If, for example, you were to say "I welcome you as a guest in my home", you might rule (as author) that the very old hospitality traditions put you and the vampire in an effective state of truce -- you cannot harm him because he is your guest and he cannot harm you because you are his host, and thus with careful wording you could in fact have a pleasant dinner. Whereas if you say "my home is your home", you've effectively given him carte blanche.
You could build a terrific short story on this notion alone.
As for consistent rules, I'd call it more imperative than useful! Even if the audience not only doesn't necessarily know them all, but in many cases won't pay attention. If I had a penny for every conversation I've been in where someone tried to make a case that something applies to all vampires, and should therefore apply to a specific universe, when that universe has clearly delineated otherwise, I wouldn't need a day job.
They all drink blood (unless they're psivamps or something, but that's more of an SF trope). Beyond that, all bets are off and the responsibility is on the writer's shoulders!
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-01-08 04:19 pm (UTC)You could build a terrific short story on this notion alone.
As for consistent rules, I'd call it more imperative than useful! Even if the audience not only doesn't necessarily know them all, but in many cases won't pay attention. If I had a penny for every conversation I've been in where someone tried to make a case that something applies to all vampires, and should therefore apply to a specific universe, when that universe has clearly delineated otherwise, I wouldn't need a day job.
They all drink blood (unless they're psivamps or something, but that's more of an SF trope). Beyond that, all bets are off and the responsibility is on the writer's shoulders!