The queen of vampire fiction gets her New Orleans farewell
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Anne Rice, shown here in 2016, is best known for her "Vampire Chronicles" series about Lestat. Photo: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images
New Orleans pays homage this weekend to author Anne Rice in two grand events for fans of the vampire novelist and the fantastical world she created.
Why it matters: It's a delayed celebration of life for Rice, who died in 2021 when pandemic protocols prevented large gatherings.
The big picture: The fan club for her character Lestat gets the party started Friday at a formal ball.
- The 37th annual vampire ball sold out in seven minutes, says co-host and French Quarter resident Alys Arden.
- Arden, who also writes about vampires and witches in New Orleans, has attended for years with several hundred other revelers. They often dress as Rice's characters.
- "We're really trying to make it feel like you walked into her world and that there's an element of her words throughout the night," Arden tells Axios in an exclusive interview.
The next day: Anne Rice's son, Christopher, and her longtime friend, Eric Shaw Quinn, host the main fan event Saturday at The Orpheum.
- It will be an immersive stage spectacle with musical performances, a recreation of her gardens and interviews with her family and colleagues.
- It explores how she turned the worst thing that ever happened to her — the death of her daughter — into the best thing, Christopher Rice tells Axios in an exclusive interview.
- "The genesis of her entire success was this terrible loss that she transformed into this world and invited all of these people in," he says.
What he's saying: "I want them to feel inspired," he says of Saturday's event, while also having moments to feel their grief about the loss of the author.
State of play: Anne Rice grew up in New Orleans and lived in the Garden District for years.
- The New York Times "trashed" "Interview with the Vampire" when it came out in 1976, Christopher Rice says, but his mom kept at it.
- "The idea of taking dark fantasy seriously as a serious literary genre in which you could talk about the human condition — that was not popular when she was doing it," he says.
- She pioneered the technique of writing about vampires — the so-called villains — from their point of view, Quinn says. She published more than 35 books and sold more than 150 million copies.
Zoom in: A new generation of fans is being introduced to her work through AMC's "Anne Rice Immortal Universe" television series.
- "Talamasca" premiered this week and tells the story of the secret society mentioned in her books.
- "Interview with the Vampire" and "Mayfair Witches" both have two seasons available for streaming. They were filmed in New Orleans.
- Anne Rice and Christopher Rice are executive producers on the shows, the network confirmed.
The intrigue: Rice and Quinn teased new projects, including the possibility of new books. Christopher Rice wrote several books with his mother and says she left behind unfinished material.
- Fans often ask for more "Wolf Gift" books as well, the two business partners say.
- Plus, they say they "salivate" over the idea of "Ramses the Damned" projects.
What's next: Saturday's event will be turned into a documentary, which will stream for free in late November on AnneRice.com.
- A handful of tickets were still available as of Thursday.
- Axios will also be covering the ball and Rice's celebration of life.
Go deeper: 10 ways to embrace your inner vampire