A prominent American literary influence on the gothic scene was provided by Anne Rice's re-imagining of the vampire in 1976. In "The Vampire Chronicles", Rice's characters were depicted as self-tormentors who struggled with alienation, loneliness, and the human condition. Not only did the characters torment themselves, but they also depicted a surreal world that focused on uncovering its splendour. These Chronicles assumed goth attitudes, but they were not intentionally created to represent the gothic subculture. Their romance, beauty, and erotic appeal attracted