Anne Rice - The Vampire Chronicles (books 1-10) -

: Desperate to feel human again, Lestat makes a dangerous deal to swap his immortal body with a mortal man, leading to a disastrous loss of his powers.

Anne Rice's redefined the vampire genre by transforming the "monster" into a philosophical, tragic, and often seductive protagonist. While the series eventually grew to 13 primary books, the first 10 comprise the "original" era before a decade-long hiatus. The Core Trilogy: The Foundation Anne Rice - The Vampire Chronicles (Books 1-10)

: The "Mother of all Vampires," Akasha, awakens from a 6,000-year sleep to enact a global "cleansing," forcing the world's vampires to unite. The Experimental Era: Philosophical Shifts : Desperate to feel human again, Lestat makes

: A grieving 18th-century plantation owner, Louis, recounts his life to a reporter, detailing his loneliness and his toxic bond with his maker, Lestat. The Core Trilogy: The Foundation : The "Mother

: In the most controversial entry, Lestat is taken on a tour of Heaven and Hell by a being claiming to be the Devil, exploring the nature of God and creation. The Expansion: Origins and Crossovers Anne Rice - The Vampire Chronicles Series Reading Order

: Lestat takes center stage to correct Louis’s "lies," detailing his own origins in 18th-century France and his rise as a 1980s rock star.