Book Review: "Vampires: Two Centuries of Great Vampire Stories" ed. Alan Ryan

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This collection chronicles the development of the vampire legend in the 19th and 20th centuries. The stories and excerpts are arranged from earliest to latest. In back are short lists of vampire novels—such as Anne Rice’s works—and movies. The general introduction is dedicated to vampire movies. Each selection is introduced by a brief paragraph, with the exception of early pieces by George Gordon, Lord Byron and John Polidori, products of the legendary 1816 ghost writing challenge on Lake Geneva out of which also came Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or the New Prometheus (which is, obviously, not included here). While Byron’s and Polidori’s pieces might be considered too melodramatic for modern audiences, they were influential. Shades of Polidori’s villain, Lord Ruthven, show up in Varney the Vampire, or the Feast of Blood, serialized beginning in 1845 and included fainting maidens, blood-stained nightgowns, and, of course, dark and stormy nights. Immensely popular, it ran for more than two years. Its opening chapter is included in this book. Varney was reprinted in 1853. It also influenced Bram Stoker’s Dracula. None of Stoker’s novel appears in this book, but a short story, “Dracula’s Guest” is included. Cut from the novel because of length, it was published separately in 1914 and later became the basis for the 1936 film Dracula’s Daughter. The variety of story is striking. J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1872 “Carmilla” is a traditional vampire story in many aspects expect that is depicts overt (if unspoken) lesbianism. And you thought The Vampire Diaries dreamed up that idea. Many of the mid-20th century stuff comes from Weird Tales. “School for the Unspeakable” by Manly Wade Wellman, published in 1937, deals with a boy going away to school and getting off at the wrong station. “The Girl with the Hungry Eyes” by Fritz Leiber, about a photographer with an untouchable model whom everybody wants, has a noir-ish feel to it. “The Werewolf and the Vampire” by R. Chetwynd-Hayes is a cute satire. Other writers include August Derleth, Richard Matheson, Charles Beaumont, Robert Bloch, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Alan Ryan, Ramsey Campbell, Steven Rasnic Tem and Tanith Lee who wrote one of my favorite stories in the volume, the fairy tale-like “Bite-Me-Not or, Fleur de Feu.” Not all vampires suck blood. Some suck the soul. Some drain the life force out of their loved ones. There’s a vampire on another planet and one who reads strangers thoughts and gobbles them. One story is told from a vampire’s point of view. There’s even a snow vampire. This book came out before vampires sparkled, but there are enough to keep the horror fan entertained. I found this book a lot of fun. _____ Book: Vampires: Two Centuries of Great Vampire Stories Editor: Alan Ryan Published: 1987 Pages: 621 *An earlier version of this review appeared on another site. It has been expanded for its inclusion of myLot* *Image is my own.*