Legends of vampires as well as other monsters have been around for centuries. Only very recently however, has the vampire so thoroughly invaded our culture and lifestyle. How could this have happened and what factors might have facilitated this? How did vampires become so much more beloved and at the same time hated, than monsters such as Frankenstein or werewolves? What impact do newer tv shows such as Vampire Diaries or True Blood as well as movies such as Twilight have on our understanding of vampiric culture and lore?