True Blood‘s third season kicks off this Sunday, and if you haven’t already cleared your schedules and set your DVRs, well, you are a far less obsessed fan than I am. I’m in countdown mode, and one thing getting me through the week is reading all our contributor Q&As for our True Blood anthology, A Taste of True Blood.

To recap, we’ve so far met Kirsty Walker, Daniel M. Kimmel, and Paula Rogers. Today, we have Joseph McCabe, whose essay “Pure Blood” examines why vampires are so damn intriguing by looking at the father of all vampire tales, Dracula, and tells how that story relates to the vampires in Bon Temps.

Until you can read his essay in full, here are some questions and answers to get to know Joseph better.

Who is your favorite True Blood character?

It’s a tie between Bill and Sam. Bill’s the character I’d most like to be, Sam is the character I come closest to.

What episode or subplot has been your favorite so far?

I’d have to go with the entire Godric/Fellowship of the Sun arc in season 2. It’s packed with action, suspense, social commentary, romance, and humor; all skillfully woven into one helluva entertaining package.

Have you read any of the Charlaine Harris series True Blood is based on? If so, did you read it before or after watching the show?

I started reading the Sookie Stackhouse mysteries after I first watched True Blood, though I’d been aware of their existence beforehand. Harris is a dynamite writer. Her stories are wry, witty, and sparsely written, and her eye is keen and observant.

Recommend an essay, if you’d like to, in the book other than your own.

There are a LOT of fantastic essays in this book. Quite frankly, I’m honored to be in their company. But if I had to pick just one essay, I’d go with Alisa Kwitney’s “Blue Collar Bacchanalia,” which gave me a new appreciation for Maryann Forrester. I like the character much more now that I’m looking at her from a social perspective.

What’s your other TV obsession, besides True Blood?

I’m currently in love with Mad Men, possibly the best show on television. For my job, I watch a lot of TV on DVD, but Mad Men is one of the few recent shows I always want to revisit. Like a great piece of music, it rewards replay, always offering something new in its offbeat rhythms and restless characters. The writing is like that of a great Hemingway story, the cast is phenomenal, and the saturated color palette is lovely. In terms of melodrama it’s like a Douglas Sirk film that never ends. Only sexier.

Share one other thing about yourself to familiarize readers with you as a contributor.

I’m the Associate Editor of the web’s home of horror, FEARnet.com. And I’m the West Coast Editor of SFX magazine, the UK-based science-fiction media magazine. I’m one of the luckiest guys in the world, because I get to spend all day exploring and chronicling the genres I love. And I have a great wife who shares my interests. That was three things. Sorry.

Where else can readers find you online?

Fearnet.com is where I can most often be found online. My magazine can be found at http://www.sfx.co.uk/. (Please visit both sites and make them happy.) I also just landed on Planet Twitter, where I’m @JMaCabre.

***

Thanks, Joe!

To all of you, take a sneak peek at Joseph’s essay, “Pure Blood” and be sure to pre-order A Taste of True Blood today. (And befriend us on Facebook for spoilers, photos, and more True Blood goodness.)

Leave a Comment Subscribe to Comments

In A Taste of True Blood, Joseph McCabe, True Blood