Anne Rice has carved herself a place within history as one of literature’s most beloved writers. From her addictive plots to the twisted concepts found within her books, she is a remarkable woman who is known throughout the modern gothic world. I myself have even read her works out of genuine curiosity, and I was pleased when I did. Though she's known for her series, The Vampire Chronicles, she's also known for writing a variety of topics, including erotica and Christian literature. She's made an impact on our genre, and is a figure that we will not soon forget.

Anne Rice, or Howard Allen, was born on October 4th, 1941. Though she was born in New Orleans, she and her family later moved to Texas. She and her family were Catholics, though she later grew to become agnostic. Her first book, Interview with a Vampire, was published in 1976. Interestingly enough, Interview with a Vampire received negative reviews, which made Rice stop writing in the supernatural genre for a while. However, she resurfaced with The Vampire Lestat, which later became a New York Times bestseller. Years later, she returned to Catholicism, where she dwelled on her faith with novels such as Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. Some time after, she started to distance herself from the Church and organized religion, criticizing them for their positions on various social issues, though she also stated that God was still a central part of her life. She was married to Stan Rice until the time of his death, and had a son named Christopher.

Rice’s works have been adapted into various films and TV shows. In 1994, the failed Interview with a Vampire starred Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Queen of the Damned and Christ the Lord had also received film adaptations. She's also been known to write for films and TV shows, such as The Feasts of All Saints and Rag and Bone. Since then, Rice is writing a television series for The Vampire Chronicles alongside her son.

Rice has been popular with a variety of audiences, especially the LGBT community. Many within the community saw the vampires in Rice’s novels as socially isolated by the world around them. This resonated with the many difficulties in the community, whether it be coming out, or being perceived as abnormal by society due to their sexual orientation. What's more, Rice had started to humanize the monsters found in horror. Rather than the bloodthirsty beasts we were led to believe by previous writers, Rice’s vampires seemed more human, so much so she could even be considered the backbone of the paranormal romance genre.

Anne Rice has made remarkable strides that have helped her become one of America’s most recognizable writers. Not only has she revamped the supernatural genre, but she's also garnered the attention of millions, all of whom adore her compelling characters, not because that they're vampires, but because they're social outcasts. Her books have impacted many, and will continue to do so.