Though this sort of story was not popular until a couple of hundred years ago, stories with suspenseful plots and nefarious characters are the most popular genre today. Even characters that were once considered evil like vampires, werewolves, and zombies have taken on more diverse qualities and even become modern heroes. What does this suggest about society? Some people may suggest that with the contemporary era comes a larger acceptance of the dark side of humanity, and that these dark literary genres reflect the stress and reality of the modern world. What is undeniable is that whether you like the modern horror and suspense genres or not, you have probably seen more than one. It was these Dark Romantics who first awakened the popularity of such tales in America.