According to traditional folklore, a vampire is a human corpse raised from the dead, destined to wander the earth for eternity, sucking the blood of its victims at night as they sleep peacefully. However, due to the exponential explosion of interest in recent years, the obsessions have taken hold producing stories that deviate from typical traditional vampires towards a subdivision that has manifested its own different mythology. For example, when examining Bram Stoker's infamous vampire, Dracula, it is clear that Stoker embraces the disturbing core characteristics of a typical traditional vampire while incorporating a reclusive personality and unique superhuman abilities to enhance his character. However, looking at Damon Salvatore, from the TV show The Vampire Diaries, it is obvious that L. J Smith has revamped (no pun intended) the original version by providing specific adaptations to Damon and, in a way, humanizing them. The glorified characters created by writers today have strayed so far from the original perceptions that the definition of what it means to be a vampire has changed completely. The modern vampire is essentially not a vampire, but rather a recent manifestation of an obsession. . L. J Smith gave Damon Salvatore many adaptations that improve the story, but in return he completely removed the essential core characteristics of the traditional vampire. While observing Dracula's physical characteristics, it is evident that his fangs are constantly on display causing fear in his victims due to his grotesqueness. In contrast, when looking at Damon, his physical characteristics are those of an attractive human being, but when anger or thirst takes over, a primal animal is on full frontal display. His K-9 descends into form... center of the card... vampires have created many different versions, each with their own distinct qualities and characteristics. It is evident that, regardless of presentation, they have become a vital part of our cultural histories and will likely continue to do so into the future, even if they do not possess all the general descriptions that a traditional vampire would have. "Vampire Eating Habits." Only vampires. Np, 25 May 2007. Web. 01 April 2014.Ramsland, Katherine. "Dracula." Only vampires. The Crime Library, 07 June 2007. Web. 01 April 2014.Smith, LJ The Vampire Diaries. New York, NY: HarperTeen, 2007. Print.Smith, L.J. The Vampire Diaries. New York: Harperteen, 2008. Print.Dracula (Transylvania, the Vampire Lord)." Dracula (Transylvania, the Vampire Lord). Np, nd Web. June 19 2014. .