Superman is gay, and I'm a Vampire. So what?

Superman is gay? Now, let's get serious.

Really. What is all this about? Why is one of the week's hot topics on Headline News about Superman being gay? My husband and I actually talked about this a little because I really wanted to know, "What?" and "Who cares?"

When I asked, my husband told me that part of this idea comes from the possibility that the gay community identifies with Superman. The principle he described is one that he read about in Superheroes and Philosophy. Superman was the first true superhero. All others were "based" around him, or at least the basic ideas he represented. However, Superman has always been different from other superheroes in one important aspect. Clark Kent is the "alter ego," who he becomes. Superman, the hero, is his who he was born as. That isn't true for others. Spiderman was born as Peter Parker. Batman was born as Bruce Wayne. Superman can only be truly himself under the right conditions. That, for so long, has been the way of life for the homosexual community.

Okay, that makes sense. That still doesn't mean that Superman is gay. And, what if he was?

All people identify with at least one hero. Heroes are necessary for personal and societal survival. People need to be able to identify with someone that others (often publically) look up to. We look for aspects it these people that we also see, or want to see, in ourselves. These idols can range anywhere from Superman (superhero), the Punisher (anti-hero/vigilante), or the 9-11 rescuers (real-life heroes). That is why we each like certain movies, books, television shows, or even musicians. We identify with characters or characteristics. That may also be why we dislike some of those same types of things.

Take me for example. I have always been one of more eclectic tastes. I am also quite liberally minded. I was always, as my husband tells me, more gothic than those around me. (And, by gothic I don't mean stapling my face, spiking my hair, and wearing flour-white makeup.) I never quite fit in anywhere, but I tried. In high school, my brother told me that one of his friends said to him, and I quote, "You know your sister is pretty nice, but she's a little too weird."

From the time I was a small child, I read all the time. I still do. I found intersting some things that my family and friends found morbid. So, to keep everyone from worrying and trying to fit me for a straight jacket, I only indulged in those interests when I was alone. I would watch the 1:00 am showings of Friday the 13th: The Series, Poltergeist: The Legacy, etc. Just a few months ago, my mother asked me, while laughing, if I remembered that I read about vampires and that kind of stuff when I was a kid. .... You can tell my mom hasn't really looked at my shelves in a long time. I have an entire shelf of books focused on vampires, faeries, werewolves, etc.

When I got to college, however, I met people that held interests the same as my own. I was even introduced to more things in the same genre that I still enjoy to this day.

So, what did I do? I became a teacher and moved to the Bible belt. In public, I have to hide many of my interests, at least the "unusual" ones. I even have to be careful about disclosing my religious and political views. After all, I don't want parents or community members to think I would be a poor influence on their children because I think differently than they do.

So, I still identify with the vampires. I have tastes that some consider morbid. (I have always been intrigued by abnormal psychology. I even minored in psych in college. So, now I find serial killers fascinating.) I feel that I have to hide my true colors (fangs) from so many people. And, the people that I can be myself around are few and far between. If there are more around here, I don't know about them becuase they are keeping quiet too.

So .... Superman is gay, and I'm a Vampire. So what?

A Bite to Remember: A Review

A Bite to Remember
by Lynsay Sands

Once again Lynsay Sands tempts, thrills and humors us with her fifth book in the Argeneau vampire series.

After having seen to it that her children were happily involved with their "true life mates," Marguerite Argeneau travels to California to concentrate on her nephew, Vincent. She is afraid that after 400 years Vincent is beginning to become unhappy and bored with life, and that is never a good thing whether you are human or vampire.

Vincent, however, already has a full plate when his aunt arrives. He is rapt in trying to find out who is sabotaging his company and hurting his employees. He has even gone so far as to hire Jackie Morrisey, a private investigator recommended by Bastien, his cousin and Marguerite's son.

Soon this live-alone bachelor has a house full of people who are in pursuit and/or victims of this stalker whose crimes are escalating by the minute. The problem is Vincent is a pretty laid back guy who has never purposely hurt anyone in his very long life. He has no idea who could be doing these things or why.

To make things more complicated, his aunt has her cunningly sharp eyes on the way he and Jackie interact all while she is making friends with Jackie's gigantic assistant, Tiny. Jackie has a bad history with vamps, and Vincent is trying to keep his loving aunt from playing matchmaker with him as she has done with all her children, not that any of them are complaining ... now. However, Vincent just can't seem to forget how he really likes this girl - even when she is being bossy and rude.

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This heartfelt, witty, romantic-fantasy/horror(?) mystery has something that pretty much any reader would like. (As if you couldn't tell by that description.)

Whether you are a fan of fantasy or realistic fiction, who can't sympathize with a relative, especially an older one, butting into your personal life, even if it is simply to give advice, because they love you and think it is for your best interest? Marguerite Argeneau loves her family deeply and wants her "youngsters" to learn from her and have happy lives. A long life will seem even longer if it is unhappy.

The characterisation is probably my favorite aspect of these books. They are very real. Not everyone is the perfect size or shape. No one is an absolute jerk; if they are they have a good reason. And, some of the lines she gives to these characters keep me in stitches for hours.

For the romance lover, yes, there is some sex, lots of sexual tension and plenty of (gasp) real romance. It is almost impossible to find a vampire story without sex, but the sex in this one is nowhere near the focal point of the story. It is also part of the logical outcome of true romance and affection.

Fantasy and horror lovers will like this book (and series) if they aren't purists. I, for one, love the concept. Vampires are .... da da dat daaa ... Atlantians. Well, the oldest ones are. They escaped before the destruction. It is a really interesting concept.

And, all of these books have the element of mystery. The opportunity to figure out "who done it" is always a plus for me.

I adore this series of Sands' books. I haven't read her other series, but if her characters are like those in the Argeneau series, I am sure I would enjoy them as well.

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The titles in this series are: (by publication thus far)
Single White Vampire
Love Bites
Tall, Dark, and Hungry
A Quick Bite
A Bite to Remember

Curious about the future of these characters and books?
A quote from Sands' blog, http://spaces.msn.com/members/lynsaysands, says:

"...The right order should actually be A Quick Bite (Lissianna’s book) then Love Bites (Etienne’s book) then Single White Vampire (Lucern’s story) then Tall, Dark and Hungry (Bastien’s story) They were printed out of order, but should be in order from now on. Vincent’s story - A Bite To Remember - is the next one out, then Uncle Lucian’s story which I think they’ve changed the title to Bite Me If You Can. I’m working on Victor’s story now and hope to do Marguerite’s after, though you just never know with these guys."