Living Dead in Dallas
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OCLC 294965618 | | |
Preceded by | Dead Until Dark | |
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Followed by | Club Dead |
Living Dead in Dallas is the second book in Charlaine Harris's series The Southern Vampire Mysteries. This second novel follows the adventures of telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse of Bon Temps, Louisiana, as she is employed by Dallas vampires to use her telepathy to help find their lost companion. Sookie agrees to help investigate the whereabouts of the missing vampire on one condition: any humans found to be involved must be turned over to human law enforcement rather than subjected to vampire justice. In Dallas Sookie Stackhouse has her first encounter with the anti-vampire organization "The Fellowship of the Sun," as well as meeting and learning of the existence of werewolves.[1]
Plot summary
This book opens with
In the meantime,
Eric informs Bill and Sookie that they need to go to Dallas to help the local vampire leader, Stan Davis, to find his missing "brother," Farrell, who has not returned to Davis' nest for five days.The Dallas vampires, Sookie, and Bill learn that The Fellowship of the Sun (FotS)[
Back in Bon Temps, Sookie avoids Bill for several weeks during which Bill "dates" Portia Bellefleur, who is trying to find out more about the sex club in an effort to clear her brother Andy of any connection to the murder. After seeing Sookie at a football game with Tara, Benedict "Eggs" Talley (Tara's fiancé), and JB du Rone (another male friend), Bill follows Sookie home and they passionately (and violently) reconcile.
The next day, Sookie is invited to a secret sex party organized by Mike Spencer. Afraid to go alone, Sookie asks Eric to accompany her as Bill is out of town. At the sex party, Sookie is surprised to see her friend Tara and Eggs and learns that Mike and Tom Hardaway murdered Lafayette. The party is interrupted when Bill, Andy Bellefleur, Sam (in collie form), and the maenad Callisto gather in front of the house. The maenad enjoys the drunkenness and lust of the party participants and eventually kills Mike, Tom and his wife, and another local named Jan. Eggs & Andy, under the maenad's spell, recall nothing of the incident - Tara is the only non-supernatural present with any recollection of the events (she was hidden and thus did not fall under the maenad's spell). Bill and Eric burn the house, and Eric glamours Tara so that she will not be able to remember what happened at the sex party.
See also
- Characters of The Southern Vampire Mysteries
- Characters of True Blood
- True Blood
Television adaptation
Living Dead in Dallas has been adapted by HBO into a television series called True Blood. Its storyline forms the basis of True Blood's second season. Its first episode aired on June 14, 2009. Although the main characters and story lines are the same, there are a number of differences between the book and the series:
- In the series, Jasonjoins the Fellowship of the Sun, forming a major story arc that is very different from his minor role in the novel. In the book, Jason stays in Bon Temps, dating a girl called Liz Barrett.
- Erictakes Lafayette prisoner for dealing V and to question about Eddie's disappearance. Lafayette is held in the basement of Fangtasia.
- In the series, Eric's maker is Godric, to whom Eric maintains a deep bond of loyalty and devotion. Godric, while still like Godfrey (see above) a self-tortured renouncer who wishes to meet the sun, is not portrayed as an evil child killer but rather as a compassionate, enlightened sheriff of his area.
- Bill's maker Lorena is reintroduced.
- Bill tries to teach his new progeny, Hoyt(whose character is very different in the series) start a romantic relationship.
- Season 2 sees the introduction of Sophie-Anne Leclerq, Queen of Louisiana, whereas she does not appear in novel 2, instead appearing in a later book.
- Callisto, the maenad, is introduced as "Maryanne Forrester." Maryann is played by actress Michelle Forbes.
- The entire plotline involving the maenad is drastically different in the series from that portrayed in the book. This includes her involvement in the Bon Temps community, her relationship with Tara, and her drive to kill Sam Merlotte.
- Luna is not involved in rescuing Sookie from the Fellowship and no werewolves make an appearance in Dallas.
- A sub-plot involving Sam's romantic relationship with another shapeshifter is exclusive to the TV series.
References
- ^ Living Dead in Dallas. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ "Living Dead in Dallas". Loving True Blood in Dallas. Retrieved 2009-06-05.