Redefining+Supernatural+Creatures

In Stephanie Meyer's //Twilight// series, she basically rewrites the characteristics of vampires. They are still the same in a few areas. They still

drink human blood, however, it's not necessary in order to insure they live. Vampires are still considered immortal creatures and can turn

other humans into vampires by biting them. However there are a few significant differences:

1. They can no longer be killed by means of sunlight, garlic, holy water, a stake through their hearts,burning, or immersion in water.

2. Instead of burning up when exposed to direct sunlight, vampires in //Twilight// sparkle.

3. They are no longer restricted from crossing bridges over rivers.

4. They can not turn into bats.

5. The only way to kill vampires now is by ripping them to shreds and burning the pieces.

6. They no longer sleep in coffins.

7. Vampires don't sleep at all.

8. Vampires are not as serious a threat to humans as they are in other fictions involving vampires.

Changing the overall view of vampires may seem at first to be a good idea. It could seem like a fresh change from the classical vampire.

Meyer even takes care of the usual traits of vampires by dismissing them as "myth" in the first book. At first thought, there doesn't seem like

there would be anything wrong with redefining a vampire. However, vampires already have a set definition throughout literature, with indefinite

characteristics that make them vampires. Admittedly, vampires have changed somewhat over the years. But Meyer's changes found

in her novels are so drastic that they possibly can't even be considered vampires and instead some other supernatural monster. Stephanie

Meyer says that she developed //Twilight// from a dream she had about a girl and a sparkling vampire boy, sitting in a meadow. Yet how does

she know that the boy was a vampire and not instead an overgrown fairy? Honestly, out of all the fictional monsters throughout literature, why

on earth would you pick the blood-thirsty, undead vampire to be the odd man out to sparkle? And just to further my point: