Gardner Paleston is a professor of English literature at Stanford University. The adopted daughter of the vampire Lestat, Rose, meets him during her first two weeks attending classes and begins a passionate affair shortly thereafter. But when she begins talking with him about Lestat (whom she refers to as Uncle Lestan), Gardner becomes furious with her for believing in the reality of the Vampire Chronicles, which he refers to as “foolish, pedestrian schoolgirl trash.” When she ends their relationship, he becomes a jealous lover, kidnaps her, and pours a deadly concoction into her mouth and over her eyes, blinding her completely and bringing her close to death. Rose’s bodyguard, Murray, discovers them before she dies and shoots and kills Dr. Gardner Paleston, before rushing Rose to Seth and Fareed’s vampire clinic, where they save her life and restore her sight.
Dr. Gardner Paleston appears in Prince Lestat (2014). For more perspectives on Dr. Paleston’s character, read the Alphabettery entries Fareed Bhansali, Murray, Lestat de Lioncourt, Rose, Seth, and Uncle Lestan.