Anne Rice, the writer who birthed or at least midwifed the late-twentieth-century vampire mania, has died at the age of 80 (December 11), surrounded by her family. She will be interred in a family mausoleum in New Orleans. A more public celebration of her life will take place at some future date.

She first gained fame with Interview with the Vampire (1976), a modern reconsideration of the undead mythos, and went on to pen multiple works in gothic, fantastic, erotic, and religious genres (mostly as Anne Rice, but she also penned a few as Anne Rampling and A.N. Roquelaure). Her works have been widely adapted in other media including movies and graphic novels. The rights for future adaptations were purchased by AMC.

Anne Rice will be missed by family, friends, and her legions of fans.

She is not the only writer in her family. Her father, Howard O’Brien, authored one novel. Her older sister Alice Borchardt found success as a writer of fantasy and history. Her son, Christopher Rice, has developed a following of his own for his works of fiction, but has also collaborated with his mother.