Interview with the Vampire is a
debut gothic horror and
vampire novel by American author
Anne Rice, published in 1976. Based on a short story Rice wrote around 1968, the novel centers on vampire
Louis de Pointe du Lac, who tells the story of his life to a reporter. Rice composed the novel shortly after the death of her young daughter Michelle, who served as an inspiration for the child-vampire character
Claudia. Though initially the subject of mixed critical reception, the book was followed by a large number of widely popular
sequels, collectively known as
The Vampire Chronicles. A
film adaptation was released in 1994, starring
Brad Pitt and
Tom Cruise, and the novel has been adapted as a
comic three times.