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Suckers
In the greed-is-good Eighties, The Look is black clothes with white faces, black hair, and mouths painted scarlet, but Dora knows she must stop a takeover by terminally chic vampires.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1993
4 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
Anne Billson
38 books76 followersANNE BILLSON is a film critic, novelist, photographer, style icon, wicked spinster, evil feminist, and international cat-sitter who has lived in London, Tokyo, Paris and Croydon, and now lives in Belgium. She likes frites, beer and chocolate.
Her books include SUCKERS (an upwardly mobile vampire novel), STIFF LIPS (a Notting Hill ghost story), THE EX (a supernatural detective story) and THE COMING THING (Rosemary's Baby meets Bridget Jones) as well as several works of non-fiction, including BILLSON FILM DATABASE, BREAST MAN: A CONVERSATION WITH RUSS MEYER, and monographs on the films THE THING and LET THE RIGHT ONE IN.
Her latest book is CATS ON FILM, the definitive work of feline film scholarship.
She sometimes writes about film for the Guardian, and is currently working on a screenplay and a sequel to her vampire novel, SUCKERS. She has three blogs: multiglom.com (the Billson Blog), catsonfilm.net (a blog about cats in the cinema), and lempiredeslumieres.com (photographs of Belgian beer, bars and sunsets).
Her books include SUCKERS (an upwardly mobile vampire novel), STIFF LIPS (a Notting Hill ghost story), THE EX (a supernatural detective story) and THE COMING THING (Rosemary's Baby meets Bridget Jones) as well as several works of non-fiction, including BILLSON FILM DATABASE, BREAST MAN: A CONVERSATION WITH RUSS MEYER, and monographs on the films THE THING and LET THE RIGHT ONE IN.
Her latest book is CATS ON FILM, the definitive work of feline film scholarship.
She sometimes writes about film for the Guardian, and is currently working on a screenplay and a sequel to her vampire novel, SUCKERS. She has three blogs: multiglom.com (the Billson Blog), catsonfilm.net (a blog about cats in the cinema), and lempiredeslumieres.com (photographs of Belgian beer, bars and sunsets).
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 11, 2008
I picked this one up figuring it'd be a quick, superflouous read that would help me increase the hit rate this year and not spend too much time floating around in my skull. And that's exactly what I got, though I didn't expect it to be quite so good. Billson is a writer of the McInerney/Ellis/Janowitz stripe, and must have gotten this MS. in just before the cutoff for eighties-style fiction guillotined across the publishing landscape. However, Billson keeps the greed-is-good atmosphere to just that-- an atmosphere. When she needs to drop names, she makes them up rather than sounding like an overworked Sharper Image catalog, as most of her contemporaries do.
The story centers around Duncan and Dora, a not-quite-couple who, thirteen years ago, were part of a love triangle with a vampire. The vampire was found out, staked, dismembered, and scattered. Probalem is... she seems to be back, under another name and with a whole lot more power, as the head of a publishing empire. What's worse, the publishing empire happens to run a major fashion magazine... and so everyone starts dressing, looking, sounding, and otherwise behaving like vampires. It's comedy, but it's black comedy of the blackest stripe. Billson's publishers were going for the heavy-lit crowd, and so the blurbs on the jacket are from writers like Salman Rushdie instead of Stpehen King. And, oddly, despite this being a comedy/horror novel with a decidedly eighties bent... it might not be too out of place in the heavy-lit world. Billson's writing is crisp, while of that same easy-to-read stripe that distinguishes less heavily-marketed horror novels. Her satire, both of the vampire-novel genre and of the time, is spot-on.
If you like vampires, hey, it's worth a couple of days. ***
The story centers around Duncan and Dora, a not-quite-couple who, thirteen years ago, were part of a love triangle with a vampire. The vampire was found out, staked, dismembered, and scattered. Probalem is... she seems to be back, under another name and with a whole lot more power, as the head of a publishing empire. What's worse, the publishing empire happens to run a major fashion magazine... and so everyone starts dressing, looking, sounding, and otherwise behaving like vampires. It's comedy, but it's black comedy of the blackest stripe. Billson's publishers were going for the heavy-lit crowd, and so the blurbs on the jacket are from writers like Salman Rushdie instead of Stpehen King. And, oddly, despite this being a comedy/horror novel with a decidedly eighties bent... it might not be too out of place in the heavy-lit world. Billson's writing is crisp, while of that same easy-to-read stripe that distinguishes less heavily-marketed horror novels. Her satire, both of the vampire-novel genre and of the time, is spot-on.
If you like vampires, hey, it's worth a couple of days. ***
November 30, 2019
As I’ve come to realize after finishing several of Billson’s books up to this point; these are just great reads. A really unique spin on the modern vampire tale. She knows how to tell a story and keep the reader engaged. Something I can rarely say about any of the authors I routinely return to, I haven’t stumbled upon a dud in her arsenal yet. She’s just fantastic.
September 6, 2015
Hilarious read: one of my favorite vampire books EVER! I still feel there are ingredients from this anti-heroine flowing through my veins at all times.
January 24, 2021
This is the 27th review I’ve written for Carry on Screaming and it is the first for a book not written by a white man. That’s not on me. As you know, at Sci Fi and Scary we look to amplify diverse voices wherever we can. In 70s and 80s British horror though, the amount of diversity on offer was pretty slimmer than an After Eight mint. That probably isn’t surprising, but obviously it’s a shame. Especially as our first book by a female author is so much fun.
I owned a paperback copy of Suckers in the late 90s, but it was a book that never quite made it to the top of the to read pile. Rediscovering it 20 years later I wish it had, as I think I might have liked it even more if I'd read it in my 20s. It's a fast-paced, extremely engaging read that switches effortlessly from humorous to horrifying and packs in both contemporary (but still resonant) social commentary and a subtle take on the human condition that is beautifully honest.
Set in early 90s yuppie London, and populated with a cast of media types, it tells the story of the vanquishing of a powerful female vampire and her apparent reappearance a few years later. The protagonist, Dora, is as believable, likeable and sympathetic a lead as you could wish for, even when she is doing truly horrible things. Most notable, though, is the brilliant energy and sense of nihilism that Billson (and Dora) bring to the tale. There are traditional horror elements here, and Billson's vast knowledge of vampire lore and popular culture is abundantly clear, but at heart this is quite a punky book. Many of Dora's acts of civil disobedience reminded me of Tyler Darden from the later Fight Club and, at times, the (far cooler) hero of ‘Escape from New York’, Snake Plissken.
Even nearly 3 decades on from its original publication, ‘Suckers’ feels like a fresh take on the vampire legend. It’s more of a satire than a horror novel, but when the blood flows it flows freely and Billson’s love of the genre is evident on every page. It’s a novel with bite and balls and a refreshingly different addition to the Carry on Screaming list of recommended reads.
I owned a paperback copy of Suckers in the late 90s, but it was a book that never quite made it to the top of the to read pile. Rediscovering it 20 years later I wish it had, as I think I might have liked it even more if I'd read it in my 20s. It's a fast-paced, extremely engaging read that switches effortlessly from humorous to horrifying and packs in both contemporary (but still resonant) social commentary and a subtle take on the human condition that is beautifully honest.
Set in early 90s yuppie London, and populated with a cast of media types, it tells the story of the vanquishing of a powerful female vampire and her apparent reappearance a few years later. The protagonist, Dora, is as believable, likeable and sympathetic a lead as you could wish for, even when she is doing truly horrible things. Most notable, though, is the brilliant energy and sense of nihilism that Billson (and Dora) bring to the tale. There are traditional horror elements here, and Billson's vast knowledge of vampire lore and popular culture is abundantly clear, but at heart this is quite a punky book. Many of Dora's acts of civil disobedience reminded me of Tyler Darden from the later Fight Club and, at times, the (far cooler) hero of ‘Escape from New York’, Snake Plissken.
Even nearly 3 decades on from its original publication, ‘Suckers’ feels like a fresh take on the vampire legend. It’s more of a satire than a horror novel, but when the blood flows it flows freely and Billson’s love of the genre is evident on every page. It’s a novel with bite and balls and a refreshingly different addition to the Carry on Screaming list of recommended reads.
August 3, 2016
When a friend falls in love, it is generally assumed that the gracious course of action is to simply accept it and avoid interfering. However, what to do upon discovering that your friend's new partner is an incredibly powerful, centuries-old vampire queen is a situation that Emily Post doesn't cover, so Dora Vale - a likable, frazzled, no-nonsense London fashion consultant - is forced to take matters into her own hands, dispatching Violet the vamp in a bravura comic-horror sequence that would do Sam Raimi proud. And that, it would seem, is that - until, thirteen years later, at the very dawn of Cool Britannia, Violet returns. And this time, she's got money.
Ensconcing herself at the heart of a vast publishing empire, Violet immediately establishes herself as the London fashion scene's newest and most powerful tastemaker - not unlike Anna Wintour, only somewhat less frightening. All of a sudden, vampires, once dreaded as a hideous supernatural scourge, are the hippest people in town - the New Black, as it were. Everywhere the horrified Dora looks, the city's glitterati are transforming into mindless, bloodsucking, monochromatically-dressed drones, but, fortunately for them, it's the early Nineties, so nobody notices. Armed with only her considerable wit, the aid of her on-again/off-again boyfriend Duncan, some DIY stakes and a little black dress, Dora sets out to dethrone Violet once and for all...
I first read Anne Billson's "Suckers" whilst teetering on the brink of adolescence, and I blame her for warping my outlook forevermore. Still, to this day, my favorite vampire novel, and one of my favorite novels full stop, "Suckers" is mordantly witty, brilliantly cynical, packed with indelible setpieces (the sequence in which Dora infiltrates a vampire bar is a jewel in the novel's crown) and headed up by a heroine/narrator as tough and dry as old black leather. A delight for people who love vampires, and possibly an even greater delight for people who hate them, "Suckers" is - dare I say it? - a bloody good time.
Ensconcing herself at the heart of a vast publishing empire, Violet immediately establishes herself as the London fashion scene's newest and most powerful tastemaker - not unlike Anna Wintour, only somewhat less frightening. All of a sudden, vampires, once dreaded as a hideous supernatural scourge, are the hippest people in town - the New Black, as it were. Everywhere the horrified Dora looks, the city's glitterati are transforming into mindless, bloodsucking, monochromatically-dressed drones, but, fortunately for them, it's the early Nineties, so nobody notices. Armed with only her considerable wit, the aid of her on-again/off-again boyfriend Duncan, some DIY stakes and a little black dress, Dora sets out to dethrone Violet once and for all...
I first read Anne Billson's "Suckers" whilst teetering on the brink of adolescence, and I blame her for warping my outlook forevermore. Still, to this day, my favorite vampire novel, and one of my favorite novels full stop, "Suckers" is mordantly witty, brilliantly cynical, packed with indelible setpieces (the sequence in which Dora infiltrates a vampire bar is a jewel in the novel's crown) and headed up by a heroine/narrator as tough and dry as old black leather. A delight for people who love vampires, and possibly an even greater delight for people who hate them, "Suckers" is - dare I say it? - a bloody good time.
April 2, 2018
I'm glad I chose this book to read over my holidays when I had enough time to focus on it because otherwise I don't think I would be able to read more than one short chapter a day. It would become one of those never-ending books despite its average page count.
It's not that it's badly written or has a poor plot, no. But somehow the way the whole story is executed hasn't caught my attention and I absolutely felt nothing for the characters who acted like a broken record. Its saving grace may be the protagonist who runs on the sarcastic side (which is always a big plus for me).
Just when the plot starts to thicken and interesting new facts are inroduced, it ends... which again should work but there was just exposition the whole time and I didn't feel the rising action till the very end where it felt forced and useless. I'd like to know more about the evil plots and villain background stories but there were just little pieces of information which left me half-hungry.
It's not that it's badly written or has a poor plot, no. But somehow the way the whole story is executed hasn't caught my attention and I absolutely felt nothing for the characters who acted like a broken record. Its saving grace may be the protagonist who runs on the sarcastic side (which is always a big plus for me).
Just when the plot starts to thicken and interesting new facts are inroduced, it ends... which again should work but there was just exposition the whole time and I didn't feel the rising action till the very end where it felt forced and useless. I'd like to know more about the evil plots and villain background stories but there were just little pieces of information which left me half-hungry.
August 13, 2011
I got this book based on the author's short story in Granta's 'Best British Novelists.' (And I was like, 'what? A vampire novel I've never heard of?') It was interesting, but I don't think I'd place it in a best-of-the-best list.
It was extremely 90's, to the point of feeling a bit dated sometimes. It reminded me a slight bit of Bret Easton Ellis in tone and attitude.
The narrator, Dora, a 'creative consultant,' discovers that her sometime-lover's girlfriend is a vampire, and proceeds to uncover a massive plot by vampires to take over society through a business conglomerate.
The really notable thing about the book is what a horrible, nasty person the narrator is. She's not even slightly sympathetic, nor is she supposed to be. Sometimes the sharply satiric tone of the book works, at other times, for me, it fell flat.
It was extremely 90's, to the point of feeling a bit dated sometimes. It reminded me a slight bit of Bret Easton Ellis in tone and attitude.
The narrator, Dora, a 'creative consultant,' discovers that her sometime-lover's girlfriend is a vampire, and proceeds to uncover a massive plot by vampires to take over society through a business conglomerate.
The really notable thing about the book is what a horrible, nasty person the narrator is. She's not even slightly sympathetic, nor is she supposed to be. Sometimes the sharply satiric tone of the book works, at other times, for me, it fell flat.
February 9, 2013
Vampires bore me, as a rule. Fortunately they don't turn up until later on in this novel, giving the author the time to establish characters and milieu to the extent that when things did turn gory and fantastical I was willing to go with it.
I'd have appreciated a little more detail about the vampires' plans and how exactly that would have worked out, and the plotting is a little patchy in places, but the sympathetic (or, when she isn't, she's at least interestingly unsympathetic) protagonist pulled me through it, and she went off in an interesting direction at the end. I can see that some may find the ending abrupt, anticlimactic or unsatisfactory, but I found it refreshing and unpredictable.
I'd have appreciated a little more detail about the vampires' plans and how exactly that would have worked out, and the plotting is a little patchy in places, but the sympathetic (or, when she isn't, she's at least interestingly unsympathetic) protagonist pulled me through it, and she went off in an interesting direction at the end. I can see that some may find the ending abrupt, anticlimactic or unsatisfactory, but I found it refreshing and unpredictable.
May 18, 2012
I was a little confused at the beginning...I thought the to main charaters were vamps. I had to reread it a couple times before I realized they weren't. It's set in the 80's so there is a lot of 0's references especially about cocaine. It kinda dragged on and didn't really go anywhere for. Honestly I sped read through the last few chapters.
May 25, 2009
Einer der ersten Vampirromane, die ich gelesen habe. Spannend und erotisch zugleich, mit dem Styling der 80er Jahre und ohne sich selbst zu ernst zu nehmen, bietet das Buch kurzweilige Unterhaltung nicht nur fuer Fans des Vampirgenres.
September 12, 2015
Definitely NOT your typical vampire novel. A voice like Anne Billson's with her cranky, vain, hilarious protagonist Dora, comes along so rarely that it sticks with you always. After Anne Rice's series, THIS is the vampire book you need to read.
November 3, 2007
One of the best vampire books I have ever read.
June 20, 2014
1980s British vampire novel. I liked it!
August 18, 2016
Dark. Funny. Well-written. Great capture of a time and culture. Also a dang good vampire novel.
January 31, 2025
Suckers is a unique take on the whole vampire thing. The first third is now basically a period piece, a portrait of life as an upper middle-class artsy type in 1980's London. It has minimal vampire content, except that the two main characters are survivors of a vampire incident more than a decade earlier. It's an interesting character piece, although certain twists later on should have been developed more in the beginning.
The middle third is an extended flashback to the original vampire clash. It's alright - not exceptional, but not bad. Certainly worth reading if you're a vampire buff. It's the final third of the book where the wheels, if not fall off, start to wobble.
The story tries to portray a city under an unspoken siege, as vampire-controlled corporations buy out huge chunks of the city & local business, but hardly any of this is actually depicted, just barely hinted at. So when a bunch of supporting characters are revealed to have figured out the "vampire" thing independently, and decided to fight back, it all seems to have come out of nowhere. As I mentioned earlier, there's a twist (really, two twists) with one of the main characters that also seems to have come out of nowhere, and is underdeveloped despite being absolutely crucial.
Definitely read the first third, but if the book isn't working for you at that point, you can give it.
The middle third is an extended flashback to the original vampire clash. It's alright - not exceptional, but not bad. Certainly worth reading if you're a vampire buff. It's the final third of the book where the wheels, if not fall off, start to wobble.
The story tries to portray a city under an unspoken siege, as vampire-controlled corporations buy out huge chunks of the city & local business, but hardly any of this is actually depicted, just barely hinted at. So when a bunch of supporting characters are revealed to have figured out the "vampire" thing independently, and decided to fight back, it all seems to have come out of nowhere. As I mentioned earlier, there's a twist (really, two twists) with one of the main characters that also seems to have come out of nowhere, and is underdeveloped despite being absolutely crucial.
Definitely read the first third, but if the book isn't working for you at that point, you can give it.
February 11, 2019
I loved this, and I think I would consider this one of the best vampire novels of the last 30 years. What might turn some people off is a sense of a bait and switch; the vampires aren't the total focus here. You know how in the Haunting of Hill House, the character study of Eleanor is central and the ghosts not so much? Suckers is like that. Sure, there's vampires around and the protagonist is desperately trying to fight them as it becomes in vogue to become a blood sucker (reminds me a bit of Anno Dracula in that way). But a lot of that is secondary to Dora's motivations for fighting. It just isn't survival but her obsession and enmeshment with a man who has no compunctions about leading her on and taking advantage. Anyone who has ever been in a one sided relationship will probably relate. In the end, the real suckers are not the vampires.
July 9, 2023
A protagonist with the worst case of dumb-bitch syndrome I’ve ever seen can’t really be bothered to tell you the story of a time she saved almost London from a horde of evil business-suited vampires.
But she kind of tells you anyway bc she got a book deal out if it and she wants the royalties and the attention.
But she kind of tells you anyway bc she got a book deal out if it and she wants the royalties and the attention.
September 29, 2020
This book was far better than it had any right to be. Better than I thought it would be.
It is a sexy, depressed, yearning, complex plot. Read it.
It is a sexy, depressed, yearning, complex plot. Read it.
March 31, 2024
The book really wasn’t all that good. It was to predictable. However even thought I didn’t like it. I couldn’t put it down. So it definitely was a page turner.
February 14, 2010
Enjoyable vampire book. It's more a satire than anything else.
December 13, 2011
This was a tasty little hors d'oeuvre and I just wanted some more.
June 14, 2012
A fun read that had me laughing, smiling, & turning pages. Bret Easton Ellis meets Anne Rice. A pleasant distraction from all the Nabokov I've been reading.
August 26, 2012
This semi-comic vampire novel, about the undead in the fashion industry in London, hit the shelves way before the current vampire craze. Billson's wry writing style makes this book a winner.
May 29, 2013
There are brief moments of funny writing in this
unusual vampire tale, but this reader had a hard time connecting
to the characters and the situations.
unusual vampire tale, but this reader had a hard time connecting
to the characters and the situations.
September 11, 2008
This book was the first novel read by me. I was in my 20's.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews