The Twilight books written by Stephanie Meyer brought vampires into mainstream culture. Author Anne Rice had previously brought vampires to the edge of mainstream respectability with her Interview with a Vampire book and the series that followed, the Vampire Chronicles.  But Rice's books were a little too dark and contained a little too much sex to be acceptable throughout mainstream culture even though they attracted a rabid cult following. Meyer's Twilight books, and the films that followed, are a more PG13 type of vampire story which made it possible for the story to find phenomenal success.

The series was written as a vampire love story for young adults but girls and adult women have embraced the series and made it one of the most popular series of all time. Twilight is the ongoing saga of Bella Swan, a girl who moves from Arizona to Washington to live with her father after her mother marries a man who travels and needs to be free to travel with him. Bella falls in love with a boy her age named Edward Cullen. Most of the first book revolves around the relationship between Bella and Edward deepening. As their relationship progresses she finds out that Edward is a vampire, but refuses to drink human blood. He, and his family, drink animal blood instead.  Part of the book's appeal is that Bella Swan is a "normal" girl, not extraordinarily beautiful or talented, which makes it easy for millions of women and girls to relate to her. In this story Cinderella doesn't have to be transformed into a princess to get the guy, she gets him just by being herself.

In the first Twilight book Bella makes an enemy of another vampire named James. As James hunts her down again and again he is stopped by Edward and the other members of the Cullen family. Eventually there is a showdown between Edward, Bella, and James in the Arizona desert when Bella returns to Arizona. James is killed, setting the stage for his partner, Victoria, to begin a vendetta against Bella, Edward and the Cullens.

After James is dead Edward and the Cullens leave Washington because Edward is convinced he is making things more dangerous for Bella. In his absence Bella is lonely and depressed and becomes friends with a werewolf, Jacob Black. Most of the second book revolves around Bella's growing friendship with Jacob Black and conflicts between her friendship with Jacob and her love for Edward when Edward returns to Washington.  Eventually Bella chooses Edward.  Bella and Edward marry and have a daughter, but the pregnancy nearly kills Bella. Edward turns Bella into a vampire to save her life and she commits to only drink animal blood like the rest of the Cullens. Meanwhile Victoria has been building an army to attack the newlyweds and their daughter. With the help of Jacob Black and his wolf pack Edward, Bella and the Cullens are able to destroy Victoria. Eventually they are able to settle down in peace to raise their daughter.