History Literature / VarneyTheVampire

* LesbianVampire: Clara Crompton predates even Literature/{{Carmilla}} as a female Vampire who prefers female victims.

* HisNameIs: A money version. Henry Bannerworth's late father, who lost much of the family's wealth to gambling debts, finally figures out how to recoup his family's losses just before he dies. He tries to write down the instructions for his children. Unfortunately he only gets as far as: "The money is—" before dying on the spot.

* LesbianVampire: Clara Crompton predates even {{Carmilla}} as a female Vampire who prefers female victims.

* PublicDomainCharacter: Varney, while not as popular as Dracula, has seen somewhat of a reassurance recently, appearing in several webcomics including Varney the Vampire by Scott Massino and Marcio Takara, in which he is a rock star resembling Count Orlok from Nosferatu; {{SideReal}} by Philip Rice; and Dracula Unconquered by Chris Sims, Steve Downer and Josh Krach.

* PublicDomainCharacter: Varney, while not as popular as Dracula, has seen somewhat of a reassurance recently, appearing in several webcomics including Varney the Vampire by Scott Massino and Marcio Takara, in which he is a rock star resembling Count Orlok from Nosferatu; {{Side Real}} by Philip Rice; and Dracula Unconquered by Chris Sims, Steve Downer and Josh Krach.

* PublicDomainCharacter: Varney, while not as popular as Dracula, has seen somewhat of a reassurance recently, appearing in several webcomics including Varney the Vampire by Scott Massino and Marcio Takara, in which he is a rock star resembling Count Orlok from Nosferatu; {{SideReal}} by Philip Rice; and Dracula Unconquered by Chris Sims, Steve Downer and Josh Krach.

* PublicDomainCharacter: Varney, while not as popular as Dracula, has seen somewhat of a reassurance recently, appearing in several webcomics including Varney the Vampire by Scott Massino and Marcio Takara, in which he is a rock star resembling Count Orlok from Nosferatu; Side Real by Philip Rice, and Dracula Unconquered by Chris Sims and Chris Sims, Steve Downer and Josh Krach.

* PublicDomainCharacter: Varney, while not as popular as Dracula, has seen somewhat of a reassurance recently, appearing in several webcomics including Varney the Vampire by Scott Massino and Marcio Takara, in which he is a rock star resembling Count Orlok from Nosferatu; SideReal by Philip Rice, and Dracula Unconquered by Chris Sims and Chris Sims, Steve Downer and Josh Krach.

[[quoteright:114:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/marcia_jakk_colour_8182.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:114:Main character Marcia Jakk]]

[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/varney-the-vampire_3990.jpg]]

''Varney'' was an enormous influence on [[VampireFiction later vampire literature]], such as ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'' (1897) by Bram Stoker. Many of today's standard vampire tropes originated with Varney: Varney has fangs, [[VampireBitesSuck leaves two puncture wounds on the necks of his victims]], has hypnotic powers, and has superhuman strength. Unlike later fictional vampires, he is able to go about in daylight and has no particular fear or loathing of crosses or garlic. He can eat and drink in human fashion as a form of disguise, but he points out that human food and drink do not agree with him. His vampirism seems to be a fit that comes on him when his vital energy begins to run low; he is [[EveryMan a regular person]] between feedings.

''[[AddedAlliterativeAppeal Varney the Vampire]], or, The Feast of Blood'' by James Malcolm Rymer[[hottip:*:published anonymously and attributed by some scholars to Thomas Preskett Prest]] was one of the original vampire penny dreadfuls (c. 1845-47).

It's a [[VampiresAreSexGods bodice-ripper]] with [[DoorStopper 220 chapters]][[hottip:*:nearly 667,000 words (longer than WarAndPeace!)]] of riveting Victorian Gothic horror and one hell of an ending!

* DroppedABridgeOnHim:

* LesbianVampire: Clara Crompton predates even Carmilla as a female Vampire who prefers Female victims

* SkepticismFailure: Chillingworth plays this role, both with regard to the vampire and the literal interpretation of the Bible
* TropeMakers: It introduced most of the modern vampire concepts like hypnotic ability, super strength, puncture wounds from fang bites, and going crazy if a long time pass without feeding. Also a reluctant one. Stoker was inspired quite a bit by it.

It's a [[VampiresAreSexGods bodice-ripper]] with 220 chapters[[hottip:*:nearly 667,000 words (longer than WarAndPeace!)]] of riveting Victorian Gothic horror and one hell of an ending!

* Lesbian Vampire: Clara Crompton predates even Carmilla as a female Vampire who prefers Female victims

It's a [[VampiresAreSexGods bodice-ripper]] with 220 chapters[[hottip:*:nearly 667,000 words]] of riveting Victorian Gothic horror and one hell of an ending!

-->"The figure turns half round, and the light falls upon its face. It is perfectly white -- perfectly bloodless. The eyes look like polished tin; the lips are drawn back, and the principal feature next to those dreadful eyes is the teeth -- the fearful looking teeth -- projecting like those of some wild animal, hideously, glaringly white, and fang-like. It approaches the bed with a strange, gliding movement. It clashes together the long nails that literally appear to hang from the finger ends. No sound comes from its lips. Is she going mad -- that young and beautiful girl exposed to so much terror? she has drawn up all her limbs; she cannot even now say help. The power of articulation is gone, but the power of movement has returned to her; she can draw herself slowly along to the other side of the bed from that towards which the hideous appearance is coming."
--->-- From Chapter I

'''[[AddedAlliterativeAppeal Varney the Vampire]], or, The Feast of Blood''' by James Malcolm Rymer[[hottip:*:published anonymously and attributed by some scholars to Thomas Preskett Prest]] was one of the original vampire penny dreadfuls (c. 1845-47).

Varney is also the first example of the "sympathetic vampire," a vampire who [[IReallyHateMyJob hates his night job]] but is a slave to it nevertheless -- a theme which has become popular in modern vampire fiction. Varney's conflict eventually leads him to [[spoiler:throw himself into the heart of Mount Vesuvius, which is the only way he could ensure the destruction of his vampire body.]]