They’re back, having risen from the grave of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and the premature death of “Angel.” Now, with the help of “Twilight,” vampires are bigger than ever in pop culture.

Thanks to Stephenie Meyer’s book series, the legions of the undead have broken free from cult status and been catapulted into the center of popular culture. Nearly three months since the fourth installment’s release, “Breaking Dawn” is still the No. 2 best-selling book at amazon.com.

The formula Meyer used as the basis of her best-sellers is familiar enough — boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl … boy turns out to be vampire?

The series follows the adventures of high school student Bella Swan, who, after moving to gloomy Forks, Wash. from sunny Arizona to live with her dad, falls head over heels for one of the town’s local vampires. As can be imagined, wacky hijinks ensue, as Bella is hunted by one undead creature or another throughout the series.

However, despite the dangers, Bella’s vampire boyfriend always seems to be there to save her.

You’ve probably heard his name by now, whispered amongst the tweens or by the girls clutching their over-sized copies of “Breaking Dawn,” or stitched onto the front of Hot Topic T-shirts: Edward Cullen. Described as the perfect, albeit undead, man, the fictional character has captured the hearts of thousands, if not millions, of fans. A group on Facebook, “Because I read Twilight I have unrealistic expectations in Men,” has over 86,000 members.

“He kind of goes beyond the idea of Prince Charming with the whole vampire business,” said Stefanie Devito, a junior biochemistry major and self-described “Twilight” lover.

Devito said the draw of the series itself comes from fans wishing they could share the heroine’s experiences in Forks.

“Reading about something like that is as close as a lot of us are ever going to get to actually having a life like Bella Swan’s,” Devito said. “No guy as amazing as Edward Cullen exists.”

The series has received unprecedented attention from the young adult market since the publication of the first book, with a devoted fan base almost rivaling that of “Harry Potter.”

However, not everyone understands the appeal. Miranda Vrooman, a junior anthropology major, said she has never read the books but that her brother is a big fan.

Vrooman said her brother, who she describes as educated and a critical reader, hadn’t liked the series at first but eventually was unable to put it down. According to Vrooman, her brother hadn’t thought he would like the books when he first started.

Libby Tucker, a Binghamton University English professor who specializes in folklore, said that our culture’s obsession with vampires could be traced back throughout history.

According to Tucker, the vampire legend originates from stories told in medieval Europe about lamia, evil spirits that sucked people’s blood, as well as fear spread by stories of Vlad the Impaler. Vlad the Impaler, the prince of Wallachia, is remembered for exacting cruel punishments during his reign in the fifteenth century. The prince is the basis of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.”

“People still seem fascinated [by] Vlad’s cruel punishments,” she said.

While the series has brought national attention to the undead, this is not the first time that vampires have taken hold of the public realm. Previous popular vampiric incarnations could include “Interview with the Vampire,” by Anne Rice, the cult hit “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and, more recently, HBO’s new series “True Blood.”

Though different, the message across the board of these programs and books appears to be the same — each plays off the idea of love and vampires. Tucker agreed.

“The ‘vampire craze’ today seems to come from excitement about mysterious tales from the past and about vampire lovers,” she said.