The author's son revealed that his mother died after suffering complications from a stroke.
Anne Rice, author of the famed book-turned-movie Interview With the Vampire, has died at 80. Rice's son, Christopher, confirmed the sad news in a Facebook post on Sunday, revealing that his mother died after suffering complications from a stroke.
"Dearest People of Page. This is Anne’s son Christopher, and it breaks my heart to bring you this sad news. Earlier tonight, Anne passed away due to complications resulting from a stroke. She left us almost nineteen years to the day my father, her husband Stan, died," Rice's son explained.
A writer himself, Christopher, shared how his mother taught him to embrace his dreams and "defy genre boundaries."
"The immensity of our family’s grief cannot be overstated. As my mother, her support for me was unconditional — she taught me to embrace my dreams, reject conformity and challenge the dark voices of fear and self-doubt. As a writer, she taught me to defy genre boundaries and surrender to my obsessive passions," he continued.
Rice's son and his Aunt Karen reflected on the storied author's life and the ride she took her readers on.
"In her final hours, I sat beside her hospital bed in awe of her accomplishments and her courage, awash in memories of a life that took us from the fog laced hills of the San Francisco Bay Area to the magical streets of New Orleans to the twinkling vistas of Southern California. As she kissed Anne goodbye, her younger sister Karen said, 'What a ride you took us on, kid.' I think we can all agree," he said.
Christopher concluded the post by thanking the million followers of Rice's Facebook page for providing his mother "joy" and a sense of "friendship and community" in the latter years of her life.
"Let us take comfort in the shared hope that Anne is now experiencing firsthand the glorious answers to many great spiritual and cosmic questions, the quest for which defined her life and career. Throughout much of her final years, your contributions to this page brought her much joy, along with a profound sense of friendship and community," he added.
Rice was best known for her book series, The Vampire Chronicles, whose first installment, the 1976 novel Interview With the Vampire, was turned into the 1994 hit film of the same name, starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst. In June, AMC announced that the film was getting the TV treatment and would be turned into a TV series for its streaming service, AMC+. The upcoming Interview With the Vampire series, which will consist of an eight-episode first season, is set to premiere in 2022.
The third book, Queen of the Damned, was made into a standalone movie starring Aaliyah, which was released in 2002, just six months after the R&B star's tragic death.
Rice went on to pen several more volumes in The Vampire Chronicles, including the 13th and last book of the series, Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat, which was released in 2018.
Rice was also known for her other serials, Lives of the Mayfair Witches, Christ the Lord and Ramses the Damned, whose third book Ramses the Damned: The Reign of Osiris, was co-written by Christopher, and is scheduled to be published in 2022. In AMC's deal, the network also acquired the rights to Rice's catalog, which includes the Vampire Chronicles and Mayfair Witches series.
Rice is also known for the books The Feast of All Saints — which was adapted into a 2001 Showtime miniseries — and Cry to Heaven, plus three erotic novels.
In the heartfelt post and tribute to his late mother, Christopher also shared the details of Rice's upcoming funeral and celebration of life, which will be held in New Orleans and will be open to the public.
"Anne will be interred in our family's mausoleum at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans in a private ceremony," he revealed. "Next year, a celebration of her life will take place in New Orleans. This event will be open to the public and will invite the participation of her friends, readers and fans who brought her such joy and inspiration throughout her life."
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