Pearl of Great Price . Other than

9729-426: Is presumably linked to Lady Caroline Lamb 's earlier novel Glenarvon , where it was used for a rather ill disguised Byronesque character". An unauthorized sequel to Polidori's tale by Cyprien Bérard called Lord Ruthwen ou les Vampires (1820) was attributed to Charles Nodier . Nodier himself adapted "The Vampyre" into the first vampire stage melodrama, Le Vampire . Unlike Polidori's original story, Nodier's play

9936-575: Is recounted in a minimalist style that makes no explicit mention to vampires, the undead, graves or the Underworld, conveying, nevertheless, the underlying theme unambiguously and in striking physical detail. Peter Watts ' novel Blindsight has explored a scientific basis for vampires, depicting them as an evolutionary offshoot from humanity who were not the dominant species on the planet solely due to an evolutionary glitch making them averse to Euclidean geometry (right angles cause seizures in what

10143-451: Is represented by Jim Butcher 's The Dresden Files fantasy series (2000–), and Charlaine Harris 's The Southern Vampire Mysteries (2001–). In the field of juvenile and young adult literature, Darren Shan wrote a 12-book series ( The Saga of Darren Shan ) about a boy who becomes a vampire's assistant, beginning with Cirque Du Freak (2000) and ending with Sons of Destiny (2006). A film adaptation has been made of

10350-518: Is rooted in the "vampire craze" of the 1720s and 1730s, which culminated in the somewhat bizarre official exhumations of suspected vampires Petar Blagojevich and Arnold Paole in Serbia under the Habsburg monarchy . One of the first works of art to touch upon the subject is the short German poem The Vampire (1748) by Heinrich August Ossenfelder , where the theme already has strong erotic overtones:

10557-470: Is said to occur through thoughts and feelings from the Holy Ghost , in response to prayer . Similarly, the church teaches its members may receive individual guidance and counsel from God through blessings from priesthood holders. In particular, patriarchal blessings are considered special blessings that are received only once in the recipient's life, which are recorded, transcribed, and archived. In

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10764-526: Is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer, and Stephenie Meyer can't write worth a darn. She's not very good." King went on to assert that Meyer's books appealed to readers because "[she's] opening up kind of a safe joining of love and sex in those books". American religious history scholar Jana Riess had mixed reactions to Meyer's novels. At times, she found the Mormon theology that influences Meyer's works to be beautiful and complex. However, she describes Meyer as

10971-461: Is the sole survivor of a pandemic of a bacterium that causes vampirism . He must fight to survive attacks from the hordes of nocturnal creatures, discover the secrets of their biology, and develop effective countermeasures. The novel was adapted into three movies: The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price in 1964, The Omega Man starring Charlton Heston in 1971, and I am Legend (film) starring Will Smith in 2007. The latter part of

11178-429: Is unexceptional, and the success of her novels was related more to clever marketing. Stephenie Meyer has named Mormonism as her greatest influence. However, according to actor Robert Pattinson, Meyer did not intend to include Mormon references in the novels and films. Yet professor of film and religion Angela Aleiss noted numerous clear influences of Mormonism in the Twilight series. Meyer has said, "Unconsciously, I put

11385-694: The Blade movie series. The 1982 novel Fevre Dream by notable author George R. R. Martin tells the tale of a race of living vampires, extremely human-like but obligate predators on humans, set in the Mississippi Riverboat era, where one of them has developed a dietary supplement to "cure" them, and is fighting for the right and opportunity to distribute it. Kim Newman 's Anno Dracula series (1992–) returns to Stoker's Count Dracula, looking at an alternate world where Dracula defeated Van Helsing's group and conquered Britain, and gives

11592-747: The Bear River Massacre , and the Black Hawk War . After Young's death in 1877, he was followed in the church presidency by John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff successively, who resisted efforts by the United States Congress to outlaw Mormon polygamous marriages. In 1878, the United States Supreme Court, in Reynolds v. United States , decreed that "religious duty" to engage in plural marriage

11799-485: The Great Depression , the church also began operating a church welfare system, and it has conducted humanitarian efforts in cooperation with other religious organizations such as Catholic Relief Services , as well as secular organizations like Care International . The church supported its members serving in the armed forces during World Wars I and II, both in the U.S. and internationally. From 1913 to 2020

12006-625: The Midnight Sun because Grey was also told from the male perspective. Meyer stated in a New York Comic-Con panel that it was "a literal flip the table moment", admitting that " Midnight Sun is kind of cursed". This led to the novel being on indefinite hold. According to an article from The Guardian in 2018, Midnight Sun was "no longer in the pipeline". However, in May 2020, it was announced that Midnight Sun would be released on August 4, 2020. Following its release, it sold over one million copies,

12213-584: The Mormon pioneers , westward to Nebraska and then in 1847 on to what later became the Utah Territory , which at the time had been part of the lands of the Ute, Goshute, and Shoshone nations, and claimed by Mexico until 1848 . Around 80,000 settlers arrived between 1847 and 1869, who then branched out and colonized a large region now known as the Mormon Corridor . Meanwhile, efforts to globalize

12420-572: The Mountain Meadows massacre , in which leaders of a local Mormon militia ordered the massacre of a civilian emigrant party who was traveling through Utah during the escalating military tensions. After the massacre was discovered, the church became the target of significant media criticism for it. After the Army withdrew, Young agreed to step down from power and be replaced by a non-Mormon territorial governor, Alfred Cumming . Nevertheless,

12627-713: The New Jerusalem in North America, called Zion . In 1831, the church moved to Kirtland, Ohio , and began establishing an outpost in Jackson County, Missouri , where Smith planned to eventually move the church headquarters. However, in 1833, Missouri settlers violently expelled the Latter Day Saints from Jackson County . The church attempted to recover the land through a paramilitary expedition , but did not succeed. Nevertheless,

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12834-657: The Second Great Awakening , the church is headquartered in Salt Lake City , Utah, and has established congregations and built temples worldwide. According to the church, as of 2023, it has over 17.2 million members of which over 6.8 million live in the U.S . The church also reports over 99,000 volunteer missionaries and 350 temples . The church was founded as the Church of Christ in western New York , in 1830 by Smith. Under his leadership,

13041-468: The Twilight saga revealed that much of Meyer's description and characterization revolved around the physical attributes of the characters as shown through eyes, face, and expression. Some of Meyer's most frequent descriptions related to eye color and expression, the juxtaposition of warmth and cold, and the words "black" and "dark". The study authors concluded that the predictability and superficiality of Meyer's descriptions indicate that Meyer's writing style

13248-482: The Twilight series. The novel was intended to be a retelling of the events of the novel Twilight , but from the perspective of Edward Cullen. Meyer had hoped to have Midnight Sun published shortly after the release of Breaking Dawn , but after an online leak of a rough draft of its first 12 chapters, Meyer chose to delay the project indefinitely. Upset by the release of a draft she called "messy and flawed", Meyer decided to pursue books unrelated to Twilight . She made

13455-470: The narrative poem Lenore (1773) by Gottfried August Bürger being a notable 18th-century example (though the apparently returned lover is actually revealed to be death himself in disguise). One of its lines, Denn die Todten reiten schnell ("For the dead ride fast"), was to be quoted in Bram Stoker's classic Dracula . A later German poem exploring the same subject with a prominent vampiric element

13662-399: The new medium of cinema , as in the film Nosferatu , 20th-century vampire fiction went beyond traditional Gothic horror and explored new genres such as science fiction. An early example of this is Gustave Le Rouge 's Le prisonnier de la planète Mars (1908) and its sequel La guerre des vampires (1909), in which a native race of bat-winged, blood-drinking humanoids is found on Mars . In

13869-575: The primitive Church of Christ. This restoration is associated with a number of events which are understood to have been necessary to re-establish the early Christian church found in the New Testament , and to prepare the earth for the Second Coming of Jesus. In particular, Latter-day Saints believe that angels appeared to Joseph Smith and a limited number of his associates, and bestowed various priesthood authorities on them. The church

14076-455: The resurrection of Jesus . On June 27, 1844, Smith and his brother, Hyrum , were killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois , while being held on charges of treason. Because Hyrum was Joseph's designated successor, their deaths caused a succession crisis , and Brigham Young assumed leadership over a majority of the church's membership. Young had been a close associate of Smith's and

14283-613: The "top 100 most powerful celebrities" in 2009, with her annual earnings exceeding $ 50 million. Meyer was born Stephenie Morgan on December 24, 1973, in Hartford, Connecticut , United States, the second of six children (Seth, Stephenie, Emily, Jacob, Paul, and Heidi) of financial officer Stephen Morgan and homemaker Candy Morgan. She was raised in Phoenix, Arizona , and attended Chaparral High School in Scottsdale. In 1992, Meyer won

14490-485: The 1920 novella La Jeune Vampire ( The Young Vampire ), by J.-H. Rosny aîné , vampirism is explained as a form of possession by souls originating in another universe known simply as the Beyond. Possibly the most influential example of modern vampire science fiction is Richard Matheson 's I Am Legend (1954). The novel is set in a future Los Angeles overrun with undead cannibalistic/bloodsucking beings. The protagonist

14697-569: The 20th century saw the rise of multi-volume vampire epics. The first of these was Gothic romance writer Marilyn Ross 's Barnabas Collins series (1966–71) loosely based on the contemporary American TV soap opera Dark Shadows . It also set the trend for seeing vampires as poetic, tragic heroes rather than as the traditional embodiment of evil. This formula was followed in the popular Vampire Chronicles (1976-2018) series of novels by Anne Rice and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro 's massive Saint-Germain series (1978–). Ross, Rice and Yarbro set

14904-418: The 20th century. "He'd probably be run over by a Yellow Cab on Park Avenue and killed," his wife replied, and it was from there that she suggested a different, rural setting. Salem's Lot , the book that resulted from that conversation, was published in 1975 as the follow-up to Carrie ; as of 2022, the process of weaving vampires into his stories is still ongoing. King's overall body of work spans both

15111-513: The American Night Writers Association (ANWA) for aspiring LDS female writers. She completed the novel in three months. Her sister's response to the book was enthusiastic, and she persuaded Meyer to send the manuscript to literary agencies. Of the 15 letters she wrote, five went unanswered, nine brought rejections, and the last was a positive response from Jodi Reamer of Writers House. Eight publishers competed for

15318-470: The American continent and their distinct Judeo-Christian teachings. The Book of Mormon is very important to modern Latter-day Saints, who consider it the world's most correct text. The Bible, also part of the church's canon, is believed to be the word of God—subject to an acknowledgment that its translation may be incorrect, or that authoritative sections may have been lost over the centuries. Most often,

15525-428: The Bible, the majority of the church canon consists of material the church's members believe to have been revealed by God to Joseph Smith, including texts described as lost parts of the Bible , and other works believed to be written by ancient prophets, including the Book of Mormon. Members adhere to church laws of sexual purity , health , fasting , and Sabbath observance , and contribute ten percent of their income to

15732-518: The Bridge handles the vampire legend in the context of a ritualistic post-theatrical drama performance. In a dystopian setting, under the arches of a derelict bridge, a group of social outcasts present an unconventional, non-Gothic version of a vampire drawing from ancient Greek religion and literature, Christian eschatology as well as traveler reports of vampire epidemics in the Balcans. The story

15939-409: The Church distances itself from them. During the 20th century, the church grew substantially and became an international organization. In 2000, the church reported over 60,000 missionaries and global church membership stood at just over 11 million. Nominal worldwide membership surpassed 16 million in 2018. Slightly under half of church membership lives within the U.S. Academics have called

16146-660: The Church of Jesus Christ , based in Monongahela, Pennsylvania . Like the LDS Church, these faiths believe in Joseph Smith as a prophet and founder of their religion. They also accept the Book of Mormon, and most accept at least some version of the Doctrine and Covenants . However, they tend to disagree to varying degrees with the LDS Church concerning doctrine and church leadership. For two years after Smith's death, conflicts escalated between Mormons and other Illinois residents. Brigham Young led his followers, later called

16353-466: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shaped her novels. Themes consistent with her religion—including agency , mortality, temptation, eternal life , and pro-life —are featured in her work. Critics have called her writing style overly simplistic, but her stories have also received praise, and she has acquired a fan following. Meyer was included on Time 's list of the "top 100 most influential people" in 2008 and Forbes 's list of

16560-642: The Father and his son, Jesus Christ, are separate beings with bodies of flesh and bone, while the Holy Ghost lacks such a physical body. According to statements by church leaders, God sits at the head of the human family and is married to a Heavenly Mother , who is the mother of human spirits. However, church leaders have also categorically discouraged prayers to her and counseled against speculation regarding her. Church members believe in Jesus Christ as

16767-420: The Father, thus allowing the children of God to become divine beings—that is, gods—themselves. This view on the doctrine of theosis is also referred to as becoming a "joint-heir with Christ". The process by which this is accomplished is called exaltation, a doctrine which includes the reunification of the mortal family after the resurrection and the ability to have spirit children in the afterlife and inherit

16974-470: The LDS Church still wielded significant political power in the Utah Territory. Coterminously, tensions between Mormon settlers and Indigenous tribes continued to escalate as settlers began colonizing a growing area of tribal lands. While Mormons and Indigenous peoples made attempts at peaceful coexistence, skirmishes ensued from about 1849 to 1873 culminating in the armed conflicts of Walkara's War ,

17181-527: The Lord had revealed to him, to allow righteous people to become gods in the afterlife, and a secular institution to govern the Millennial kingdom. He also introduced the church to a full accounting of his First Vision , in which he claimed that two heavenly "personages" appeared to him at age 14. This vision would come to be regarded by the LDS Church as the most important event in human history since

17388-793: The Missouri settlers. Believing the Latter Day Saints to be an insurrection, the Missouri governor ordered that they be " exterminated or driven from the State ". In 1839, the Latter Day Saints converted a swampland on the banks of the Mississippi River into Nauvoo, Illinois , which became the church's new headquarters. Nauvoo grew rapidly as missionaries sent to Europe and elsewhere gained new converts who flooded into Nauvoo. Meanwhile, Smith introduced polygamy to his closest associates. He also established ceremonies , which he stated

17595-464: The No. 1 position, where it remained for the next 11 weeks. In total, it spent over 50 weeks on the list. In May 2007, Meyer held two promotional prom events at an Arizona State University gymnasium to celebrate the special edition release of New Moon and the release of Eclipse . For the event, Meyer wore a blood-red evening gown and signed over 1,000 books. Meyer's red dress was later auctioned for $ 5,500 at

17802-437: The No. 59 most powerful celebrity with annual earnings of $ 40 million. In August 2009, USA Today revealed that Meyer broke J. K. Rowling's record on their bestseller list; the four Twilight books had spent 52 straight weeks in the top 10. In all, the books have spent more than 235 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list. Upon the completion of the fourth entry in the series, Meyer indicated that Breaking Dawn would be

18009-618: The Orient—;as his contribution to the famous ghost story competition at the Villa Diodati by Lake Geneva in the summer of 1816 , between him, Percy Bysshe Shelley , Mary Shelley and John William Polidori (who was Byron's personal physician). This story provided the basis for The Vampyre (1819) by Polidori. Byron's own wild life became the model for Polidori's undead protagonist Lord Ruthven . According to A. Asbjorn Jon, "the choice of name [for Polidori's Lord Ruthven]

18216-748: The Pearl of Great Price. Another source of authoritative doctrine is the pronouncements of the current Apostles and members of the First Presidency. The church teaches that the First Presidency and the Quorum of Twelve Apostles are prophets and that they are therefore authorized teachers of God's word. In addition to doctrine given by the church as a whole, individual members of the church believe that they can also receive personal revelation from God in conducting their lives, and in revealing truth to them, especially about spiritual matters. Generally, this

18423-641: The Right One In (2007) and a film adaptation has been produced. The story takes place in Blackeberg , a suburb of Stockholm. This particular novel does not follow the modern romantic trend, and instead focuses on a human-vampire friendship. Crucially, it retains many of the vampire traits popularized by Dracula . Dimitris Lyacos 's second book of the Poena Damni trilogy With the People from

18630-479: The age of twenty-one before graduating with a degree in English in 1997. Having no prior experience as an author, she conceived the idea for the Twilight series in a dream. Influenced by the work of Jane Austen and William Shakespeare , she wrote Twilight soon thereafter. After many rejections, Little, Brown and Company offered her a $ 750,000 three-book deal which led to a four-book series, two spin-off novels,

18837-506: The basis of an opera called Der Vampyr by the German composer Heinrich Marschner , who set the story in a more plausible Wallachia . Planché in turn translated the libretto of this opera into English in 1827, where it was performed at the Lyceum also. Alexandre Dumas, père later redramatized the story in a play also entitled Le Vampire (1851). Another theatrical vampire of this period

19044-574: The belief in a Godhead composed of God the Father , his son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost as three separate persons who share a unity of purpose or will; however, they are viewed as three distinct beings. This is in contrast with the predominant Christian view, which holds that God is a Trinity of three distinct persons in one essence . The Latter-day Saint conception of the Godhead is similar to what contemporary Christian theologians call social trinitarianism . The church also believes that God

19251-502: The birth of her child. Bella is subsequently resurrected in a perfected vampire body. In Mormonism, resurrection occurs in the context of relationships, exemplified by Bella who enjoys her resurrected body in the company of her husband, child, and the rest of the Cullen family. The titles of the novels serve to reinforce this idea. At the beginning of the series, Bella discusses leaving Phoenix and heading to Forks where she says, "[goodbye] to

19458-411: The body drawn and quartered, then burned and spread into the four winds, with the head buried on hallowed ground. The destruction of the vampire Lucy follows the three-part process enjoined by Van Helsing (staking, decapitation, and garlic in the mouth). Traditional vampire folklore, followed by Stoker in Dracula , does not usually hold that sunlight is fatal to vampires, though they are nocturnal. It

19665-486: The bonds of matrimony", and that successful marriages and happy families are most likely established when founded upon the teachings of Jesus Christ. The proclamation also promotes specific roles essential to maintaining the strength of the family unit—the traditional roles of a husband and father as the family's breadwinner and those of a wife and mother as a nurturing caregiver. It concludes by inviting its audience to "promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen

19872-586: The books and films and subsequent merchandising as cultural theft. Meyer has gained a following among young adult readers of the Twilight novels, which are set in the small town of Forks on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state . Forks has thus received attention from fans and celebrates "Stephenie Meyer Day" on September 13, the date of character Bella Swan's birthday. Meyer's fans cosplay her book characters, write fan fiction related to

20079-405: The books from their shelves. Upon publishing Twilight , Meyer had already outlined a story for a sequel. However, her publisher insisted that she follow Twilight with two sequels following Bella and Edward in college. Consequently, Meyer expanded the story into a series with three more books: New Moon (2006), Eclipse (2007), and Breaking Dawn (2008). The original story she pitched for

20286-916: The building immediately. This is also featured in the American TV series True Blood , where Sookie withdraws her invitation on a number of occasions, causing vampires to be thrown out by supernatural forces. Also, in The Vampire Diaries when a newly turned vampire wakes up in a house that he was not invited into, he immediately flees. Some tales maintain that vampires must return to a coffin or to their "native soil" before sunrise to take their rest safely. Others place native soil in their coffins, especially if they have relocated. Still other vampire stories, such as Le Fanu's Carmilla , maintain that vampires must return to their coffins, but sleep in several inches of blood as opposed to soil. Vampires are generally held to be unable to bear children, though

20493-707: The character of Angel in a prominent role, with Angel being a vampire who was cursed with his soul , restoring his capacity for compassion, but also forcing him to live with the guilt of what he did as a regular vampire. Post-Colonial perspectives on the vampire legend are provided in Nalo Hopkinson 's novel Brown Girl In The Ring (1998), which features the Soucouyant , a vampire of Caribbean folklore, and in Tananarive Due 's My Soul to Keep (1995) and its sequel The Living Blood (2001). One of

20700-450: The charisma of a boiled potato" and criticized Edward's portrayal as the "perfect little gentleman" who constantly counters Bella's sexual advances. NPR criticized the novel for being a repetitive "jackhammer" masked behind ornate language. Furthermore, they found the story uninteresting and the main character unlikeable. Entertainment Weekly stated that the narrative of Breaking Dawn was at times so chaotic and outrageous that Meyer shifted

20907-416: The church as the Church of Christ , on April 6, 1830, in western New York ; the church's name was later changed to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Initial converts were drawn to the church in part because of the newly published Book of Mormon , a self-described chronicle of Indigenous American prophets that Smith said he had translated from golden plates . Smith intended to establish

21114-559: The church began in earnest around this time, with missionaries being sent off to the Sandwich Islands (present-day Hawaii ), India , Chile , Australia , China , South Africa , and all over Europe. Young incorporated the LDS Church as a legal entity, and initially governed both the church and the state as a theocratic leader. He also publicized the practice of plural marriage in 1852. Modern research suggests that around 20 percent of Mormon families may have participated in

21321-610: The church flourished in Kirtland as Smith published new revelations and the church built the Kirtland Temple , culminating in a dedication of the building similar to the day of Pentecost . The Kirtland era ended in 1838, after a financial scandal rocked the church and caused widespread defections. Smith regrouped with the remaining church in Far West, Missouri , but tensions soon escalated into violent conflicts with

21528-497: The church has responded to various challenges to its doctrine and authority. Challenges have included rising secularization , challenges to the correctness of the translation of the Book of Abraham , and primary documents forged by Mark Hofmann purporting to contradict important aspects of official early church history. The church's positions regarding women , Black people , and homosexuality have all been publicly criticized during this timeframe. LDS Church theology includes

21735-418: The church in tithing . The church teaches ordinances through which adherents make covenants with God, including baptism , confirmation , the sacrament , priesthood ordination, endowment and celestial marriage . Members of the church, known as Latter-day Saints or informally as Mormons , believe that the church president is a modern-day " prophet, seer, and revelator " and that Jesus Christ, under

21942-518: The church include confirmation , the sacrament (analogous to the Eucharist or holy communion), and priesthood ordination. The LDS Church asks its members to adhere to a dietary code called the Word of Wisdom, in which they abstain from the consumption of alcohol, coffee, tea, tobacco, and illicit or harmful substances. The Word of Wisdom also encourages the consumption of herbs and grains along with

22149-424: The church itself. The physical establishment of the church by Smith in 1830 is seen as simply the reestablishment of the same primitive church that existed under Jesus and his Apostles. Similarly, the church teaches that Jesus leads the church presently through its apostles and prophets, especially its current president. The LDS Church shares various teachings with other branches of Christianity. These include

22356-425: The church teaches this atonement began in the garden of Gethsemane and continued to his crucifixion (rather than the orthodox belief that the crucifixion alone was the physical atonement). The church also teaches that Jesus appeared to other peoples after his death, including spirits of the dead in the spirit world, and Indigenous Americans. The church also teaches that Jesus is the true founder and leader of

22563-567: The church uses the Authorized King James Version . Two extended portions of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible have been canonized and are thus considered authoritative. Additionally, over 600 of the more doctrinally significant verses from the translation are included as excerpts in the current LDS Church edition of the Bible. Other revelations from Smith are found in the D&C, and in

22770-515: The church was a major sponsor of Scouting programs for boys, particularly in the United States. The LDS Church was the largest chartered organization in the Boy Scouts of America , but in 2020, the church ended its relationship with the BSA and began an alternate, religion-centered youth program, which replaced all other youth programs. During the second half of the 20th century and early 21st,

22977-665: The church's headquarters moved successively to Ohio , Missouri , and Illinois . After Smith's 1844 death and a resultant succession crisis , the majority of his followers sided with Brigham Young , who led the church to its current headquarters in Salt Lake City. Young and his successors continued the church's growth, first throughout the Intermountain West , and more recently as a national and international organization. The church has been criticized throughout its history. Modern criticism includes disputes over

23184-432: The church's historical claims, treatment of minorities, and finances . The church's practice of polygamy was controversial until it was curtailed in 1890 and officially rescinded in 1904 . Church theology is restorationist and nontrinitarian ; the church strongly identifies as Christian including a belief in the doctrine of salvation through Jesus Christ and his substitutionary atonement on behalf of mankind. It

23391-443: The church, an ordinance is a sacred rite or ceremony that has spiritual and symbolic meanings, and acts as a means of conveying divine grace . Ordinances are physical acts which signify or symbolize an underlying spiritual act; for some ordinances, the spiritual act is the finalization of a covenant between the ordinance recipient and God . Ordinances are generally performed under priesthood authority. The ordinance of baptism

23598-596: The church. In any case, modern declarations with broad doctrinal implications are often issued by joint statement of the First Presidency ; they may be joined by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as well. Church members believe Joseph Smith was the first modern-day prophet. Normally, the Prophet and two other ordained apostles he chooses as counselors form the First Presidency, the presiding body of

23805-417: The church. Women are not ordained to the priesthood but occupy leadership roles in some church organizations . Both men and women may serve as missionaries . The church maintains a large missionary program that proselytizes and conducts humanitarian services worldwide. The church also funds and participates in humanitarian projects independent of its missionary efforts. Joseph Smith formally organized

24012-401: The church; twelve other apostles form the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. When a president dies, his successor is chosen from the remaining apostles, and is invariably the longest-tenured of the group. Apostles are chosen by the church president after the death of an existing apostle. Following the death of church president Thomas S. Monson on January 2, 2018, senior apostle Russell M. Nelson

24219-434: The closing scene of the 1958 film Dracula in which Count Dracula is burnt by the sun, were very influential on later vampire fiction. For instance, Anne Rice's vampire Lestat and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Count Saint-Germain both avoid the lethal effects of daylight by staying closeted indoors during the day. A well-known set of special powers and weaknesses is commonly associated with vampires in contemporary fiction. There

24426-730: The commercial successes of Catherine Hardwicke, the director of Twilight , and enjoyed working with a nearly all-female production for Austenland . Meyer has explained that her definition of feminism is the ability for a woman to choose, and the definition of anti-feminism is removing the choice, whether it fits gender stereotypes or not, from the woman entirely. She continued that some modern feminists contradict their message of equality for women by limiting or shaming certain women's choices. Furthermore, she stated that women who choose to stay home or have children are particularly criticized and that limitations on what women can do are anti-feminist in nature. Vampire romance novels Vampire fiction

24633-494: The concept of a "half vampire" and similar creatures does exist in folklore and in some modern fiction. Some fictional vampires are fascinated with counting, an idea derived from folk stories about vampires being compelled to stop and count any spilled grain that they find in their path. The most famous fictional counting vampire is likely the Muppet character Count von Count on television's Sesame Street . Other examples include

24840-737: The couples in the Cullen family are unable to procreate, which causes severe bitterness in Rosalie who envies Bella's ability to be pregnant. According to Riess, the distinction between eternal life and immortality is represented by Bella, who in Breaking Dawn , has achieved eternal life rather than immortality because she achieved the Mormon tenets of eternal life: immortality and a perfected body, eternal parenthood, and an eternal marriage. Riess indicates that Bella receives immortality in an act of self-sacrifice rather than self-service, as she dies for

25047-444: The dead . The church teaches that all will have the opportunity to hear and accept or reject the gospel of Jesus Christ, either in this life or the next. Within church cosmology, the fall of Adam and Eve is seen positively. The church teaches that it was essential to allow humankind to experience separation from God, to exercise full agency in making decisions for their own happiness. The LDS Church teaches that, subsequent to

25254-415: The dead girl are Christians, while the young man and his relatives are still pagans. It turns out that it was the girl's Christian mother who broke off her engagement and forced her to become a nun, eventually driving her to her death. The motive behind the girl's return as a "spectre" is that "e'en Earth can never cool down love". Goethe had been inspired by the story of Philinnion by Phlegon of Tralles ,

25461-438: The death of Jesus and his original apostles, his church, along with the authority to act in Jesus Christ's name and the church's attendant spiritual gifts, were lost , due to a combination of external persecutions and internal heresies. The "Restoration"—as begun by Joseph Smith and embodied in the church itself—refers to a return of the authentic priesthood power, spiritual gifts , ordinances, living prophets and revelation of

25668-495: The definitive description of the vampire in popular fiction for the last century. Its portrayal of vampirism as a disease (contagious demonic possession), with its undertones of sex, blood, and death, struck a chord in a Victorian Britain where tuberculosis and syphilis were common. Although it has been claimed that the character of Count Dracula is based upon Vlad Draculesti III ( Vlad the Impaler ), also known as Vlad Ţepeş',

25875-579: The deities involved. The first mention of vampires in English literature appears in Robert Southey 's monumental oriental epic poem Thalaba the Destroyer (1801), where the main character Thalaba's deceased beloved Oneiza turns into a vampire, although that occurrence is actually marginal to the story. It has been argued that Samuel Taylor Coleridge 's poem Christabel (written between 1797 and 1801, but not published until 1816) has influenced

26082-596: The denomination a Restorationist church, a new religious movement , and a potential world religion . The church has become a strong proponent of the nuclear family and at times played a prominent role in political matters, including opposition to MX Peacekeeper missile bases in Utah and Nevada , the Equal Rights Amendment , legalized gambling, same-sex marriage , and physician-assisted death . A number of official changes have taken place to

26289-480: The development of vampire fiction: the heroine Christabel is seduced by a female supernatural being called Geraldine who tricks her way into her residence. Though Coleridge never finished the poem, some argue that his intended plot had Geraldine eventually trying to marry Christabel after having assumed the appearance of Christabel's absent lover. The story bears a remarkable resemblance to the overtly vampiric story of Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1872). In

26496-410: The direction of God the Father , leads the church by revealing his will and delegating his priesthood keys to its president. The president heads a hierarchical structure descending from areas to stakes and wards . The church has a volunteer clergy at the local and regional levels; wards are led by bishops . Male members may be ordained to the priesthood , provided they are living the standards of

26703-399: The doctrines of a pre-existence , an earthly mortal existence, three degrees of heaven and exaltation. According to these doctrines, every human spirit is a spiritual child of a Heavenly Father and each has the potential to continue to learn, grow, and progress in the eternities, eventually achieving eternal life, which is to become one with God in the same way that Jesus Christ is one with

26910-496: The draft of what became chapter 13 of the book. She wrote from chapter 13 to the end of the novel and then backfilled the first 12 chapters, in secret, without an ideal audience in mind or the intention to publish the novel. Meyer researched the Quileute Native Americans to include their legends and traditions in the novel, though some Quileute tribe members found her use of their legends offensive. Meyer joined

27117-442: The earliest examples of vampire literature: For at least fifty years after Planche's Vampire, the moon was the central ingredient of vampire iconography; vampire's solitary and repetitive lives consisted of incessant deaths and – when the moon shone down on them – quivering rebirths. Ruthven, Varney and Raby need marriage and blood to replenish their vitality but they turn for renewed life to the moon...a corpse quivering to life under

27324-566: The effects of garlic and crosses and are not harmed by sunlight, although it does reveal their supernatural status. Richelle Mead further deviates from traditional vampires in her Vampire Academy series (2007–2010), basing the novels on Romanian lore with two races of vampires, one good and one evil, as well as half-vampires. The traits of the literary vampire have evolved from the often repulsive figures of folklore. Fictional vampires can be romantic figures, often described as elegant and sexy (compare demons such as succubi and incubi ). This

27531-447: The family as the fundamental unit of society". Senior church leaders have continued to emphasize conservative teachings on marriage and gender to the present time. LDS Church members are encouraged to set aside one evening each week, typically Monday, to spend together in " Family Home Evening " (FHE), which typically consists of gathering as a family to study the faith's gospel principles, and other family activities. Daily family prayer

27738-513: The fantasy world of its Vampire: The Masquerade game. These series of novels were released in 13-book sets, each corresponding to one of the 13 clans of vampires in their game universe. Latter-day Saints This is an accepted version of this page The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church , is the largest Latter Day Saint denomination . Founded by Joseph Smith during

27945-736: The film received mixed reviews. Part two of the film received more positive reviews with Roger Ebert calling the ending "sensational". Critics also praised the acting, particularly that of Stewart. The Twilight Saga was successful in the box office. With a combined budget of $ 373 million, the five-film series earned $ 3.341 billion worldwide. Despite the commercial success, the films were extensively criticized. Breaking Dawn: Part II won seven Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzie awards) including Worst Picture, Worst Sequel, and Worst Screen Couple (for Taylor Lautner and Mackenzie Foy). The series spawned two parody films : Vampires Suck and Breaking Wind , which were critical failures. In 2009, Stephenie Meyer

28152-401: The film received poor reviews; Roger Ebert criticized the slow pace of the film, and Tim Robey of The Telegraph similarly said, "the movie gives us all the requisite looks of tortured longing, and not a lot else". Directed by David Slade , The Twilight Saga: Eclipse , an adaptation of the third book in the series, was released on June 30, 2010. An article from The Guardian reported that it

28359-407: The film was put into turnaround . In 2006, Erik Feig , president of Summit Entertainment , attempted to make a deal with Meyer by assuring her that the film would be true to the novel and that "no vampire character [would] be depicted with canine or incisor teeth longer or more pronounced than may be found in human beings". In 2007, the rights were sold to Summit Entertainment . Catherine Hardwicke

28566-414: The film, "lush and beautiful" and Peter Bradshaw said it was, "wildly enjoyable". The film was a box-office success and became the fourth-highest-grossing November opening weekend release up to that time. Meyer makes a brief cameo appearance in a diner scene. The same year, Meyer began her work in film with a Jack's Mannequin music video "The Resolution", which she co-directed with Noble Jones. Following

28773-440: The final novel to be told from Bella Swan's perspective. In 2015, she published a new book in honor of the 10th anniversary of the best-selling franchise titled Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined , with the genders of the original protagonists switched. On March 30, 2010, it was announced that Meyer had written a 200-page novella entitled The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner . The book was released on June 5, 2010, by Atom and

28980-621: The first three books called Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009). He is also currently writing a prequel to the Saga , a series of four books all about Larten Crepsley (one of the main characters) starting with Birth of a Killer (2010) and finishing with Brothers to the Death (2012). Ellen Schreiber created a young adult series about Raven Madison and her vampire boyfriend Alexander Sterling, starting with Vampire Kisses (2005). In Scott Westerfeld 's young adult novel Peeps (2005),

29187-511: The forbidding of coffee, tea, tobacco, and alcohol, but not the other guidelines concerning meat, grains, and herbs. In 2019, the church further clarified through its New Era magazine that the usage of marijuana and opioids is prohibited except as prescribed by a competent physician for medical purposes. Church members are expected to follow a moral code called the law of chastity, which prohibits adultery , homosexual behavior, and sexual relations before or outside of marriage. As part of

29394-450: The genre a somewhat postmodern spin. The television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer , created and largely written by Joss Whedon , also explored vampire folklore in the light of postmodern and feminist theory , defining the 'condition' as humans who were made to drink vampire blood after the vampire drinks from them, with turned vampires being essentially demons possessing human corpses; Buffy and its spin-off, Angel , also feature

29601-410: The idea of a virginal James Dean -ish vampire made Meyer the go-to gal for chaste love." Tymon Smith of The Times has described her as the "superstar of young adult fiction". Meyer was named one of MSN Lifestyle's "Most Influential Women of 2008", where she was described as a "literary luminary". She was also ranked No. 49 on Time magazine's list of the "100 Most Influential People in 2008", and

29808-564: The importance of a heterosexual, nuclear family. The proclamation defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman and stated that the family unit is "central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children." The document further says that " gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal , mortal, and eternal identity and purpose," that the father and mother have differing roles as "equal partners" in raising children, that "children are entitled to birth within

30015-532: The juxtaposition between Bella's agency to choose her mate and Jacob, a Native American male's, inability to choose has racial and cultural implications. Another theme is overcoming the circumstances and temptations of mortality referred to in the Book of Mormon as overcoming the "natural man", which is exemplified by Meyer's character Edward. As a vampire, Edward's purpose is to be carnal, killing and feeding on human blood. As led by Carlisle, Edward chooses to give up this life and transcend his circumstances by becoming

30222-890: The late 20th and early 21st centuries and Salem's Lot has over the years become one of his most important works. The title references a Maine town called Jerusalem's Lot and it is the centerpiece of 2 full novels and one short story, plus twelve other books that reference the town's existence within the multiverse that runs through all Stephen King books. King also has written several other works with vampires included in them in both long and short form including The Little Sisters of Elluria (1998), The Nightflier (1993, in Nightmares and Dreamscapes ), and several books in his series The Dark Tower (1982-2012) which also contains at least one character from Salem's Lot . Many of these have been brought to film and television as well as comic books. The 1981 novel The Hunger (adapted as

30429-434: The law of chastity, the church strongly opposes pornography, and considers masturbation an immoral act. Law of chastity violations can be grounds for church discipline ; resulting penalties may include having access to the temple and sacrament revoked, as well as excommunication. The church discourages romantic dating until around the age of 16. Church members are expected to donate one-tenth of their income to support

30636-474: The literal Son of God and Messiah , his crucifixion as a conclusion of a sin offering , and his subsequent resurrection . However, Latter-day Saints reject the ecumenical creeds and the definition of the Trinity . Jesus is also seen as the elder brother of all who live in this world. The church teaches that Jesus performed a substitutionary atonement ; in contrast with other Christian denominations,

30843-516: The mainstream by books The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith by Matthew Bowman and LDS in the USA: Mormonism and the Making of American Culture by Lee Trepanier and Lynita K. Newswander. According to an article from The Guardian , Meyer considers herself a feminist. Meyer has stated that, "the world is a better place when women are in charge". Additionally, she was happy with

31050-410: The male lead include Lynsay Sands ' Argeneau family series (2003–), Charlaine Harris The Southern Vampire Mysteries series (2001–2013), and Christine Feehan 's Carpathian series (1999–). However, Laurell K. Hamilton 's Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series has again shifted the genre boundaries from romance back toward the territory of erotica. The occult detective subgenre

31257-445: The moderate consumption of meat. When Joseph Smith published the Word of Wisdom in 1833, it was considered only advice; violation did not restrict church membership. During the 1890s, though, church leaders started emphasizing the Word of Wisdom more. In 1921, church president Heber J. Grant made obeying the Word of Wisdom a requirement to engage in worship inside of the faith's temples. From that time, church leadership has emphasized

31464-418: The moon's rays is the central image of midcentury vampire literature; fangs, penetration, sucking and staking are all peripheral to its lunar obsession. Bram Stoker's Dracula was hugely influential in its depiction of vampire traits, some of which are described by the novel's vampire expert Abraham Van Helsing . Dracula has the ability to change his shape at will, his featured forms in the novel being that of

31671-434: The more traditional vampire works of the 20th century is Stephen King 's 'Salem's Lot (1975), which re-imagines the archetypal Dracula -type story in a modern American small town setting. King acknowledged the influence of Dracula on the work, as well as the violent, pre- Comics Code vampires portrayed in horror comics such as those released by E.C. Comics . In 1989, a comprehensive bibliography of vampire literature

31878-422: The most important information. While a stylistic focus of most novels is character development, Meyer has stated that she intentionally avoided describing her characters in detail, which she believes allows the reader to more easily "step into [their] shoes". In some works such as New Moon , in which Bella is largely on her own, Meyer offers "deeper insight into Bella's psyche" through the chapter titles, rather than

32085-545: The novel bears resemblance to Jane Eyre . The choice to name Edward came from the works of Charlotte Brontë and Jane Austen, and her novels are influenced by both medieval courtly love and 19th-century etiquette. Although Meyer has claimed that she did not read vampire literature and thus could not be influenced by it, scholars Anne Klaus and Stefanie Krüger argue that Meyer's characters bear similarities to "traditional vampire figures" and that Edward resembles both gothic villains and Byronic heroes . Meyer has indicated that despite

32292-422: The novel that it is only in facing darkness and sorrow that light and joy could be experienced, echoing a quotation from the Book of Mormon , "It musts needs be that there is an opposition in all things". However, "imprinting" in her Twilight series, the involuntary formation of a mate relationship, undermines Meyer's prolific theme of free agency. According to literature and women's studies scholar Natalie Wilson,

32499-420: The offspring of a vampire and a human known from Serbian folklore, has been popularized in recent fiction. There are several recent series in vampire fiction, of variable literary quality. They tend to either take the form of direct sequels (or prequels ) to the first book published or detail the ongoing adventures of particular characters. White Wolf , a maker of role-playing games , releases novels set in

32706-736: The operations of the church. After initially relying on a communal lifestyle known as the law of consecration throughout most of the 1830s, the church created the law of tithing in July 1838 when the membership was concentrated in Missouri . Church members would frequently tithe by giving ten percent of their livestock and produce; nowadays donations are generally done with money. Annual donations were estimated to total $ 7 billion to $ 33 billion USD donated in 2012 (equivalent to $ 9.3 billion to $ 43.8 billion in 2023 ). To qualify for participation in temple ordinances (which Latter-day Saints believe are necessary for their salvation), paying

32913-436: The organization during the modern era. In 1978, the church reversed its previous policy of excluding Black men of African descent from the priesthood, which had been in place since 1852; members of all races can now be ordained to the priesthood. Also, since the early 1900s, the church has instituted a Priesthood Correlation Program to centralize church operations and bring them under a hierarchy of priesthood leaders. During

33120-402: The plot of The Nocturne . Meyer dismissed the accusation, claiming she had not heard of the writer nor the novel. Scott failed to produce a copy of the novel to support her accusation; The Nocturne is not available on Amazon and is listed as "temporarily sold out" on her website. The series has sold over 100 million copies worldwide in 37 languages. In 2008, the four Twilight books were in

33327-513: The point of view to Jacob Black, which only toned down the mayhem of the plot for so long. Novelist Orson Scott Card , who is a Mormon like Meyer, said, "[Stephenie Meyer] writes with luminous clarity, never standing between the reader and the dream they share. She's the real thing." In an interview with Newsweek , author Jodi Picoult said, "Stephenie Meyer has gotten people hooked on books, and that's good for all of us." Comparing Meyer to J. K. Rowling, Stephen King stated: "The real difference

33534-469: The practice. By 1857, tensions had again escalated between Mormons and other Americans, largely as a result of accusations involving polygamy and the theocratic rule of the Utah Territory by Young. The Utah Mormon War ensued from 1857 to 1858, which resulted in the relatively peaceful invasion of Utah by the United States Army . The most notable instance of violence during this conflict was

33741-637: The presidencies of the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary, while men serve as presidents and counselors of the Sunday School and Young Men. The church and its members consider marriage and family highly important, with emphasis placed on large, nuclear families. In 1995, the church's First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve issued " The Family: A Proclamation to the World ", which asserts

33948-453: The prose itself. Meyer's work is typically classified as melodrama . In Twilight , Meyer makes allusions to canonical texts such as the Book of Genesis , Wuthering Heights , Macbeth , Pride and Prejudice , Sense and Sensibility , and Songs of Innocence and of Experience . Meyer has said that the individual style of each of her novels came from various genres of music she listened to while writing. A corpus stylistics analysis of

34155-489: The protagonist carries a contagious parasite that causes vampire-like behavior. Count Dracula also continues to inspire novelists, for example Elizabeth Kostova in The Historian (2005). Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist 's critically praised vampire story Låt den rätte komma in (2004), about the relationship of a 12-year-old boy with a 200-year-old vampire child, has now been translated into English as Let

34362-426: The relationship between the main characters had they not remained celibate before marriage. Though the publisher claims the novel is "original and no longer based on Twilight ", James did not receive copyright authorization to write the novel and some have argued that Fifty Shades of Grey may be a copyright infringement. Though Meyer has stated that the novel is "too smutty" and does not interest her, she has not filed

34569-442: The rights to Breaking Dawn , Summit approved a two-part adaptation. In 2011, Meyer started her own production company, Fickle Fish Films, with producer Meghan Hibbett. Meyer spent much of 2011 producing both parts of Breaking Dawn , as well as the film adaptation of Shannon Hale 's novel Austenland . Breaking Dawn: Part 1 was released on November 18, 2011, and the second part was released on November 16, 2012. Part one of

34776-588: The rights to publish Twilight in a 2003 auction. By November, Meyer had signed a $ 750,000 three-book deal with Little, Brown and Company . Twilight was published in 2005 with a print run of 75,000 copies. Bimonthly book signings and events at the Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona , early in her writing career helped cultivate her fanbase. Twilight reached No. 5 on The New York Times Best Seller list for Children's Chapter Books within

34983-480: The run from her former employers". The book was released on November 8, 2016. In 2018, it was announced that Meyer's production company Fickle Fish would be working with Tomorrow Studios to produce a television series based on The Chemist . The reception of Meyer and her novels has been mixed. Entertainment Weekly has stated that Meyer is "the world's most popular vampire novelist since Anne Rice ", while The Guardian described her as an "imaginative storyteller,

35190-407: The ruthlessness of what essentially is a supernatural, parasitic predator that unleashes itself and intrudes on ordinary life for ordinary people, a recurring theme of his books. According to King himself, he was still a teacher at a high school when one of the books the class was studying was Bram Stoker's Dracula. Over dinner, he asked his wife, Tabitha , what would happen if Dracula came back in

35397-663: The sequel would later be published in Breaking Dawn . Meanwhile, Meyer wrote a short story, "Hell on Earth", about demons at prom night, which was published in April 2007 in Prom Nights from Hell , a collection of stories about bad prom nights with supernatural effects. Meyer's fans urged her to expand "Hell on Earth" into a full novel, but Meyer was occupied finishing Eclipse . In its first week after publication, New Moon reached No. 5 on The New York Times Best Seller list for Children's Chapter Books, and in its second week rose to

35604-405: The series to be called "the first social networking bestseller". According to scholar Lykke Guanio-Uluru, the Twilight series "popularized and helped redefine, the paranormal romance subgenre". In 2004, Paramount's MTV Films and Maverick Films optioned Twilight before the book was published in order to maximize its potential profits. The written script deviated greatly from the novel. However,

35811-454: The series was also inspired specifically by a different literary classic: Twilight by Jane Austen 's Pride and Prejudice ; New Moon by William Shakespeare 's Romeo and Juliet ; Eclipse by Emily Brontë 's Wuthering Heights ; and Breaking Dawn by Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and A Midsummer Night's Dream . Although Meyer claims to have based Twilight on Pride and Prejudice , film studies scholar Anne Morey claims that

36018-541: The song "By You" in hopes that it would be included on the New Moon film soundtrack. An unofficial Twilight themed fan convention called TwiCon was organized in Dallas, Texas, in summer 2009, which included "Twi-rock" band performances, a Volturi Ball, panels, workshops, and vendors. Originally an online novelized "fan-fiction" of the Twilight series, the novel Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James loosely explores

36225-580: The stories, and attend book signings. Extreme fans are known as "Twihards". Inspired by Meyer's Twilight series, a genre of geek rock called "Twi-rock", similar in purpose to wizard rock inspired by J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, has emerged. Examples of these Twilight -themed bands include the Bella Cullen Project, Twilight Music Girls, Be Safe Bella, Bella Rocks, and the Mitch Hansen Band. The Mitch Hansen Band wrote

36432-562: The story of Melanie Stryder and Wanderer, a young woman and an invading alien "soul", who are forced to work as one. The Host debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list and remained on the list for 26 weeks. Despite having expressed intention to write a trilogy, with the second and third books being called The Soul and The Seeker , respectively, Meyer has not published any follow-up novels to The Host as of 2024. In April 2009, Meyer took part in Project Book Babe,

36639-528: The stream of life; Yet loathe the banquet which perforce Must feed thy livid living corpse: Thy victims ere they yet expire Shall know thy demon for their sire, As cursing thee, thou cursing them, Thy flowers are withered on the stem. Byron also composed an enigmatic fragmentary story, published as " A Fragment " in 1819 as part of the Mazeppa collection, concerning the mysterious fate of an aristocrat named Augustus Darvell whilst journeying in

36846-523: The success of Twilight , Summit greenlit a film adaptation of the sequel, The Twilight Saga: New Moon . Each novel adaptation was headed by a different director. Chris Weitz directed New Moon , which was released on November 20, 2009. On opening night, New Moon broke the record for the highest single-day domestic gross on opening day, which had previously been set by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince . Despite its commercial success,

37053-488: The sun". The titles of the first three novels, Twilight , New Moon , and Eclipse , serve as natural phenomenon in which the sun is darkened. However, the final novel is titled Breaking Dawn , which symbolizes the beginning of a new day and Bella's transformation into a vampire and subsequent transcendence of her old life. Meyer is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and does not drink alcohol or coffee, smoke, or watch R-rated movies. Similarly, there

37260-580: The supernatural and vampire themes in her novels, she was influenced far more by Austen and Shakespeare than by Anne Rice or Stephen King. Meyer has described Austen, Shakespeare, and Orson Scott Card as her favorite authors. Meyer has cited music as a prominent influence of her writing, and she posts playlists of songs which specifically inspired her books on her website. Bands included most often in her playlists are Muse , Blue October , My Chemical Romance , Coldplay , and Linkin Park . Meyer cites Muse as

37467-469: The time. Dracula also had protruding teeth, though was preceded in this by Varney the Vampire and Carmilla. In Anne Rice's books, the vampires appear their best self of the age they were turned into a vampire; for instance, when Claudia was turned into a vampire, her golden curls became tight and voluminous, her skin turns a pale but smooth and clear, and rids her of the rotting disease. But it also seems like

37674-474: The top four spots on USA Today ' s year-end bestseller list. Meyer was the bestselling author of 2008 and the first author to have books in all four of the top-selling spots. The Twilight novels held the top four spots on USA Today ' s year-end list again in 2009. The success of the Twilight series has been attributed to the Internet, which allowed Meyer to directly reach out to her fans, leading

37881-433: The trend for multi-volume vampire sagas which are now a stock feature of mass-market fiction (see below for list). Rice's work also saw the beginning of the convergence of traditional Gothic ideas with the modern Gothic subculture and a more explicit exploration of the transgressive sexualities which had always been implicit in vampire fiction. Stephen King , while not a writer of multi-volume epics on vampires, has become

38088-424: The unedited and unfinished manuscript of a lengthy character development exercise of Midnight Sun available on her website. The release of Midnight Sun was tentatively re-planned after re-visiting the Twilight series with Life and Death , a gender-swapped retelling of the novel in 2015. However, the release of Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian in 2015 halted and soured Meyer's plans to release

38295-403: The vampire's shape-shifting ability. Some traditions hold that a vampire cannot enter a house unless he or she is invited in. Generally, a vampire needs be invited in only once and then can come and go at will. Stephen King 's novel Salem's Lot explored an unusual direction with this myth in having one of the protagonists revoke a vampire's invitation to a house; the vampire was forced to flee

38502-598: The vampire. In this story, we have the first example of the standard trope in which the vampire comes through the window at night and attacks a maiden as she lies sleeping. Heathcliff in Emily Brontë 's Wuthering Heights (1847) is suspected of being a vampire by his housekeeper at one point, which he immediately laughs off as "absurd nonsense". Fascinating erotic fixations are evident in Sheridan Le Fanu 's classic novella Carmilla (1872), which features

38709-404: The virtues of sexual abstinence and spiritual purity, but admits that her writing is shaped by her values, saying, "I don't think my books are going to be really graphic or dark, because of who I am. There's always going to be a lot of light in my stories." Growing up, Meyer's life and family revolved around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were involved in their community, and

38916-550: The word appears 125 times throughout the novels, as the main characters struggle to control their emotions, attraction, thirst, or jealousy. Apparent in Meyer's Twilight series is the theme of the distinction between immortality and eternal life. In Meyer's novels, vampires are immortal and have superhuman gifts and abilities; however, the Cullen family longs for things they cannot have. Their circumstances prevent them from forming meaningful relationships with humans or other vampires, isolating them within their small clan. Furthermore,

39123-406: Was The Bride of Corinth (1797) by Goethe , a story about a young woman who returns from the grave to seek her betrothed: From my grave to wander I am forced Still to seek the God's long sever'd link, Still to love the bridegroom I have lost, And the lifeblood of his heart to drink. The story is turned into an expression of the conflict between Heathendom and Christianity: the family of

39330-714: Was Sava Savanović , from a folklore-inspired novel, Ninety Years Later , by Milovan Glišić , first published in 1880. Serbian vampires—albeit depicted first in French (1839) and then Russian (1884)—also appear in Count Tolstoy 's novella The Family of the Vourdalak . Karl Heinrich Ulrichs published the short story “Manor” in 1885, about two sailors and lovers. When the older of the two, Manor, drowns at sea he returns to his lover Har each night to suck his blood and lay together. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) has been

39537-435: Was "Sir Alan Raby", who is the lead character of The Vampire (1852), a play by Dion Boucicault . Boucicault himself played the lead role to great effect, though the play itself had mixed reviews. Queen Victoria, who saw the play, described it in her diary as "very trashy". An important later example of 19th-century vampire fiction is the penny dreadful epic Varney the Vampire (1847), featuring Sir Francis Varney as

39744-477: Was a box office flop compared to the Twilight film series. In late 2015, it was announced that Meyer was producing a TV series based on Daniel O'Malley 's book, The Rook . Despite having purchased the rights for the novel with her production company, she left the project shortly after filming due to creative differences. In July 2016, Little, Brown and Company announced that Meyer has written an adult action thriller titled The Chemist , about "an ex-agent on

39951-546: Was a vampire, and carried those powers into her undeath), and Olivia Nightshade from The Nightshade Chronicles . Also, vampires from the Vampire Academy books, also known as the moroi, are skilled in elemental magic. Also, in the Twilight series, certain vampires appear to have special gifts like Edward (telepathy), Alice (visions), Bella (shielding), that are either supernatural or evolved from their own personalities like Victoria (survival instinct). The dhampir ,

40158-564: Was admitted as a U.S. state in 1896. Relations further improved after 1904, when church president Joseph F. Smith again disavowed polygamy before the United States Congress and issued a " Second Manifesto ", calling for all plural marriages in the church to cease. Eventually, the church adopted a policy of excommunicating its members found practicing polygamy. Some fundamentalist groups with relatively small memberships have broken off and continue to practice polygamy, but

40365-528: Was also influenced by Le Fanu's Carmilla . Le Fanu was Stoker's editor when Stoker was a theater critic in Dublin , Ireland. Like Le Fanu, Stoker created compelling female vampire characters such as Lucy Westenra and the Brides of Dracula . Stoker's vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing was a strong influence on subsequent vampire literature. Though Stoker's Count Dracula remained an iconic figure, especially in

40572-410: Was announced as president on January 16. The general authorities of the church consist of the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, first two Quorums of Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric . And under the leadership of the general officers are five organizations: the Relief Society , Sunday School , Young Women , Young Men , and Primary . Women serve as presidents and counselors in

40779-418: Was available for free between June 7 and July 5 on the official website. Following the release of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner , Stephenie Meyer donated $ 1.5 million to the American Red Cross Relief Fund to aid victims of the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. Those who took advantage of the free e-book were also encouraged to make donations to the Red Cross. Midnight Sun was to be a companion novel to

40986-401: Was chosen to direct the film, and Melissa Rosenberg wrote the new script. Kristen Stewart was cast first as Bella Swan , and Robert Pattinson was cast as Edward Cullen after an audition with Stewart and Pattinson revealed they had good chemistry. Taylor Lautner was cast in the role of Jacob Black . Released on November 21, 2008, the film received favorable reviews; Roger Ebert called

41193-439: Was included in the Forbes Celebrity 100 list of the world's most powerful celebrities, entering at No. 26. Her annual earnings exceeded $ 50 million. The same year, Meyer was ranked No. 5 on Forbes ' list of "Hollywood's Top-Earning Women", the only author on the list, and it was noted that the " Twilight series of young-adult vampire books have taken the publishing and film worlds by storm". In 2010, Forbes ranked her as

41400-416: Was included in their list of "People Who Mattered", with author Lev Grossman noting, "Maybe Americans aren't ready for a Mormon presidential nominee yet. But they're more than ready to anoint a Mormon as the best-selling novelist of the year." She was ranked No. 82 on Vanity Fair' s list of the "Top 100 Information Age Powers" of 2009. Meyer was featured in an issue of the biographical comic Female Force ,

41607-461: Was not a valid defense to prosecutions for violating state laws against polygamy. Conflict between Mormons and the U.S. government escalated to the point that, in 1890, Congress disincorporated the LDS Church and seized most of its assets. Soon thereafter, Woodruff issued a manifesto that officially suspended the performance of new polygamous marriages in the United States. Relations with the United States markedly improved after 1890, such that Utah

41814-442: Was number two on Amazon's "most sold" list, and was number one on USA Today 's bestseller list one week after its release date. Meyer has mentioned having several other book ideas on file, including a ghost story titled Summer House , a novel involving time travel, as well as another about mermaids. In May 2008, Meyer's adult sci-fi novel The Host was released by the adult division of Little, Brown and Company. It follows

42021-467: Was published – Margaret L. Carter's The Vampire in Literature. A Critical Bibliography (Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.: Umi Research Press). Many books based on vampires are still being published, including several continuing series. Paranormal romance , inspired by Anne Rice, but mostly dropping the open sexuality of her characters in favor of more conventional sexual roles, is a remarkable contemporary publishing phenomenon. Romances with handsome vampires as

42228-405: Was set in Scotland. This, in turn, was adapted by the English melodramatist James Planché as The Vampire; or, the Bride of the Isles (1820) at the Lyceum (then called the English Opera House), also set in Scotland. Planché introduced the "vampire trap" as a way for the title fiend to appear in a dream at the beginning and then to vanish into the earth at his destruction. Nodier's play was also

42435-439: Was the best film of the series according to critical consensus for being more "cinematic" and striking a better balance between romance and the supernatural. However, an article from The Telegraph rebutted The Guardian 's claim, arguing that Twilight remained the best film in the series due to the "entirely straight-faced contrast between the forces of eternal darkness and the rigors of high school". Having already obtained

42642-436: Was the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the church. Other splinter groups followed other leaders around this time. These groups have no affiliation with the LDS Church, however they share a common heritage in their early church history. Collectively, they are called the Latter Day Saint movement. The largest of these smaller groups is the Community of Christ , based in Independence, Missouri , followed by

42849-451: Was to "save" all souls by removing their agency and ability to sin . The Seeker plays a Satan-like role in the novel, as Meyer attempts to convey the message that the maintenance of agency is crucial. Additionally, Meyer's novels contain the themes of opposition. In The Host , Wanda learns that despite the lows and evils of humanity, beauty and pleasure could not be found on her previous planets because darkness did not exist. Wanda learns in

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