Anne Rice, author of the Gothic novel, “Interview with the Vampire,” has passed away at the age of 80.

The American writer, who sold more than 150 million books, wrote “Interview with the Vampire” in 1976 and it went on to be a best seller.

It was later adapted into a movie starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in 1994.

That book introduced the character of the vampire Lestat, who would be the central character in the 13-book Chronicles series, the most recent of which was published in 2018.

After the initial movie, it helped to reignite interest in the vampire genre which continued with the TV series “The Vampire Diaries” and the “Twilight” film series.

She passed away due to complications resulting from a stroke.