Anne Rice

Anne Rice

American author of gothic fiction, Christian literature, and erotica

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Native name
Born	Howard Allen Frances O'Brien (1941-10-04)October 4, 1941 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	December 11, 2021(2021-12-11) (aged 80) Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.
Resting place
Pen name
Nickname
Occupation	Novelist
Language	English
Nationality	American

Anne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien; October 4, 1941 – December 11, 2021) was an American author of gothic fiction, Christian literature, and erotica. She was best known for her series of novels, The Vampire Chronicles, revolving around the central character of Lestat.

Early Life

Anne Rice was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Howard O'Brien and Katherine Allen O'Brien. She was raised in an Irish Catholic family and attended St. Alphonsus School and later St. Joseph Academy.

Education

Rice attended Texas Woman's University and later transferred to San Francisco State University, where she earned a B.A. in Political Science in 1964.

Career

Rice's first novel, Interview with the Vampire, was published in 1976. The book was the first in The Vampire Chronicles series, which includes titles such as The Vampire Lestat (1985) and The Queen of the Damned (1988). These novels have been adapted into films and have garnered a large following.

In addition to her vampire novels, Rice wrote erotica under the pseudonyms Anne Rampling and A. N. Roquelaure. Her works in this genre include Exit to Eden and The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty series.

Rice also explored Christian literature with her Christ the Lord series, which includes Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt (2005) and Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana (2008).

Personal Life

Rice married poet and painter Stan Rice in 1961. The couple had two children, Michele Rice (who died of leukemia at age five) and Christopher Rice, who is also a novelist.

Rice returned to the Roman Catholic Church in 1998 after decades of atheism, but later distanced herself from organized religion while maintaining her faith in Christ.

Death

Anne Rice died on December 11, 2021, due to complications from a stroke. She was interred in a family mausoleum in Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans.

Legacy

Rice's work has had a significant impact on gothic fiction and vampire literature. Her novels have been translated into numerous languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide.

Selected Bibliography

• Interview with the Vampire (1976)
• The Vampire Lestat (1985)
• The Queen of the Damned (1988)
• The Tale of the Body Thief (1992)
• Memnoch the Devil (1995)
• The Witching Hour (1990)
• Lasher (1993)
• Taltos (1994)

See Also

• The Vampire Chronicles
• Lestat de Lioncourt
• Gothic fiction
• Erotica
• Christian literature