On the new AMC Immortal universe and Anne Rice’s world and character building.
It’s no secret the Southern United States is complicated, especially Louisiana and especially New Orleans. In its time it was held by the French, the Spanish, and finally the Americans. There’s a huge creole, Cajun, and catholic influence and there have always been many black people in New Orleans. Both free and enslaved. But how does this play into Rice’s Vampire Chronicles well except for the twins and Queen Akasha (Queen of the damned, book 3) it doesn’t, Save for Merrick and side characters. As a person of colour I don’t believe this is intentional, “write what you know,” is a truth most writers including myself follow. But it’s unfortunate. Lestat is complex and well-written as they all are but he’s still a white rich man despite being bi and an outsider. So what’s the solution to this? I don’t have an answer to that. Rolin Jones says it’s not his place to tell the plantation story. Still, Louis de Pointe du Lac’s privilege is integral to him as a character and there are ways to make him creole and black without abandoning the time period but that’s evidently not the direction they chose to go. It simply stands to say older Lestat wouldn’t make the mistake of making Claudia but I suppose will say how it plays out. I have no issue with this particular race change; it simply is that Anne Rice’s time period choices are what they are for a reason. Additionally, I question how the showrunner will handle race if it all.
I am an unwilling devil.
Like our Brat Prince, Lestat, I am an unwilling devil. I’m still tuning in come October 2nd and I hope we see a refreshing take on books I love. I’m relieved by the cast’s enthusiasm and I’m so glad for the explicit bi representation in both. But my questions still stand. I only hope the cast, and creative team knows I support them.
Free people of color in Louisiana: https://lib.lsu.edu/sites/all/files/sc/fpoc/history.html
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