Over the past decade, the Twilight Saga has captivated audiences worldwide. With its mixture of romance, suspense, and fantasy, the series has attracted millions of fans. But the franchise isn’t quite as cohesive as it seems. While some of the characters are popular, others are considerably less so. This is likely due to the fact that the Twilight Saga is actually a group of six individual novels, not one singular story. Additionally, when discussing the subject of vampires and the popularity thereof, it’s important to keep in mind that the literary works of Anne Rice, Bram Stoker, and others have heavily influenced the series. It would be inaccurate to say that the vampires in Twilight are based solely on these creatures, but it’s undeniable that they’ve served as inspiration.
The Early Years
The origin of the Twilight Saga can be traced back to 2005, when American author Stephanie Meyer published her debut novel, Twilight. In it, she introduced us to an alternative group of creatures: vampires. Intrigued by these bloodsuckers, aspiring young author Meyer decided to create a fictional world where their existence was accepted and even encouraged by society. And so she did, much to the delight of fans worldwide. The following year, Twilight was recognized as a literary masterpiece and was eventually made into a movie.
The Biggest Character
Since its inception, Twilight has been a huge character in the literary world. The novel focuses heavily on its protagonist, Stephenie, whose journey from a normal teen life in Forks, Washington, to becoming a vampire queen is compelling and addicting. Stephenie’s desire to be different sets the course of her life as she develops a taste for the blood of humans. But it’s not just about her journey to becoming a vampire. While the characters of the Twilight Saga are memorable for their adventures, it’s Stephanie’s writing that truly shined. Some of her intricate prose has been compared to that of legendary authors like William Shakespeare and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Because of her unique storytelling abilities, Stephanie Meyer has been referred to as the female Mark Twain. And so it is: not only is her writing ingenious, but so is her life. In 2015, she published her first non-fiction book, and in 2019, she became the first ever author to ever have her complete works made available in an audiobook, which debuted at number four on the New York Times Best Seller List.
The Dark Horse
The young wizard in the Twilight series is, in fact, an entirely different story. It’s the origin of this story that makes it a little less cohesive with the rest of the Twilight Saga. In 2007, American screenwriter and producer David Slade was in the middle of working on a film adaptation of the Twilight saga. While he was on the set of the movie, Slade came across a notebook belonging to the late English author and screenwriter J. Kilbourne. In it, Kilbourne detailed his ideas for a screenplay about a fourteen-year-old kid named David who accidentally becomes involved in a series of murders. Slade saw the potential in this plot and decided to bring it to life. He ended up adapting and expanding on Kilbourne’s ideas, resulting in his own original screenplay. This version of the Twilight story was eventually published in 2011. And although it’s not part of the mainstream Twilight Saga, it’s actually a pivotal point in the narrative. The Dark Horse is set several years after Twilight and finds its protagonist, David, leading a normal, uneventful teenage life in rural England. On the surface, this might make it seem like a parallel story to the Twilight Saga. But in reality, this is more than likely the case. The Dark Horse was written independently from the Twilight Saga, and it continues to develop in its own right, as the latest edition was released this year.
Many of the characters in the Twilight Saga share some similarities with famous literary characters, but for the most part, the monsters of the night are completely original creations. It’s an interesting dynamic: Stephanie, the creator of the Twilight Saga, clearly had an affinity for vampires and the world that they inhabit. But it wasn’t until she was given the opportunity to put her talent to use that she was able to fully develop her characters and the universe around them. It seems that sometimes there’s more than one way to skin a cat. But in this case, it’s more like several thousand ways.