Vampiriffic

Synchronicity strikes again, this time linking several vampire related activities, I guess they got jealous of the zombies.

1.) Recently finished reading another Scott Westerfeld novel The Last Days, the sequel to Peeps. In Westerfeld's world vampirism is caused by a sexually transmitted virus (mostly just kissing). The virus gives you enhanced abilities, but not just for its own sake, the new vampires represent an immune system for the entire human race. Immunity against what? You will need to read the books to find out. In the sequel we meet a new bunch of hip teens and tweens, some of which are infected and some not, but they all just want their new band to make it big. It turns out their songs are very important for the coming battle.

2.) The author of Behemoth (from the Rifter series), Peter Watts, has a new novel out called Blindsight, that I haven't read yet, but it is on the way. The novel continues in the same dystopian literary universe as the Rifter Series. I found out from the website, which contains background information supporting the new novel. One of the characters is apparently a vampire of sorts. This is explained in a very entertaining powerpoint presentation describing the research that went into finding the genes, that, when activated, create a vampire.

The powerpoint is a scientific/marketing presentation on crack, with a cheerful amoralism in which the Canadian accented voice over narrator pokes fun at laws restricting his research even as he enthusiastically relates the story of the atrocities committed to discover the vampiric genes. The presentation claims we all have pieces of these genes that when expressed incompletely reveal themselves autism, savantism, sociopathy, and superior strength. Their suggestion for the name of the new Homo species created by activating all of the genes, Homo sapiens whedonum (an homage to Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon). And that's just one character in the book, I can't wait to read it.

3.) Last week's episode of the Office was entertaining as always with Micheal Scott asked to give a talk at Ryan's business school class. A side story had a bat flying loose around the office. Jim spoofs Dwight by claiming to have been bitten by the bat and then starts to display all of the symptoms of vampirism - fast healing, burned by garlic and crucifixes, aversion to light. Dwight never dealt with him in the episode, I wonder if we will get a conclusion in the next or if the joke is done. One of Dwight's best lines: "If a vampire bat was in the US, it would make sense for it to come to a 'sylvania." (the show is set in Scranton, Pennsylvania). Coincidentally, but obviously, Joss Whedon directed this episode of the Office.