Bloodsuckers on the Bayou: The Myths, Symbols, and Tales Behind HBO’s True Blood

True Blood is more than just an HBO show brimming with sex and gore, or another vampire horror story blown up by big media. Independent detective Sookie Stackhouse is following the classic heroine’s journey, seen in epic myth and popular fantasy, from the quests of Isis and Demeter to the struggles of Dorothy Gale or Katniss Everdeen. Beside her, Sam, Jason, Alcide, Eric, and Bill, along with Pam, Tara, and Jessica embark on their own epic quests into darkness seeking freedom and belonging. From the show’s mythic structure to the maenads, fairies, demonesses, werewolves, and vampires, True Blood swells from its ancient roots to tackle modern issues and sensibilities in a breathtaking epic…while still breaking taboos and tackling boundaries.