What Does Vampire AU Mean?
Fic TypeAn alternate universe that makes some or all of the cast vampires — or drops them into a world where vampires exist. Immortality, hunger, and dangerous intimacy come standard.
Vampire AU in Practice
The vampire AU imports one of fiction's oldest metaphor machines into any fandom: vampirism bundles desire, danger, consent, and eternity into a single premise, which is why the genre predates fandom and thrives within it. Recurring configurations include the vampire/human romance with its built-in power imbalance and ticking mortal clock, the reluctant fledgling adjusting to a new existence, vampire hunters falling for their targets, and centuries-old immortals carrying accumulated grief. The AU pairs naturally with angst (outliving everyone you love) and with hurt/comfort (blood-sharing as intimacy is a genre unto itself). Like werewolf and soulmate AUs, it's part of fandom's standard supernatural toolkit, applicable to the most determinedly mundane canons.
Example usage
"The vampire AU's best scene is the immortal showing her a photograph from 1893 and waiting for her to understand."
Related Terms
Werewolf AU
An alternate universe casting characters as werewolves or shifters, usually with pack structure, mating bonds, and the moon doing narrative work. A core member of fandom's supernatural AU toolkit.
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AU (Alternate Universe)
Short for Alternate Universe: a story that deliberately changes fundamental facts of the canon setting — the time period, the world's rules, or the characters' circumstances. Coffee shop AUs, no-powers AUs, and modern AUs are classic examples.
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Angst
A genre label for stories centered on emotional pain — grief, longing, guilt, heartbreak, or despair. An angst tag warns readers to expect to suffer, at least for a while.
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