Anne Rice (October 4, 1941 – December 11, 2021) was a writer who began writing vampire fiction in the early 1970's. Her most acknowledged writings are the Vampire Chronicles which include the books Interview With The Vampire and Queen of the Damned.
Biography[]
Rice attended Texas Woman's University and San Francisco State University, she married poet and painter Stan Rice in 1961. Together, they had a daughter, Michele, and a son, Christopher.
In the 1970s, Rice experienced personal tragedy with the loss of her daughter to leukemia at the age of five. The profound grief she endured influenced her writing, leading her to explore themes of death, immortality, and the supernatural in her work.
Anne Rice's breakthrough came with her debut novel, "Interview with the Vampire," published in 1976. The book introduced readers to the charismatic vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac and his undead companion, Lestat de Lioncourt. The novel's success marked the beginning of "The Vampire Chronicles" series, which became a literary phenomenon and a cornerstone of the gothic horror genre.
Rice continued to expand the series with notable works such as "The Vampire Lestat" (1985), "The Queen of the Damned" (1988), and "The Tale of the Body Thief" (1992). Her lush, atmospheric prose and exploration of philosophical and existential themes set her apart in the realm of supernatural fiction.
Beyond vampires, Rice explored other supernatural elements in novels like "The Witching Hour" (1990), the first book in "The Lives of the Mayfair Witches" series, and "The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned" (1989).
In 1998, Rice experienced a spiritual transformation and returned to her Catholic faith. This change influenced her writing, leading to a shift in focus from supernatural horror to religious and historical themes. She penned novels like "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt" (2005) and its sequel "Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana" (2008).
In 2012, Rice's career took another turn as she embraced the world of erotic fiction under the pseudonym A.N. Roquelaure, with the release of "The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty" trilogy.
Anne Rice's impact on the literary world cannot be overstated. Her ability to weave together the mystical and the mundane, coupled with her exploration of complex characters and themes, secured her a lasting place in the annals of literature. She passed away on December 11, 2021, but her legacy lives on through her extensive body of work, which continues to captivate and inspire readers around the globe.
Death[]
Rice died from complications of a stroke at a hospital in Rancho Mirage, California, on December 11, 2021, at the age of 80.
According to a statement from Rice's son Christopher Rice, the family planned to inter her at the family mausoleum at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans.
Rice was laid to rest in January 2022.The Rice Family Mausoleum is also the burial site of Rice's husband Stan Rice and daughter Michele. One side of the tomb is stained glass, the other three sides are engraved with Stan Rice's poems from his books "False Prophet" and "Some Lamb". The mausoleum is open to the public during visiting hours.
Bibliography[]
The Vampire Chronicles:[]
- Interview with the Vampire (1976)
- The Vampire Lestat (1985)
- The Queen of the Damned (1988)
- The Tale of the Body Thief (1992)
- Memnoch the Devil (1995)
- The Vampire Armand (1998)
- Merrick (2000)
- Blood Canticle(2003)
- Prince Lestat (2014)
- Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis (2016)
- Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat(2018)
[]
- Pandora (1998)
- Vittorio the Vampire (1999)
Lives of the Mayfair Witches:[]
- The Witching Hour (1990)
- Lasher (1993)
- Taltos (1994)
The Christ the Lord Series:[]
- Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt (2005)
- Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana (2008)
Songs of the Seraphim:[]
- Angel Time (2009)
- Of Love and Evil (2010)
Ramses the Damned Series (with Ramses as a co-author):[]
- The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned (1989)
- Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra (2017)
The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy (as A.N. Roquelaure):[]
- The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty (1983)
- Beauty's Punishment (1984)
- Beauty's Release (1985)
The Wolf Gift Chronicles:[]
- The Wolf Gift (2012)
- The Wolves of Midwinter (2013)
Stand-alone Novels:[]
- Cry to Heaven (1982)
- Feast of All Saints (1979)
- Servant of the Bones (1996)
- Violin (1997)
- The Vampire Chronicles: Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned (2011) - An omnibus edition
Non-Fiction:[]
- Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession (2008)
- Anne Rice's The Feast of All Saints: The Official Companion (2000)