Tiamat
I've seen the future...
I was introduced to vampire myths via both Bram Stoker and Stephen King when I was young, I read up a little more on the various types of vampire myths around the world (and you'd be surprised how many different types of vamps there are), and also played my fair share of Vampire: The Masquerade as a college kid, etc. Fair warning however: I didn't watch Tru Blood as I felt the concept had too many issues (not saying it's a bad show, just not my taste). BTVS vampires....ugh, seriously, I get Joss Whedon was working on a budget, but make your vampires THREATENING and TERRIFYING for god's sake! Not a bunch of lame mooks who look like they walked out of a Halloween party! End rant. As for Twilight Vampires....oh lord, just....no. NO.
With that out of the way....well, first, bear in mind, "There are as many types of vampires as there are beasts of prey". Yes, I know it's a quote from Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter, but it's true. There are an infinite number of variations on the vampire myth across the globe, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, peculiarities. etc. But it doesn't change the fact they (usually) subsist on blood, or a person's "essence", interpret that how you will. So, therein lies the heart of the whole problem. These creatures require at the very least, donors, if not victims, to survive and thrive as undead. And before anyone brings up the idea of blood donations and/or synthetic blood, well, keep in mind hospitals, crisis centers and the Red Cross often have to sponsor blood drives just to keep their blood stores stocked for any number of surgeries, casualty incidents, etc. Who's going to willingly donate even more blood to a bunch of creatures considered to be undead? As for synthesizing blood...sorry, that's not as easy as it sounds. Here's a link that has a lot more info on the subject:
www.scientificamerican.com
So, with that bit of convenient unobtainium out of the way....it comes down to who gets to "donate" or rather be a victim? You can draw your own conclusions there how society will react to that question, if history is any judge.
Not to mention, as it was already stated, vampires? The Undead? Supernatural? Immortality? The whole rational view of the world just got turned on it's very head. Want to guess how society gets completely upended? Badly, and violently. Yes, I wish I could say it would be a little more like the world of Shadowrun (though that was a pretty crapsack world in itself), but it would probably be a lot more violent, chaotic and bloody in nature, with so many ramifications it would require a completely different discussion.
With that out of the way....well, first, bear in mind, "There are as many types of vampires as there are beasts of prey". Yes, I know it's a quote from Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter, but it's true. There are an infinite number of variations on the vampire myth across the globe, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, peculiarities. etc. But it doesn't change the fact they (usually) subsist on blood, or a person's "essence", interpret that how you will. So, therein lies the heart of the whole problem. These creatures require at the very least, donors, if not victims, to survive and thrive as undead. And before anyone brings up the idea of blood donations and/or synthetic blood, well, keep in mind hospitals, crisis centers and the Red Cross often have to sponsor blood drives just to keep their blood stores stocked for any number of surgeries, casualty incidents, etc. Who's going to willingly donate even more blood to a bunch of creatures considered to be undead? As for synthesizing blood...sorry, that's not as easy as it sounds. Here's a link that has a lot more info on the subject:
How do scientists make artificial blood? How effective is it compared with the real thing?
Scientific American is the essential guide to the most awe-inspiring advances in science and technology, explaining how they change our understanding of the world and shape our lives.
www.scientificamerican.com
So, with that bit of convenient unobtainium out of the way....it comes down to who gets to "donate" or rather be a victim? You can draw your own conclusions there how society will react to that question, if history is any judge.
Not to mention, as it was already stated, vampires? The Undead? Supernatural? Immortality? The whole rational view of the world just got turned on it's very head. Want to guess how society gets completely upended? Badly, and violently. Yes, I wish I could say it would be a little more like the world of Shadowrun (though that was a pretty crapsack world in itself), but it would probably be a lot more violent, chaotic and bloody in nature, with so many ramifications it would require a completely different discussion.