Colin Wilson, The Space Vampires (aka Lifeforce)

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The Space Vampires

(1976), Colin Wilson’s thirteenth novel, marks his return to science fiction, the genre he used in

The Mind Parasites

(1967) and

The Philosopher’s Stone

(1969) to dramatize and explore ideas about human potential. This time, however, he mixes science fiction with the vampire tale and the crime story to create an absorbing narrative that uses vampirism as a metaphor for the ways in which life-energy (or life-force) can be transferred, drained or enhanced. The novel suggests that “all people are energy vampires to some extent” (80).

Vampires is a third-person narrative told largely from the viewpoint of its protagonist, 45-year-old Commander Olof Carlsen, the captain of the spaceship Hermes. In deep space, in mid-October 2075 by the terrestrial calendar, he and his

2120 words

Citation: Tredell, Nicolas. "The Space Vampires (aka Lifeforce)". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 November 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=23955, accessed 19 March 2024.]

23955 The Space Vampires (aka Lifeforce) 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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