Sussex Vampire Meeting Notes: Sep. 20, 2026

[David R. Hansen]

SUSS Meeting Notes

9-20-26 | Weather: Cloudy

Attendees: Ryan (a new member), John, Dave, Jim, Vicky, Kevin, Mary

John led the discussion, Dave took notes (and then tried, somewhat successfully, to use AI to read notes)

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Announcements

John brought several items from his home library related to the story

Saberhagen – Seance for a Vampire, Holmes-Dracula Files

Comics – The Vanishing Man

Sanguinary Count

Vampires of London – Italian

Giant Rat of Sumatra – David Stuart Davies

Firesign Theatre (Giant Rat)

Impressions, liked it or hated it

Dave

• Not much detection
• Classic case descriptions from Holmes's index
• Close to bottom of the top half

Jim

• Doesn't like pastiches

• Barry Grant's books

• Tropical woman

Vicky

• Mixed feelings

• Why did Holmes go there if he already knew the mystery?

• Quote: "wreck of a fine athlete"

• Reminds her of high school reunions

Ryan

• Talked about the Granada version: Very difficult; includes Doyle's story The Parasite.
• First time reading with commentary

• Writing own pastiches

• Likes Dakin's commentary

Kevin

• One of his least favorites

• Bait and switch, misdirection

• Lacked twists, panache

Mary

• Less than what was wanted

• Cases from the files

• Unhappy family

• Testing things on animals

John

• Lower half, but not one of the worst

• Adventure, not mystery, stories

• Holmes kept separate from spiritualism

• Medical perspective

• Culture of the time

• Exotic people and places are disturbing and weird

• Holmesian approach to the weird

• Lacks classic elements

General discussion topics

• Jacky

• Year at sea?
• Felt bad for Jacky
• Changes are traumatic to kids
• Jacky needed care and love
• Disabled child is considered "incomplete"
• Hope that wouldn't happen today
• Where did Jacky get the poison?
• Ferguson treats child badly because of disability

• "Exotic" woman

• Dark side subverted: she was actually the good guy
• Couple supportive of each other
• Mixed religion
• Problems could have been solved with communication
• Ferguson much older than wife – power differential
• The Yellow Face
• John has a machete from Peru (scared kids with it)

• Ferguson could have figured this situation out

• What does this story say about today?

• Vampires

• Vampires in history
• Importance of Stoker
• Saponification

• Holmes's strange filing system

• Are Holmes and Mycroft on the spectrum?

• Was the athlete not very smart?

• Masculinity in this period included body and mind