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| The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories | 
 enlarge | Author: Various
Creator: Alan Ryan
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Category: Book
List Price: $17.00
Buy Used: $2.34
You Save: $14.66 (86%)
New (27) Used (38) Collectible (2) from $2.34
Avg. Customer Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 73993
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 640
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.1 x 1.5
ISBN: 0140124454
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780140124453
ASIN: 0140124454
Publication Date: October 3, 1989
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: minor scratches on cover ; rubbing on edges ; 621 pages ; (c) 1987
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Product Description
Collected here are 32 stories featuring the frightening creature--the vampire. Just in time for Halloween, this character will be shown in all its forms--male, female, alive, undead, on the prowl, in the bedroom, hungry and hedonistic, doomed and daring.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 Wow, Vampires Used To Be Scary! January 19, 2006
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
In the last couple of decades, vampires have been emasculated and neutered. Modern sensationalist authors have turned vampires into forbidden lust objects and sensitive outcasts, rather than the embodiments of pure evil that they're supposed to be. If you're unhappy with the insufficient horror of current vampire tales, track down this collection or one like it. (At least some editions of this volume, originally from 1987, will be difficult to find, but you could also try to locate a different collection that features the old stories I will discuss here.) Enthusiasts will know that vampires were significant in medieval folklore, especially in Eastern Europe, and the earliest of the stories here reflect these true robust traditions. We get "The Vampyre" by John Polidori (1819) and "Varney the Vampyre" by James Malcolm Rhymer (1845), both of which were incredibly influential for all subsequent horror writing. Another early treasure in this book is a lost chapter from Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897).
After this, writers started to get creative with the vampire mythos, growing the literary tradition in fascinating and always frightening ways. This collection's greatest find is the stupendous "Shambleau" by C.L. Moore (1933), a terrifying early landmark for both horror and science fiction. Other old favorites include "Revelations in Black" by Carl Jacobi (1933) which explores the connections between vampires and insanity; and "Over the River" by P. Schuyler Miller (1941), a truly disturbing and upsetting tale of a man who has become a vampire against his will and is rejected by his loved ones. On the fun side, down miss the freaky supermodel vampire in Fritz Leiber's "The Girl with the Hungry Eyes" (1949) or Robert Bloch's actor who plays a vampire way too well in "The Living Dead" (1967). By the time we get to the 70s and 80s we get early goodies from excellent and still active authors such as Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Ramsey Campbell, and Tanith Lee. The emerging modern development of vampire literature can be seen in "Unicorn Tapestry" by Suzy McKee Charnas (1980), which is stronger than today's unscary schlock but is a chilling omen of the currently rampant vampire-as-forbidden-lover motif. Fans of real horror and real vampires must pick up this collection, or one with similar story selection, that compiles these important and truly scary old classics. [~doomsdayer520~]
The best there is. December 25, 2000
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Alan Ryan has assembled here both a history of vampire short fiction and a compelling collection of never-lose-their-edge stories. The volume contains the very first vampire story to appear in English, fragments of Byron's vampire stories, a chapter Stoker never included in Dracula, excerpts from the "penny-dreadfuls" popular at the turn of the century, and several of the most important works for the genre, including the full text of the story Carmilla. Ryan introduces each story with a bit of background information and the author's place in the pantheon, which is helpful because many of these authors are otherwise unknown or known only within genre literature. This is the single best anthology available for a real introduction to vampire literature.
 Classic tales on creatures of the night. October 8, 1997
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Rather than a collection of modern-day stories, this collection features tales through the ages that start from the 1816 and range until the publication of the book. Among the edition are several classics, such as George Gordon and Lord Byron's "Fragment of a Novel," an excerpt from "Varney the Vampire, or, The Feast of Blood" by James Malcom Rymer, Bram Stoker's "Dracula's Guest" and "Carmilla." Modern writers include Robert Bloch's "The Living Dead" and Tanitha Lee's "Bite-Me-Not or, Fleur de Feu."
Simply the best vampire anthology in print May 5, 1999
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is without question the best collection of vampire fiction currently in print. Editor Ryan has done a fantastic job of selecting stories that illustrate the wide historical and thematic range of vampire stories. The introduction and brief comments that introduce each story are concise and insightful. (my favorite story--M.R.R. James' "An Episode of Cathedral History." It still gives me the shivers! If you want an introduction to vampire literature, this book would be your best starting point.
This book has it all ! December 3, 2005
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
A very worth-while compilation of landmark short stories and excerpts from novels. This book is a note-worthy introduction to vampire fiction from its written origins. I can't recommend this book enough as the perfect "starter" book for the vampire fiction enthusiast. "The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories" will inspire any reader to build a vampire fiction library ! There is also an invaluable bonus, the back of the book lists notable vampire fiction and movies. Terrific for those who want to discover more.
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