Skip to content

Schools & Rules

September 16, 2025 · 1 h 42 min

Show notes

To celebrate back-to-school season, Rebecca and Hannah enter the world of dark academia and vampire institutions of learning. Focusing on four books, Blue Bloods, Marked, Vampire Academy, and Immortal Dark, they discuss why vampires attend school, what rules keep them in check, and how they break free from expectations. Have you ever wished you could learn magic at a gothic campus with dusty libraries, thick fog, and many cups of coffee?

Come vamps, join us around the campfire.

CW: mentions of self-harm in fiction at the end of the episode

Major spoilers:

* Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz, 2006

* Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, 2007

* Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, 2007

* Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma, 2024

Other media mentioned in this episode:

Fiction

* Dracula by Bram Stoker, 1897

* The Secret History by Donna Tartt, 1992

* Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, 1997-2007 (series)

* Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, 2005

* Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, 2007-2010 (series)

* House of Night by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, 2007-2014 (series)

* Crave by Tracy Wolff, 2020

* An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson, 2024

Film

* Blade, directed by Stephen Norrington, 1998

* Vampire Academy, directed by Mark Waters, 2014

* The Twilight Saga, various directors, 2008-2012

TV

* Vampire Diaries, 2009-2017

* Legacies, 2018-2022

* Vampire Academy, 2022

Additional Listening

* “Episode 1.1: An Introduction to Dark Academia,” The Dark Academicals, Jan 25, 2022

Additional Reading

* My Immortal by Tara Gilesbie, 2006

For podcast updates, vampire memes, and consumption suggestions, follow us on Instagram! @vampirecampfirepod

To understand the aesthetic of this episode, follow us on Pinterest @vampirecampfirepod

This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rebecca Glazer & Hannah Spiegelman

Note: We’re an affiliate of Bookshop.org and earn a small commission if you purchase through our links — allowing you to support indie bookstores and an indie podcast at the same time!



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/subscribe

All episodes of Vampire Campfire

Settings

Display

Language

Decides which stations you see first on the home page.

History

Recently played stations and episodes and your latest searches are only stored in this browser.

Notifications

A short notice when a podcast you follow has a new episode. Turn off single podcasts with the bell on their page.

Account

Save favorites – in the app and on the website.

Keyboard shortcuts

/
Open search
Space
Play or pause
← →
In the player: back 15 s, forward 30 s (episodes) · in a row: next tile
↑ ↓
In a row: target within the tile
Home / End
In a row: first or last tile
Esc
Close window or menu
?
This overview
Now playing

Go to station page

Play next

    Add episodes with “Play next” – they play after the current episode.