Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire was the first of many books in the late author‘s long career and by far the most famous. The gothic horror novel kicked off what would become one of the most influential vampire series of the 20th century, with an impressive impact on its genre.
Rice’s vampires can be just as ruthless as they are elegant and tragic. They’re creatures of the night, yes, but for the most part, they’re monsters we can empathize with to a degree, which is probably what makes The Vampire Chronicles so popular even today. Of course, this long-lasting success can also be partly attributed to the screen adaptations it has received over the years. The 1994 Interview With the Vampire film starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, for example, is still considered one of the best vampire movies out there, although AMC’s TV show retelling completely blows previous adaptations out of the water.
Regardless of how you discovered this book series — be it through word of mouth, online, or by watching one of its adaptations — it’s important to know how to get into it. The Vampire Chronicles consists of 13 novels, so it’s best you learn where to start before diving in.
How to read The Vampire Chronicles in order
When asked about the best order to read The Vampire Chronicles, most fans will tell you to do it in publication order, as it’s the easiest way to get through this series. With that out of the way, they’ll proceed to inform you that not all of the books are worth reading. It’s sad but true. The first three are by far the best in the series, and are considered essential for any vampire enthusiast looking to get into Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe. After that, things get rough. The books published between 1992 and 2003, in particular, are generally disliked by fans and criticized for their poor writing, characterization, and plots.
This is all to say that if you don’t want to read all 13 novels, you don’t have to. A lot of fans opt to read just the first three books, and others just the first five, depending on their personal preferences. If you’re feeling brave and really want to get through the entire series, though, you can do so in the following order:
- Interview with the Vampire (1976)
- The Vampire Lestat (1985)
- Queen of the Damned (1988)
- The Tale of the Body Thief (1992)
- Memnoch the Devil (1995)
- The Vampire Armand (1998)
- Merrick (2000)
- Blood & Gold (2001)
- Blackwood Farm (2002)
- Blood Canticle (2003)
- Prince Lestat (2014)
- Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis (2016)
- Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat (2018)
Armed with this knowledge, you can now explore the vampiric side of the Immortal Universe, but you should proceed carefully. It’s important to note that this series deals with a lot of heavy and potentially triggering topics — such as suicide, incest, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and others — so it’s best to consider your mental health before diving in. The Vampire Chronicles is not for everyone.