Abstract

CLOETE, Cari  and  GREYLING, Franci. The Vampire Kiss: Traces of the Gothic in adolescent paranormal romances, with Twilight (2005) and Elikser (2021) as examples. Tydskr. geesteswet. [online]. 2025, vol.65, n.2, pp.670-692. ISSN 2224-7912.  https://doi.org/10.17159/2224-7912/2025/v65n2a6.

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga transformed the publishing industry in the 2000s by popularising the paranormal romance, sparking a series of Twilight films, global fandoms, online communities, and fanfiction. Its success led to a surge in paranormal novels featuring romanticised supernatural beings and revived the vampire genre in young adult fiction. Paranormal romance, a subgenre of contemporary Gothic fiction, typically depicts an alternate, idealised fantasy world (Tobin-McClain, 2000:298; Kunzel, 2012:40) that incorporates elements beyond the realm of scientific understanding (Tobin-McClain, 2000:294). Characteristic of the genre is the presence of monsters and other magical beings, such as hybrids, vampires, angels, demons, zombies, shapeshifters, werewolves, faeries, and wizards (Tobin-McClain, 2000:294; Crawford, 2012; Kunzel, 2012:40). A key feature of this genre is the centrality of the romantic relationship between humans and non-humans. The aim of this article is to provide an exploratory overview of a cultural phenomenon that has received little attention in Afrikaans literary studies. Paranormal romances are also emerging in Afrikaans youth literature, with Elikser (2021) by Frenette van Wyk being one of the earliest examples. Like Gothic fiction, the paranormal romance shows great adaptability, borrowing from other literary genres such as science fiction and fantasy. Recent Afrikaans young adult novels, including Nelia Engelbrecht's Die Poort series (2016-2017) and the Die Ontwaking van Winter series (2022-) by Sunel Combrinck, illustrate this trend. Additionally, a small percentage of adult romances recently published by Lapa follows the international trend, incorporating paranormal elements such as time travel, werewolves, and vampiric lovers, reflecting the genre's growing influence in the adolescent and young adult markets of Afrikaans literature. We begin by establishing the historical connection between the Gothic romance, the paranormal romance and young adult fiction. Gothic fiction, from its inception, has been a hybrid genre. Horace Walpole, recognised as the pioneer of the genre, blended medieval chivalric elements with realistic novel forms in The Castle of Otranto (1764). Ann Radcliffe emerged in the eighteenth century as one of the key Gothic novelists, publishing eight notable works, including The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794). Her popularity, evident in numerous imitations and adaptations (Hughes, 2013:210), helped standardise certain Gothic conventions and themes, particularly regarding virtuous heroines. Ultimately, the heroines ' virtue is preserved, and domestic harmony is reaffirmed, even as they endure captivity at the hands of ambitious villains (Botting, 2014:45). Next, we trace the development of the vampire, from John Polidori's The Vampyre (1819) to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight (2005), with reference to Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire (1976) and her contribution to the emergence of what Hughes (2018) describes as the "sympathetic vampire". John Polidori's short work ofprose fiction and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) established the aristocratic vampire as an anti-bourgeoisfigure. Early vampires posed threats to children and adults alike and were often depicted as callous and cruel (Cloete, 2023:38). Rice's tortured protagonist, by contrast, seeks companionship and grapples with moral dilemmas, reflecting characteristics of the Byronic hero. Meyer adapts traditional vampire conventions, tailoring them to the modern youth by depicting vampires like the Cullens as living in a close family structure and subsisting on animal blood rather than humans. Like Rice's characters, Meyer's vampires value human life and possess alluring beauty, their sparkling skin both enhancing their appeal and emphasising their danger. Twilight explores "teratophilia," (attraction to monsters), downplaying the repulsive qualities in favour of vampires like Edward Cullen, whose supernatural attractiveness itself poses a threat. After the theoretical exploration, we turn to a discussion of two examples of paranormal romances, Twilight (2005) by Stephenie Meyer and Elikser (2021) by Frenette van Wyk. We focus on the key trends in the evolution of characters and relationships, along with notable parallels and differences between the two example texts and the classic Gothic romance, particularly in terms of characters, settings, and themes. Special attention is given to the development of the Gothic heroine and the vampire as a Byronic hero, examining how these character types are recreated in modern vampire novels to meet the needs and expectations of contemporary readers. In Twilight, the narrative centres on the romance between Bella Swan and vampire Edward Cullen, highlighting the challenges as a human-vampire couple. Elikser, on the other hand, follows Lily Linvelt's quest to save her mother through a special flower found in the vampire kingdom of Dobrón, alongside her relationship with the vampire, Sterling Ashford. Twilight employs modern settings to create a sense of security amid threats, whereas Elikser, set in modern Ireland's Burren, features traditional Gothic spaces such as castle ruins, old Gothic churches, cemeteries, and putrid bogs to heighten the atmosphere of danger and darkness. The story also introduces Dobrón, a deceptive second dimension accessed through faerie rings. Both narratives explore the tension between safety and peril, culminating in the protagonists 'growth from vulnerability to empowerment. Through these texts, we discuss the evolution of the vampire figure from a monstrous entity to a more humanised character in modern literature, highlighting themes of physical and moral transformation, particularly through characters like Edward Cullen (Twilight) and Sterling Ashford (Elikser), who embody the Byronic hero. Struggling with dark pasts and a longing for humanity, their vampire nature renders them social outcasts. This ambivalence towards vampires reflects a broader theme in contemporary fiction, blurring the lines between good and evil, hero and monster, as seen in these characters'complex relationships and internal conflicts. The heroines in Twilight and Elikser are portrayed as sexually inexperienced, with their encounters with vampire lovers awakening intense attraction and desire. The vampire kiss symbolises the heroines' sexual awakening, intertwining desire with danger, as the vampire controls both his urges and those of the heroine. This dynamic reflects dual threats of violence and sexual intimacy, with the vampire bite metaphorically signifying sexual penetration. The paranormal romance thus enables the exploration of forbidden fantasies, with characters embodying a dangerous allure while navigating their sexual identities amid intense emotions and societal taboos. Through this article, we aim to raise awareness of the gap in academic publications and discussions that explore and map the representation of the Gothic genre and the paranormal romance in Afrikaans youth literature.

Keywords : Gothic genre; paranormal romance; children and adolescent literature; young adult fiction; character types; vampire; Byronic hero; Gothic heroine; Stephenie Meyer; Ann Radcliffe; Anne Rice; Frenette van Wyk; Twilight; Elikser; Afrikaans literature; Interview with the Vampire.

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