The Forbidden Archive

Vampire Chronicles

[forbiddenvc]

The Forbidden Archive

The Forbidden Archive began as a 1993 Usenet group called alt.books.anne-rice (ABAR, a.b.a.r., abar). This was an internet newsgroup for Anne Rice fans to gather and talk about the books, movie, characters, plots, etc. Up until 2000, it had an official fan fiction archive called the VC Spec Archive (or The A.B.A-R Spec Archive). Heather Meloche (Ash) was the keeper and Adonia updated the databases.

In April of 2000, Anne Rice released the following statement regarding the non-profit fan fiction endeavors of her fans:

"I do not allow fan fiction. The characters are copyrighted. It upsets me terribly to even think about fan fiction with my characters. I advise my readers to write your own original stories with your own characters. It is absolutely essential that you respect my wishes."

She then proceeded to send cease and desist notices to a number of fan fiction sites and individual authors via her lawyers. The VC Spec Archive was transferred into the care of Black Rose and hosted on her website, Digital Midnight. Fan fiction was shared on a private, password protected forum.

In August of 2002, the VC Spec Archive was given a new name, location and layout. The Forbidden Archive was kept in the careful hands of Mevinan until July of 2007 when she announced that she could no longer maintain it. That is when the hosts of Sublime Requiem offered to take over. The site was maintained with its original layout until November of 2009 when it was updated to a members only eFiction site. Many of the old fan fictions were uploaded to the new site and attempts were made to contact the original authors so they could return and re-claim their stories. This is still in the works today.

"Live and let live..."

In 2012, Anne Rice was interviewed for an article about fan fiction where she stated the following:

"I got upset about 20 years ago because I thought it would block me. However, it's been very easy to avoid reading any, so live and let live. If I were a young writer, I'd want to own my own ideas. But maybe fan fiction is a transitional phase: whatever gets you there, gets you there."

This caused other fan fiction related sites such as fanfiction.net and archiveofourown.org to open up submissions for Anne Rice based fics. There was no longer a need to keep them under lock and key.

2024 brings new life to the Archive with the planned addition of a fan art gallery, a forum and a social media presence.

With all this history behind it, The Forbidden Archive remains the only one of its kind; a unique and constantly evolving repository of Vampire Chronicles fan fiction.

Art used with permission of Dany & Dany.

[forbiddenvc]

The Vampire Lestat - 2026

[forbiddenvc]

TVL

Who else has been waiting for this moment for 35+ years? Just a reminder that we, at The Forbidden Archive, are not book purists. We want, need and would love to read your television series based fics.

[forbiddenvc]

FIC REVIEW

“Of Bedknobs and Handcuffs”

by Addie and Artemis

“Of Bedknobs and Handcuffs” is one of the top 10 most read stories on The Forbidden Archive. Addie has four other stories on the Archive (with dozens of others still to be uploaded from the original site) and Artemis is the author of four still to be uploaded fics.

Summary: Lestat and Louis try to hide their relationship from the rest of the coven.

Spoilers: Mentions of events that took place in “Queen of the Damned” and “Memnoch the Devil”.

Allow me to start by saying that “Of Bedknobs and Handcuffs” is pure smut in every sense of the word. It’s a slash fic from start to finish. Fifteen chapters of glorious PWP. And I should point out that it’s not actually finished. It’s an incomplete story that leaves the reader begging, or should I say gasping, for more. Perhaps PWP isn’t the best category for me to throw this piece into because there is an underlying plot here, though it falls to the sidelines and is quickly forgotten when the reader is greeted by some of the most salacious writing to be encountered in the VC fandom.

While this fic may be 80% smut, we are also granted glimpses of Lestat’s complete obsession with Louis with descriptive prose so beautiful that causes the reader to fall head over heels in love with him as well. Artemis’ Lestat and Addie’s Louis are made for one another. These two authors have managed flawless depictions of the characters interlaced with in-depth descriptions of sexual situations that would make even the most avid smut reader blush.

If you can set aside, for a while, the constraints of the universe that Anne Rice created, “Of Bedknobs and Handcuffs” will transport you to a place where anything can (and frequently does) happen!

Read it at https://www.forbiddenarchive.com/

[forbiddenvc]

Fic Review

“Vampires Can’t Resist It”

by Caroline (aka Laviniaspeaks)

Caroline is a collaborative theatre artist who has had a love of the Vampire Chronicles (Lestat and Louis, especially, with occasional steps into Gabrielle and Daniel) since about age 13 or 14 and the ancient days of Moonscrolls (Rotoli della Luna). She is one of the 10 most prolific authors on The Forbidden Archive as well as the fourth most favourited author. Caroline has 10 other stories on the Archive.

Summary: Louis reflects on a certain nightly affliction.

Spoilers: None.

“Vampires Can’t Resist It” is a quote borrowed from the character Quinn Blackwood from the novel “Blackwood Farm”.

For centuries and even into modern times, other vampires have assumed that Louis de Pointe du Lac dislikes killing and that he suffers every time he is forced to take a human life, just as he did when he first stepped onto The Devil’s Road. Caroline shows us a different side of Louis – a secret side that only Lestat knows about. It is a side which is completely enthralled by the act of killing and enjoys taking innocent human lives.

In “Vampires Can’t Resist it”, we hear, in Louis own words, what it’s like for him to hunt and kill. He talks of how he lives for the hunt and how, as Quinn Blackwood once pointed out, vampires can’t resist fear.

Caroline dives into the character of Louis, weaving beautiful words together to perfectly capture this secret which he holds deep within himself and to prove to readers that these characters, no matter how polite and soft-spoken they might seem, are all truly monsters.

Anyone who enjoys delving deeply into the souls of their favorite characters and discovering their innermost thoughts and secrets would enjoy “Vampires Can’t Resist it”.

Read it at https://www.forbiddenarchive.com/

[forbiddenvc]

Fic Review

“First Light”

by Becky Durden (aka Rebness)

Becky is a writer with a fondness for love/hate relationships who has been active in the Vampire Chronicles fandom since 1998. She is one of the 10 most prolific authors on The Forbidden Archive as well as the third most favourited author. Becky has 14 other stories on the Archive.

Summary: Claudia and Madeleine face their final night alive in the Théâtre des Vampires.

Spoilers: Interview with the Vampire book and film.

“First Light” is a brilliant snapshot of Claudia and Madeleine’s final night at the Théâtre des Vampires, chronicling the moments before and after the two are locked into a narrow courtyard covered with iron grating just before sunrise.

This piece is incredibly dark. The reader is given a glimpse into the mind of Claudia as she thinks back on the past and on the night that she rose up against Lestat. While Louis is locked into an iron coffin and she and Madeleine are dragged away to face a death sentence, she reflects on who Lestat was and what he meant to her.

Claudia is stoic in the face of her punishment; refusing to let Madeleine or the theatre vampires see or sense her fear.

Becky masterfully embodies the character of Claudia. This is not the innocent five-year-old child from the beginning of Louis’ tale, but a bitter, spiteful woman of 65+ years.

Anyone who might enjoy seeing aspects of the book/film from a completely different perspective will delight in reading “First Light”. It’s a tale that book and film fans know well, told from a point of view that may surprise you and cause you to question what you’ve believed to be true.

Read it at: https://www.forbiddenarchive.com/

[forbiddenvc]

Season 2

We hope everyone is enjoying the premiere of Season 2 today! Just a reminder that The Forbiddn Archive welcomes book, film, stage production and television series fics (and soon artwork as well). We appreciate fan works of all kinds.

Promotional photos © AMC.

[forbiddenvc]

1990's

Who remembers these wonderful but now defunct Vampire Chronicles fanfic support sites, webrings, and spec compilation sites?

[forbiddenvc]

The beginning of our 2024 social media presence, as promised. We'll be posting quotes, fic reviews, fan art and more. Come say hello!