For Milly Williamson, author of The Lure of the Vampire: Gender, Fiction and Fandom from Bram Stoker to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the changing cultural depictions of vampires reveals much about human society itself.
In 2006, while accepting an award from Equality Now (an organization promoting the human rights of women), Joss Whedon ("The Avengers, " "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") said he's often asked why he creates such strong women characters.