The Southern Vampire Mysteries is a series of books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris that were first published in 2001. Also informally known as The Sookie Stackhouse Novels / Chronicles, it has also been retronymed the True Blood Series upon reprinting, to capitalize on the 2008 HBO television adaptation of the series, True Blood.
In The Southern Vampire Mysteries series, Harris develops a detailed mythology and alternate history that approaches supernatural beings as real; at the beginning of the series, vampires have only been public knowledge for a couple of years. Other supernatural beings, such as werewolves, shapeshifters, etc., exist but do not go public until later in the series. Its history has otherwise unfolded so closely to that of the real world that the series contains occasional references to popular culture.
The series is narrated in first person perspective by Sookie Stackhouse. She is a waitress and a telepath in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. The first book in the series, Dead Until Dark, won the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Mystery in 2001. The tenth book, Dead in the Family, was released on May 4, 2010. Harris was originally contracted to write 10 books, but she revealed at Comic Con 2009 that she has signed a contract for three additional books.