$0 If you asked me, “Have you read Twilight?” I would respond with a simple, “Yes.” If you asked me, “Do you like Twilight?” I might not give the same answer. I’m probably not the only one.$0$0 Unfortunately for me and other realists, the four books and movie about innocent, quiet, insufferable Bella Swan are no longer alone in popular vampire fiction. Twilight’s vampire theme shows a surprising immortality, constantly inspiring new shows and popularizing old books.$0$0 In September of 2008, HBO began airing True Blood, a vampire drama based on Charlaine Harris’s Southern Vampire Mystery books. The show stars Anna Paquin as Sookie, a Louisiana waitress who falls in love with a vampire. Unlike in Twilight, vampires do not live in secret; instead, they go out and drink fake blood in public.$0$0 Even with Twilight and True Blood in the spotlight, the CW Network is airing The Vampire Diaries, a series based on L.J. Smith’s books of the same name. Instead of Bella or Sookie, its protagonist is an innocent girl named Elena, who fatefully attracts two vampires. The vampires happen to be brothers, one good and one evil.$0$0 The poorly-acted show is yet another manifestation of the obsession with vampires. Where is the interest in clichéd stories about fictional creatures? And while this concept eludes me, I have no escape from the bombardment of airbrushed, pale models on movie posters and book covers.  I can’t even walk into my neighborhood Kroger without spotting a shelf of cheap vampire romance novels. $0$0 If I had a supernatural ability, it would be to drive a stake through the heart of vampire fiction. Like many others, I believe the year of the vampire should have ended in December, two years ago when Twilight’s popularity peaked. $0$0 But it didn’t. And as the vampire fiction market continues to expand, I will have to find a way to retain my civility each time the student sitting next to me asks me if I want to borrow her copy of Dead After Dark or hear about the New Moon, the movie, which comes out November 20. Other girls may swoon over Edward Cullen, but I will stick to quality literature.$0$0$0$0