Anne Rice, the author of the Vampire Chronicles series, has passed away at 80 years old. Rice was born in New Orleans on October 4, 1941. Rice acquired an M.A. in creative writing from San Francisco State University in 1970. She and her husband Stan had a daughter in 1966 who tragically died of leukemia in 1972. While still reeling from this loss, Rice was inspired to write her first Vampire Chronicles novel, 1973's Interview with the Vampire, which was later adapted into a 1994 film starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.
Her grief infuses the novel and especially the character of Claudia, the ageless young vampire played by Kirsten Dunst. She was also inspired by Gloria Holden's haunted, tragic vampire in the 1936 Universal horror sequel Dracula's Daughter. She would later go on to write 13 more novels in the series (including Queen of the Damned, which was adapted into a 2002 film starring Aaliyah), as well as other works of vampire fiction, Christian literature like 2005's Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, and - under a pen name - erotic fiction including the source novel for the 1994 film Exit to Eden.
On Anne Rice's official Facebook page, her son Christopher Rice announced that the author had passed away due to complications from a stroke. Anne will be buried in her family's cemetery in New Orleans in a private cemetery, with a public celebration of her life to follow in New Orleans in 2022. He leaves fans with the comforting words: "Anne is now experiencing firsthand the glorious answers to many great spiritual and cosmic questions, the quest for which defined her life and career." Read Christopher's full tribute to his mother below:
Dearest People of Page. This is Anne’s son Christopher and it breaks my heart to bring you this sad news. Earlier tonight, Anne passed away due to complications resulting from a stroke. She left us almost nineteen years to the day my father, her husband Stan, died. The immensity of our family’s grief cannot be overstated. As my mother, her support for me was unconditional — she taught me to embrace my dreams, reject conformity and challenge the dark voices of fear and self-doubt. As a writer, she taught me to defy genre boundaries and surrender to my obsessive passions. In her final hours, I sat beside her hospital bed in awe of her accomplishments and her courage, awash in memories of a life that took us from the fog laced hills of the San Francisco Bay Area to the magical streets of New Orleans to the twinkling vistas of Southern California.
As she kissed Anne goodbye, her younger sister Karen said, "What a ride you took us on, kid." I think we can all agree. Let us take comfort in the shared hope that Anne is now experiencing firsthand the glorious answers to many great spiritual and cosmic questions, the quest for which defined her life and career. Throughout much of her final years, your contributions to this page brought her much joy, along with a profound sense of friendship and community. Anne will be interred in our family's mausoleum at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans in a private ceremony. Next year, a celebration of her life will take place in New Orleans. This event will be open to the public and will invite the participation of her friends, readers and fans who brought her such joy and inspiration throughout her life.
Anne Rice's enduring legacy will continue in the form of several adaptations of her novels that are already in the works. AMC is already deep in development on a series adaptation of Interview with the Vampire starring Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson, which is set to begin shooting in New Orleans this month. In late 2022, AMC will also debut a new 8-episode series based on Rice's trilogy Lives of the Mayfair Witches, which follows a witch family with a spirit guide named Lasher.
Anne Rice will be fondly remembered by her family, friends, and millions of readers. Her work will live on, as immortal as the indelible vampiric characters she created. Her work will continue to stock bookstore shelves as long as the stores exist, which is a legacy that takes true talent and tenacity to achieve.
Source: Official Anne Rice Facebook Page