''Dead Until Dark'', published in 2001, is the first novel in

Charlaine Harris Charlaine Harris Schulz (born November 25, 1951) is an American author who specializes in Mystery fiction, mysteries. She is best known for her book series ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', which was adapted as the TV series ''True Blood''. The ...

' series ''

The Southern Vampire Mysteries ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', also known as ''The True Blood Novels'' and ''The Sookie Stackhouse Novels'', is a series of books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris. The first installment, ''Dead Until Dark'' (2001), won the Ant ...

''. It was adapted into ''True Blood'' first season. ''Dead Until Dark'', like the rest of the series, is narrated by

Sookie Stackhouse Sookie Stackhouse is a fictional character and protagonist of ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' book series, written by Charlaine Harris. In HBO's television adaptation, ''True Blood'', Sookie is portrayed by Anna Paquin. Creation and casting ...

, a

telepathic Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...

waitress from the small fictional

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

town of Bon Temps, not far from the non-fictional town of

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population o ...

. It is set during the early 2000s, approximately the same time as the book's publication. In the world of the novel,

vampires A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths ...

(and other

supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

creatures) are a reality. Sookie Stackhouse falls in love with the vampire,

Bill Compton William H. Compton, Jr. (October 6, 1945, Rockford, Illinois – August 27, 2007) was a mental health advocate in California who attained national stature. After a mental health crisis in 1989, he became heavily involved in self-help and ...

, whom she met at the diner she works at, Merlotte's, owned by Sam Merlotte. At some point in the recent past, Sookie tells us, the invention of synthetic blood, called Tru Blood, has made it unnecessary for vampires to feed on humans for sustenance, thus allowing the world's previously underground vampire community to reveal its existence to humans. Also relevant to plot development is the fact that vampire blood accelerates healing, increases strength, improves the libido, and make the person who drinks it better-looking.

''Characters''

References

2001 American novels 2001 fantasy novels American vampire novels The Southern Vampire Mysteries Novels set in Louisiana Anthony Award-winning works American novels adapted into television shows Ace Books books {{2000s-romance-novel-stub

''Characters''

See also

References