Dead Until Dark

Dead Until Dark is set in Bon Temps, Louisiana, in an alternate present reality in the United States. Two years before the start of the novel, vampires revealed their existence to humans, and they have been subsequently legally recognized in the US. However, societal integration has been difficult. The new reality has created new subcultures, including human “fang-bangers” who fetishize vampires, and an illegal market for vampire blood, a powerful narcotic harvested by “drainers.” The story is told from the perspective of Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic server who considers her ability a disability.

While working at Merlotte’s Bar, Sookie is excited to see a man walk in who she immediately identifies as a vampire by the slight glow around him. It is the first time she has seen a vampire in person. When she serves him, she expresses her delight at meeting him, and he introduces himself as Bill. She is also surprised and relieved by her inability to hear his thoughts.

Using her telepathy, Sookie overhears a local couple, Mack and Denise Rattray, planning to ambush Bill. She realizes that they are “drainers,” people who capture vampires and drain their blood for the illegal market.