Status
Available
Series
Collection
Publication
Avon Books (1996), Edition: Reprint, 300 pages
Description
Christopher Moore is a New York Times best-selling author whose offbeat novels combine comedy and the supernatural. A striking red-head, 20-something Jody is attacked and transformed into a vampire while walking home one night in downtown San Francisco. Befriending 19-year-old Tommy, Jody tries to understand her new undead life, but trouble finds her when the cops start suspecting Tommy of being a local bloodsucking serial killer.
Subjects
Original publication date
1995-09-01
User reviews
LibraryThing member genealogygirl
It's actually more appealing for its zany humor than for the vampire-related stuff. It has been entertaining to watch Jody (vampiress) and her human lover/friend figure out the limitations and parameters of her being a vampire. She was turned mysteriously and chooses Tommy rather arbitrarily to be
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her person who can run around for her in the daytime (but they naturally end up having fabulous sex). I'm not fully invested in these characters -- definitely not at all on the level I am with Meyer's characters or even those of Harris and McKinley (in that order), but the dialogue is nothing short of brilliant and hysterical. I can't quite think who to compare him to, but I'd read Moore's other novels that are not vampire books without hesitation. He's just *extremely* funny. The vampire aspects are secondary I think. Show Less
LibraryThing member MissTeacher
The first of (two?) humorous, nihilistic vampire novels set in the deadly streets of San Francisco. If you love vampire stories and worship Anne Rice, this might not be the book for you--a lot of age-old vampiric truths just don't hold up to the experiments done in this book. However, if you enjoy
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an awkwardly tender, selfish kind of gory love story, then this book is perfect for you. Full of improbability and hilarity, Bloodsucking Fiends is a good book if you want to get away for a few hours, and especially if "away" involves kicking some centuries-old butt. Show Less
LibraryThing member JechtShot
Jody loves Tommy. Tommy loves Jody. Only there is one complication: Jody is a vampire. In this first part of the "Love Story" series we follow fledgling vampire Jody on her quest for answers and companionship in the city of San Francisco. Christopher Moore has put together a fantastic cacophony of
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characters in his unique and witty take on the oft overdone vampire Genre. The story is absurd yet hilarious and I would recommend it if you are looking for a light and entertaining read. Show Less
LibraryThing member kmaziarz
Jody is just your typical neurotic, modern, urban woman living in San Francisco, working a job she doesn’t like, and choosing all the wrong men. On her way home one evening, however, her worst fear comes true: she is attacked in a dark alley by a strange man and left for dead. When she wakes up
Enter Tommy Flood, an idealistic young wannabe writer who just came to the big city from small-town Indiana, naively looking for love and the bohemian lifestyle. Since Tommy works nights and isn’t a big jerk like most of Jody’s former boyfriends, he seems perfect! The fact that he’s completely infatuated by her doesn’t hurt, either.
But when Elijah Ben Sapir, the 800-year-old vampire who turned Jody, starts leaving partially drained corpses scattered around the city—not coincidentally centered around areas frequented by Tommy and Jody—the police latch onto Tommy as their prime suspect. Enlisting the most unlikely of allies—a gang of night-shift grocery store workers known as “the Animals” and the eccentric homeless man who styles himself the Emperor of San Francisco—Tommy and Jody are forced to fight not only to prove Tommy’s innocence, but to escape the clutches of an ancient, powerful, and wily foe.
Hip, fun, fast-paced, and frequently laugh-out-loud, this is a great pick for vampire lovers looking for something on the lighter side.
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under a dumpster with a burned hand, enhanced strength and agility, and the ability to see body heat, however, she slowly realizes that she was actually left for UN-dead. The man who attacked her was, yes, a vampire, and now Jody is, too! Now her car’s been towed, her current beau is a jerk, she can’t go out in daylight, the old vampire who turned her is stalking her, and she’s got to find help, fast!Enter Tommy Flood, an idealistic young wannabe writer who just came to the big city from small-town Indiana, naively looking for love and the bohemian lifestyle. Since Tommy works nights and isn’t a big jerk like most of Jody’s former boyfriends, he seems perfect! The fact that he’s completely infatuated by her doesn’t hurt, either.
But when Elijah Ben Sapir, the 800-year-old vampire who turned Jody, starts leaving partially drained corpses scattered around the city—not coincidentally centered around areas frequented by Tommy and Jody—the police latch onto Tommy as their prime suspect. Enlisting the most unlikely of allies—a gang of night-shift grocery store workers known as “the Animals” and the eccentric homeless man who styles himself the Emperor of San Francisco—Tommy and Jody are forced to fight not only to prove Tommy’s innocence, but to escape the clutches of an ancient, powerful, and wily foe.
Hip, fun, fast-paced, and frequently laugh-out-loud, this is a great pick for vampire lovers looking for something on the lighter side.
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LibraryThing member Jenners26
2 Words that describe the book: Vampire comedy
3 Settings where it took place or characters you met:
* Setting: Modern-day San Francisco
* Jody—A fledgling vampire who had her new lifestyle thrust upon her with no warning or choice, Jody is trying her best to make sense of her new undead lifestyle.
* C. Thomas Flood comes in. A wannabe writer from Incontinence, Indiana, Tommy is new in town and having a hard time getting adjusted to life in the Big City ... until he meets the new love of his life, a certain undead redhead. Although Jody can be a little tricky and high-maintenance with her vampire lifestyle, Tommy is in love (he thinks). As Jody and Tommy settle into together, things take a turn for the worse when the vampire who created Jody starts causing trouble for them.
4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:
* I like Christopher Moore. This is the first book of his vampire trilogy (though I accidentally read You Suck first because I didn't realize it was a series). But Moore's vampires aren't brooding, sparkly, or particularly scary. Jody is just like you and me ... except with superhuman strength, a thirst for blood and heightened senses. Moore has fun with the whole vampire thing, which brings me to another thing I liked about the book.
* I liked how Moore has Tommy test various vampire legends and stories on Jody to see what is true or not. Once Tommy finds out Jody's little secret, he cannot resist getting every book on vampires out of the library and checking to see what is true and untrue about vampires. These little experiments include having Tommy sneaking around touching Jody with crucifixes, trying to drown her in a bathtub, having her try to climb walls like Dracula, and rubbing her with garlic while she sleeps. And I liked Moore's shout-out to the Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice.
* I liked how the book is just stuffed with Moore's hilarious throwaway lines. You'll be reading along and then Moore will write something so silly or goofy or unexpected that you just have to laugh out loud. Consider this thought from Jody:
She thought, My closet is starting to look like an ostrich hatchery. I've either got to start throwing out L'eggs eggs or get a tan on my legs and quit wearing nylons.
This cracked me up because I so remember having all those eggs! Do they even make those any more? It has been AGES since I wore pantyhose.
* I disliked the overly serious Reading Group Guide at the back of my book. This is a book that is written to be funny and read for enjoyment. In my opinion, it doesn't cry out for book club discussions or deep thought. Yet there is a Reading Group Guide at the back with discussion questions like this:
Everyone has been exposed to vampire lore, either through books, movies or television. How does Jody's transformation into a vampire differ from how you always thought someone became a vampire? In what ways is it similar?
The books touches upon the idea of euthanasia--the practice of ending the life of a terminally ill person in a painless or minimally painful way in order to limit suffering--in that Elijah Ben Sapir, the vampire who creates Jody, only kills those who are about to die or whose lives are limited in some way. What are your feelings about "mercy killings"? Do vampires have an ethical standard?
Though I would totally want to join a book club that chose to read Bloodsucking Fiends, I can't imagine having a big old serious discussion on vampire lore and euthanasia as a result! But maybe that is just me.
5 Stars or less for your rating?
I'm giving the book 4 stars. I actually liked You Suck a bit better, but you can't go wrong with Moore. He's a fun, irreverent, creative writer whose sense of humor comes through on every page. Even if you don't like vampire books, you can have fun with this one. (You won't be scared, I promise. The only scary thing is how compelled you'll be to read more Christopher Moore.)
3 Settings where it took place or characters you met:
* Setting: Modern-day San Francisco
* Jody—A fledgling vampire who had her new lifestyle thrust upon her with no warning or choice, Jody is trying her best to make sense of her new undead lifestyle.
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But getting used to a life lived solely at night can make things a little tricky, so Jody needs a minion to do her bidding, which is where...* C. Thomas Flood comes in. A wannabe writer from Incontinence, Indiana, Tommy is new in town and having a hard time getting adjusted to life in the Big City ... until he meets the new love of his life, a certain undead redhead. Although Jody can be a little tricky and high-maintenance with her vampire lifestyle, Tommy is in love (he thinks). As Jody and Tommy settle into together, things take a turn for the worse when the vampire who created Jody starts causing trouble for them.
4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:
* I like Christopher Moore. This is the first book of his vampire trilogy (though I accidentally read You Suck first because I didn't realize it was a series). But Moore's vampires aren't brooding, sparkly, or particularly scary. Jody is just like you and me ... except with superhuman strength, a thirst for blood and heightened senses. Moore has fun with the whole vampire thing, which brings me to another thing I liked about the book.
* I liked how Moore has Tommy test various vampire legends and stories on Jody to see what is true or not. Once Tommy finds out Jody's little secret, he cannot resist getting every book on vampires out of the library and checking to see what is true and untrue about vampires. These little experiments include having Tommy sneaking around touching Jody with crucifixes, trying to drown her in a bathtub, having her try to climb walls like Dracula, and rubbing her with garlic while she sleeps. And I liked Moore's shout-out to the Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice.
* I liked how the book is just stuffed with Moore's hilarious throwaway lines. You'll be reading along and then Moore will write something so silly or goofy or unexpected that you just have to laugh out loud. Consider this thought from Jody:
She thought, My closet is starting to look like an ostrich hatchery. I've either got to start throwing out L'eggs eggs or get a tan on my legs and quit wearing nylons.
This cracked me up because I so remember having all those eggs! Do they even make those any more? It has been AGES since I wore pantyhose.
* I disliked the overly serious Reading Group Guide at the back of my book. This is a book that is written to be funny and read for enjoyment. In my opinion, it doesn't cry out for book club discussions or deep thought. Yet there is a Reading Group Guide at the back with discussion questions like this:
Everyone has been exposed to vampire lore, either through books, movies or television. How does Jody's transformation into a vampire differ from how you always thought someone became a vampire? In what ways is it similar?
The books touches upon the idea of euthanasia--the practice of ending the life of a terminally ill person in a painless or minimally painful way in order to limit suffering--in that Elijah Ben Sapir, the vampire who creates Jody, only kills those who are about to die or whose lives are limited in some way. What are your feelings about "mercy killings"? Do vampires have an ethical standard?
Though I would totally want to join a book club that chose to read Bloodsucking Fiends, I can't imagine having a big old serious discussion on vampire lore and euthanasia as a result! But maybe that is just me.
5 Stars or less for your rating?
I'm giving the book 4 stars. I actually liked You Suck a bit better, but you can't go wrong with Moore. He's a fun, irreverent, creative writer whose sense of humor comes through on every page. Even if you don't like vampire books, you can have fun with this one. (You won't be scared, I promise. The only scary thing is how compelled you'll be to read more Christopher Moore.)
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LibraryThing member ragwaine
I just started this but it's cool to see that he reused the character "The Emperor" from [book: A Dirty Job], the last Moore book I read.
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As usual Moore combines fantastic elements (vampires in this case) and quirky real life people to create absurd (and funny) situations. The comedy was much
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As usual Moore combines fantastic elements (vampires in this case) and quirky real life people to create absurd (and funny) situations. The comedy was much
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more subtle than usual. It was funny but not hilarious. The characters were fun and it was an enjoyable read just not as enjoyable as his other books. If you haven't read Moore before I wouldn't suggest starting here. Instead I would suggest [book: The Stupidest Angel] or [book: Fluke] or [book: Practical Demonkeeping] or even [book: A Dirty Job]. Show Less
LibraryThing member jeffreybrayne
Certainly the inspiration for A Dirty Job, which I had read first, but this one is absolutely hilarious and endearing. It has made me want to become a vampire. The ending is a bit weak, but also leaves open the possibility for a sequel. If one exists, I don't know of it yet.
LibraryThing member sweetcatastrophe
When I first started reading it, I couldn't get into it but pretty soon the story became so crazy and interesting that I just had to go with it. By the end of it, I was really invested in Jody and Tommy and I wanted very badly for her to turn him into a vampire.
LibraryThing member jennyo
Christopher Moore is always funny...This is the story of Jody, an insurance claims clerk who becomes a vampire, and C. Thomas Flood, a 19 year old wanna-be writer from Incontinence, Indiana. The scenes with the Animals at the Safeway are hilarious. I'll never look at my grocery store the same way
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again. I also loved the character of the Emperor of San Francisco and Protector of Mexico. He's marvelous. Show Less
LibraryThing member JustMe869
Hilarious! Can a newly created vampire and a wannabe writer from Incontinence, Indiana find true love in San Francisco?
LibraryThing member CheriePie69
This was the second Moore book I read. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good read. It may not have been quite as good as Practical Demonkeeping, but I certainly felt it came close... probably because I love paranormals. :) One thing I would've liked to see is the character of the male vampire Ben
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fleshed out a bit. I found him to be a very intriguing and interesting character and was disappointed to not be able to get into his head a bit more. I anxiously await a sequel.... Show Less
LibraryThing member defrog
Having liked Practical Demonkeeping, I gave Moore another go with this one – vampires in San Francisco – and liked it even more. It’s a pretty funny and clever take on the vampire genre, with a woman being turned into one against her will and a naive boyfriend who thinks it’s pretty cool
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but is otherwise a complete idiot. Also a clear indication that sometimes the best genre novels are written by people who don’t normally write for that genre. Show Less
LibraryThing member claudiabowman
A fun, quick little read. I'll have to check out more Christopher Moore.
LibraryThing member CheriePie69
This was the second Moore book I read. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good read. It may not have been quite as good as Practical Demonkeeping, but I certainly felt it came close... probably because I love paranormals. :) One thing I would've liked to see is the character of the male vampire Ben
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fleshed out a bit. I found him to be a very intriguing and interesting character and was disappointed to not be able to get into his head a bit more. I anxiously await a sequel... Show Less
LibraryThing member meersan
Red-headed newly-made vampire shacks up with a penniless young writer while searching for the vamp who made her.
LibraryThing member trinityofone
Reread in anticipation of reading the sequel, "You Suck." I haven't been especially fond of some of Moore's more recent work (am I the only one who really didn't like "Lamb"?) but this was as amusing as I remembered; more so, maybe, now that I've actually lived in the Bay Area and can properly
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appreciate all the San Francisco jokes. It probably says bad things about my cynical nature, but since I really did enjoy it again, I'm now mostly hoping that the sequel doesn't sour me against it. Show Less
LibraryThing member jolovessnow
Very creative characters and situations. I want to read the sequel!
LibraryThing member pratchettfan
A hilarious story about a girl who is turned into a vampire and left alone to cope with her condition. Fortunately , she soon meets Tommy, who agrees to help her with chores to be done during daylight hours.
Even though there are several laugh out loud sequences, it doesn't quite compare with 'A
Even though there are several laugh out loud sequences, it doesn't quite compare with 'A
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Dirty Job', which was funnier and more absurd, but it's interesting to learn more about some of the characters from that novel such as The Emperor of San Francisco and his men. Show Less
LibraryThing member mydomino1978
I love this author. He can always make me laugh. That said, this was not his best or funniest book. I think Lamb...is his absolute best, and this is one of the worst of his that I have read. But Moore at his worst is still pretty darn good.
LibraryThing member 4sarad
Jody’s life is changed forever one night when she is attacked outside of her office building in San Francisco. She wakes up two days later under a dumpster to realize she has become a vampire. She befriends C. Thomas Flood, an aspiring author, who thinks Jody’s vampirism is “awesome” and
I thought Bloodsucking Fiends was an entertaining book, but it did have some problems. Anyone seeking something a little more realistic will be disappointed by the crazy shenanigans in this book. It also struck me as false that everyone in this book from the main characters to a freezer salesman who appears once is very witty. It almost comes off as a sitcom. However, it is a fun read if you find yourself in the mood for something light and comical.
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falls immediately in love with her. Together they attempt to avoid detection even as the vampire who changed Jody leaves dead, bloodless bodies around their building to put the cops on their trail.I thought Bloodsucking Fiends was an entertaining book, but it did have some problems. Anyone seeking something a little more realistic will be disappointed by the crazy shenanigans in this book. It also struck me as false that everyone in this book from the main characters to a freezer salesman who appears once is very witty. It almost comes off as a sitcom. However, it is a fun read if you find yourself in the mood for something light and comical.
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LibraryThing member smprocks
One of Christopher Moore's best books. You follow Jodi in her 'new life' as a vampiress. The classic humor that Moore is best known for is found throughout the entire novel and it’s delivered perfectly. A most enjoyable read.
LibraryThing member sagustocox
Christopher Moore's Bloodsucking Fiends is the first book in the vampire series with C. Thomas Flood and Jody. It's too bad that I read You Suck first. However, even though I knew what happened at the end of this book, it was still a great read.
***Spoiler Alert***
C. Thomas Flood arrives in San
After running into the Emperor of San Francisco and his men (a golden retriever and a terrier), he gets a job at the Marina Safeway, which will help him keep a roof over his head while he writes. He makes fast friends with the night crew, one of which translates what the Wongs, his roommates, are after. Tommy discovers they have asked for his hand in marriage and have attempted to court him with flowers.
Moving along in the story line, Jody is accosted outside of her work one evening and she black out, only to awaken as a vampire. She makes her way home to Kurt, her live-in boyfriend, who has little sympathy for her plight. She eventually bashes him on the head, drinks his blood, and books it to a motel.
***End Spoiler Alert***
These are just some of the uncanny events that occur in this book from ghastly murders to robbery to explosions and cops chasing the Marina Safeway gang. This book is chock full of fun and adventure as well as humor. Between this book, You Suck, and Dirty Job (which the husband and I are listening to on CD) Christopher Moore's books are wrought with unique humor that will have every reader doubled over in the stomach pain of laughter.
***Spoiler Alert***
C. Thomas Flood arrives in San
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Francisco from Indiana with stars in his eyes about his future as a writer in the city after living in small town, unionized Indiana. He arrives and stumbles upon an apartment for $50 weekly and he shares his room with 5 Wongs. The funniest part of this living situation is that the Wongs are illegals seeking a way to become legal citizens of the United States. They leave bouquets on his bed unbeknowst to Tommy.After running into the Emperor of San Francisco and his men (a golden retriever and a terrier), he gets a job at the Marina Safeway, which will help him keep a roof over his head while he writes. He makes fast friends with the night crew, one of which translates what the Wongs, his roommates, are after. Tommy discovers they have asked for his hand in marriage and have attempted to court him with flowers.
Moving along in the story line, Jody is accosted outside of her work one evening and she black out, only to awaken as a vampire. She makes her way home to Kurt, her live-in boyfriend, who has little sympathy for her plight. She eventually bashes him on the head, drinks his blood, and books it to a motel.
***End Spoiler Alert***
These are just some of the uncanny events that occur in this book from ghastly murders to robbery to explosions and cops chasing the Marina Safeway gang. This book is chock full of fun and adventure as well as humor. Between this book, You Suck, and Dirty Job (which the husband and I are listening to on CD) Christopher Moore's books are wrought with unique humor that will have every reader doubled over in the stomach pain of laughter.
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LibraryThing member KinnicChick
After the side-splitting laughter of Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore, I knew that I needed to give this writer more opportunities to make me laugh. I chose Bloodsucking Fiends after poring through the descriptions of his various novels mostly on a
The major characters, Tommy and Jody, while perhaps an unlikely pair had they met under normal circumstances given Jody's usual choices of men (she admits to Tommy that she's lived with ten men already at the ripe old age of 26 and he's only been intimate with two women after getting so drunk he can't remember the occasions the next morning) are a pair I cheered for here. He's a geeky wannabe writer who has moved to California because his father has pushed him from the family home in Incontinence, Indiana because writers must starve in the City. Jody is a gorgeous tall redhead who typically falls in with jerks and doesn't last long with them. Oh, and a not-so-minor detail here, but she has also just become a vampire.
The book reads fast and our heroes move quickly through the story trying to figure out who is killing people and leaving their lifeless bodies (drained off much of their blood) in places that will connect them to the crime in some way before they end up in big trouble.
A funny, fast-paced, sexy mystery that has a sequel (You Suck!) which I will read soon!
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whim and I'm glad that I did.The major characters, Tommy and Jody, while perhaps an unlikely pair had they met under normal circumstances given Jody's usual choices of men (she admits to Tommy that she's lived with ten men already at the ripe old age of 26 and he's only been intimate with two women after getting so drunk he can't remember the occasions the next morning) are a pair I cheered for here. He's a geeky wannabe writer who has moved to California because his father has pushed him from the family home in Incontinence, Indiana because writers must starve in the City. Jody is a gorgeous tall redhead who typically falls in with jerks and doesn't last long with them. Oh, and a not-so-minor detail here, but she has also just become a vampire.
The book reads fast and our heroes move quickly through the story trying to figure out who is killing people and leaving their lifeless bodies (drained off much of their blood) in places that will connect them to the crime in some way before they end up in big trouble.
A funny, fast-paced, sexy mystery that has a sequel (You Suck!) which I will read soon!
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LibraryThing member lenoreva
Someone who was moving gave me this book and I really didn't I would like it because of the cheesy cover, but after reading a couple of other books about vampires, I decided a vampire comedy might be just the ticket. And this book was hilarious! Jody (who gets turned into a vampire one night) and
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her new boyfriend Tommy (non-vampire)are memorable characters and I thought the story and ending were very clever. Show Less
LibraryThing member afyfe
Very Christopher Moore, funny, a strange story and still a great read! I love that it is set in San Francisco and that the characters are so out there! I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants a different sort of book, its an easy read and it'll probably be nothing like other books you've read
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(unless of course you've read other books by Moore). I can't wait to read the sequel! Show Less