vampires wanted
C. Ligh
>
> Hi.
>
> I was wondering if anyone knows of any good vampire novels written by
> someone other than Anne Rice, Brent Monahan or Bram Stoker?
>
> Thanks.
"The Bloody Red Baron" by Kim Newman. It still on my shelf, did not have
time to read it yet.
CL
Joseph Malcolm
>"The Bloody Red Baron" by Kim Newman. It still on my shelf, did not have
>time to read it yet.
A good book, but it does not compare to "Anno-Dracula", which it
is a sequel to. Both are historical tales as well - "Anno-Dracula"
being set at about the time of Bram Stoker's Dracula, in the late
1800s, and "The Bloody Red Baron" being set in WW1.
Ron
mael...@aol.com (MAEL4118) wrote:
>Hi.
>
>I was wondering if anyone knows of any good vampire novels written by
>someone other than Anne Rice, Brent Monahan or Bram Stoker?
>
>Thanks.
Highly recommend those of an author named Elrod. Forgot his first name.
There are two series. One is set in Chicago in prohibition days. (6 volumes
so far, but haven't seen a new one in a long time. Afraid that is all we will
get of Jack.) The other is set in Long Island during the revolution. (Three
volumes so far and I think it there are more to come. I hope so.) Elrod's
vampires are both rather nice guys who just happen to need to drink blood. No
where near as nasty as Rice's.
There is another nice series about a cop who becomes a nice guy vampire.
"Series" may be an overstatement but I know there were at least two books.
The first was set on the west coast (San Fran?) and the second somewhere in
the middle of the country. Don't remember the names unfortunately and my book
collection is in boxes but maybe this will jog somebody's memory.
While we are on the subject of vampires: I'm looking for the author and title
of a vampire book I read once and have since lost. In it, a female
reporter(?) falls in love with a nice guy vampire and decides she wants to be
a vampire too. Seems like it was set in NYC in modern times. In the end he
tells her to wait 20 years or so and if she still wants it then he'll make her
a vampire. Can anybody help?
Ron (who only likes nice vampires!)
Philip Johnson
>
>I was wondering if anyone knows of any good vampire novels written by
>someone other than Anne Rice, Brent Monahan or Bram Stoker?
>
Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin.
Combines vampires with riverboat gothic. A super book.
Philip
--
Philip Johnson
'The wages of sin is death but so is the salary of virtue, and at least
the evil get to go home early on Fridays'
Terry Pratchett: 'Witches Abroad'
Eugenia Horne
Ahhh, tell them the "teaser" for "Anno Dracula"...
...namely Dracula marries the widowed Queen Victoria.
I thought it was fun, well written, many allusions or
cameos of real and fictitious characters of that era.
[Made an excuse for a great costume too.]
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"On every side there is nothing but a network of cabals and intrigues, and
parties are arrayed against each other in the most inexplicable manner."
- Prince Albert
Trudi Stafford
On Wed, 6 Mar 1996, Ron wrote:
> In article <4hj48o$t...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>,
> mael...@aol.com (MAEL4118) wrote:
> >Hi.
> >
> >I was wondering if anyone knows of any good vampire novels written by
> >someone other than Anne Rice, Brent Monahan or Bram Stoker?
> >
> >Thanks.
>
>
> Highly recommend those of an author named Elrod. Forgot his first name.
> There are two series. One is set in Chicago in prohibition days. (6 volumes
> so far, but haven't seen a new one in a long time. Afraid that is all we will
> get of Jack.) The other is set in Long Island during the revolution. (Three
> volumes so far and I think it there are more to come. I hope so.) Elrod's
> vampires are both rather nice guys who just happen to need to drink blood. No
> where near as nasty as Rice's.
>
> There is another nice series about a cop who becomes a nice guy vampire.
> "Series" may be an overstatement but I know there were at least two books.
> The first was set on the west coast (San Fran?) and the second somewhere in
> the middle of the country. Don't remember the names unfortunately and my book
> collection is in boxes but maybe this will jog somebody's memory.
>
> While we are on the subject of vampires: I'm looking for the author and title
> of a vampire book I read once and have since lost. In it, a female
> reporter(?) falls in love with a nice guy vampire and decides she wants to be
> a vampire too. Seems like it was set in NYC in modern times. In the end he
> tells her to wait 20 years or so and if she still wants it then he'll make her
> a vampire. Can anybody help?
>
> Ron (who only likes nice vampires!)
>
>
Ron, how can you only like "nice" vampires? The bad guys are the
best, especially Lestat. Anyway, I can't help with those other books you
mentioned, none of them ring a bell, but I would like to make a
suggestion about another fantastic series. I can't think of the author at
the moment but the series is new and called:
Book 1 - Covenant With the Vampire:
Diary of the Family Dracul (now out in PB)
Book 2 - Children of the Vampire:
Diary of the Family Dracul
These are excellent! The author (a woman), has taken the brave action of
telling the story of Stoker's Dracula,( yes, THE Dracula) BEFORE his life
with Mina, Harker, Van Helsing and the rest. It is an in-depth,
exquisitely researched look at the life of the Dracul family and
especially at Dracula himself. The historical elements of the series are
derived from the universal agreement that Stoker's Dracula was based on
the Romanian figure Vlad the Impaler, that wonderful 15th century
prince of Transylvania (actually Wallachia) who impaled thousands of
people on wooden stakes.
I can't say enough about these books, but Ron I have to warn you,
this author picks up where Stoker pretty much left off...Dracula has
never been "nastier" but nor has he been more fantastic, either. New life
has been breathed into the King of all vampires. I'd say that calls for a
celebration, don't you?
Happy Reading, Trudi :-}
---------------------------------------------
...FOR THE BLOOD IS THE LIFE.
(Bram Stoker's Dracula)
----------------------------------------------
Katherine Rossner
: Hi.
: I was wondering if anyone knows of any good vampire novels written by
: someone other than Anne Rice, Brent Monahan or Bram Stoker?
A historical (Victorian-era) vampire whodunnit: "Those Who Hunt the
Night", by Barbara Hambly. I thought it was a lot of fun, and reasonably
well-written.
There was also a series (though I've found only one so far) of modern
vampire mysteries--the detective is the vampire's lover, IIRC--with some
very funny bits. Author may have been Tanya Huff.
Katherine
--
Ye knowe ek, that in forme of speche is chaunge |
Withinne a thousand yere, and wordes tho | J.Katherine Rossner
That hadden pris, now wonder nyce and straunge | j...@netcom.com
Us thinketh hem, and yit they spake hem so. -- Chaucer |
Cap'n Buckwheat
of vampires who gather to taste a human bred by them for their
exquisit taste and much infighting follows.
David & Cheryl Yuhas
>Hi.
>I was wondering if anyone knows of any good vampire novels written by
>someone other than Anne Rice, Brent Monahan or Bram Stoker?
>Thanks.
A non-traditional vampire story is Charles de Lint's Yarrow, which
takes place in modern Ottawa.
And I think Sheridan LeFanu's Camilla is a vampire story as well.
Lucy Neighbors
> >I was wondering if anyone knows of any good vampire novels
Dan Simmons' _Carrion Comfort_ is a different look at modern day
vampires.
Lucy
es...@iquest.net
<tsta...@morgan.ucs.mun.ca> wrote:
>
>
>On Wed, 6 Mar 1996, Ron wrote:
>
>> In article <4hj48o$t...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>,
>> mael...@aol.com (MAEL4118) wrote:
>> >Hi.
>> >
>> >I was wondering if anyone knows of any good vampire novels written by
>> >someone other than Anne Rice, Brent Monahan or Bram Stoker?
>> >
>> >Thanks.
>>
>>
A vampire newsgroup in the historical fiction section. I'm definitely
in the right place. Please try the Chelsea Quinn Yarbro novels about
St. Germain. Excellent books that use the full 4000 year life time of
the vampire. Plus she has spun off two female vampires
Happy Biting (or some other cliche), Robin
Alan Robson
|> In article <4hj48o$t...@newsbf02.news.aol.com> mael...@aol.com "MAEL4118" writes:
|>
|> >
|> >someone other than Anne Rice, Brent Monahan or Bram Stoker?
|> >
|
Blood Sucking Fiends by Christopher Moore
Anno Dracula by Kim Newman
The Bloody Red Baron by Kim Newman
The Dracula Tapes by Fred Saberhagen
Dracula Unbound by Brian Aldiss
'Salems Lot by Stephen King
--
-A
David C Mudie
------------------------------------------------------------
Last modified -[Wed Feb 21 15:42:09 1996 by mudie]-
Text added since v1.5 is marked with a '+++'.
This is a list of vampire fiction recommended by the denizens
of alt.vampyres and other dark recesses of the Internet.
This list is not intended to be a complete list of vampire
books, nor does it replace the FAQ for this newsgroup. An HTML version
of this list is available at
http://radon.eecs.berkeley.edu/~mudie/vampfic.html
The FAQ for alt.vampyres is maintained by Clint Hauser (kar...@crl.com)
and posted monthly. This list incorporates the FAQ's suggested fiction
material, but not its extensive list of non-fiction references.
This reading list is maintained by David C Mudie. Comments
or additions should be sent to
mu...@eecs.berkeley.edu
If you are recommending a book, please include a paragraph
explaining why you like it or what makes it different from
other vampire stories.
Many thanks to Travis S. Casey, the original maintainer of this list,
and all the other contributors.
------------------------------------------------------------
+++Anscombe, Roderick. _The Secret Life of Laszlo, Count Dracula_
_Laszlo_ is a phenomenal book describing the torment of one of
Dracula's relatives. This book chronicles, however, not a vampire's
thirst for blood, but rather an intense need to consume
and to possess. Only when Laszlo is not able to possess another does
he kill, something so contrary to his nature he begins to work even
harder to uphold his reputation as a talented and revered doctor.
For psychologist Anscombe's first writing endeavor, this is an
amazing book. (Michelle Calhoun, c...@pacificnet.net)
Briery, Traci. _The Vampire Journals, The Vampire Memoirs_
These are well-written stories with a strong story-line,
well developed characters, and a believable plot. :}
They cover the conversion by a woman who ultimately exposes
the presence of vampires in America. _Journals_ is about her life
and her unwanted conversion by Agyar. In _Memoirs_, another
female vampire talks of her life and the interactions between
the two women... great reading...
(Minx Kelly, minx...@bbs.xnet.com)
Brite, Poppy Z. _Lost Souls_ (1992, Stoker Award nominee 1993)
I wanted to make sure Poppy Z. Brite's _Lost Souls_ got a mention.
She is another author who has married the club/alternative scene
to vampire legend, but all the characters in this book are very
well drawn and fairly complicated. Her descriptions are
amazing. I just finished the book this week and am considering
re-reading it shortly, which is unusual for me.
(Colleen M. McMahon, cmc...@emoryu1.cc.emory.edu)
Poppy Z Brite's _Lost Souls_ is pretty good... Poppy writes in a
style similar to Anne Rice; her characters burn with gothic passion
and tend to question the reasons for their existence. Unlike Rice,
Poppy's writing tends have more attitude and less philosophy.
(David C Mudie, mu...@crete.eecs.berkeley.edu)
Hmm, hard to put a handle on this one at times. Very good,
recommended. Intense exploration of the gothic scene, mostly
following the coming of age of the young vampire Nothing, as
he is brought into the lifestyle of his kind. If you don't mind
vampires as intensely sexual beings, this will knock your socks off.
While the book is not utterly dripping with blood, there are parts
that will provide all of the shudders you were looking for.
In fact, when Ms. Brite goes for the gross-out, she does a rather
masterful job, and has this way of making you think for days with
just a few words.
(Klaatu, kla...@eskimo.com)
Brust, Steven. _Agyar_
A first-person account of a vampire's struggle to break
free of his master, who has decided to let him take the
blame for her indiscretions. The "hero," Agyar Janos,
shows about as much interest in the welfare of humans as
you'd expect from something that preys on them.
A warning: you may find this book very frustrating.
Much of the story is implied rather than stated; for
instance, the word "vampire" is never mentioned, nor are
we ever actually told that Agyar drinks blood. Instead,
it is left to the reader to piece these kinds of things
together from the narrative. With that said, this is
a very good story.
(Travis S. Casey, ca...@cs.fsu.edu)
Charnas, Suzy McKee. _Vampire Tapestry_
A very interesting book, with a very different view of
the vampire. Charnas' vampire, Weyland, has no supernatural
abilities, has a sting under his tongue instead of fangs,
and is, as far as he knows, the only one of his kind.
The book explores Weyland's feelings about humans as they
change through a series of adventures in which he is shot
by someone who realizes he is a vampire, captured by
Satanists who want to acquire the powers they believe he
has, escapes, is forced to go to a psychiatrist, and moves
out west in an attempt to start over. Highly recommended.
(Travis S. Casey, ca...@cs.fsu.edu)
Browsing the horror section, the cover blurb
"The best vampire novel I have ever read..."
-- Peter S. Beagle
caught my eye. How could I resist? ...
The vampire -- Dr. Edward Weyland, an anthropology professor --
is neither the mindless zombie of a King novel, nor a devilish
but stereo-typical Count Dracula, nor a social animal ala Rice.
Rather, he is a loner, a predator among his prey, and the only
one of his kind. How incredibly refreshing! None of the
decadent pseudo-religious nonsense that lends to _Dracula_ it's
charm and _Salem's Lot_ it's stupidity, no Riceian flying
through the air, just a little enhanced biology and decades of
experience. The question that is constantly in the back of my
mind reading such a novel, "How believable is this?", is
answered with a vigorous nod. Well done!
(Roger M Squires, rsqu...@carina.unm.edu)
Introduces the character of Weyland, an immortal loner (only one
of his kind he's ever encountered) and vampire who has been posing as
a college professor. He gets busted and sent to a psychiatrist.
Excellent psychological exploration, very heavy mind-trip exploring
the sensuality/sexuality and other hungers of Weyland the vampire
and the psychiatrist "treating" him.
(Klaatu, kla...@eskimo.com)
Collins, Nancy. _Sunglasses After Dark, In the Blood, Paint It Black_
Nancy Collins' books, beginning with _Sunglasses_,
are a rather gory combination of the vampire mythos and
cyberpunk. _Sunglasses_ I enjoyed, but not the followups.
The sequels are really almost retreads of the first book, but
with less interesting characters than Sonja Blue.
(Joy Wikle, pu...@gibbs.oit.unc.edu)
I found _Sunglasses_ a high-octane confection of black leather
and crimson fluids. The story moves quickly, the characters are
interesting, and Collins creates an unusual underworld of mythical
creatures lurking in the shadows of own culture. I haven't
read the sequel yet, but the original is guaranteed to get
your blood pumping... out.
(David C Mudie, mu...@crete.eecs.berkeley.edu)
Sensual, cutting edge stories, almost in the style of old detective
novels.
(Minx Kelly, minx...@bbs.xnet.com)
My goodness. Can Nancy write! Besides creating and following an
excellent female lead as she matures throughout her search to find
and destroy the fiend who made her a vampire, she delves into the
other aspects of the "Real World", which surrounds us all of the
time, but which is hidden from the eyes of most mortals, a world
with ogres, salamanders, incubi and succubi, and even the occasional
seraphim. Sonja Blue is thrown into conflict with Catherine Wheele,
a powerful faith-healer with intense paranormal skills. The denouement
is one of the best in the business.
(Klaatu, kla...@eskimo.com)
Ford, John M. _The Dragon Waiting_
Not really a "vampire story", per se, but several of the
characters are vampires or become them in the course of
the book. The story itself is a historical fantasy set
against the background of Europe during the time just
before Richard III became King of England. The story
is quite good, and its take on vampires is interesting as
well. Ford's version has vamps with no supernatural
abilities; vampirism is a disease which produces certain
changes in the sufferer, including a craving for blood,
paleness, aversion to sunlight, and great strength. Has
two of the most interesting vampire characters I've seen.
(Travis S. Casey, ca...@cs.fsu.edu)
Hambly, Barbra. _Those Who Hunt the Night_
This story is told from the point of view of a human who
is engaged by a group of vampires to find out who has
been destroying them one by one, as they sleep. The
story is well-told and quite good.
Hambly's vampires are in some ways similar to Rice's, but
are also very different. Both have very social vampires
with connections that range across a broad area, and both
have superhuman speed and strength. However, there are
many differences; for example, Hambly's are vulnerable to
silver, and their origin seems to be natural rather than
the supernatural origin of Rice's.
(Travis S. Casey, ca...@cs.fsu.edu)
Set in Sherlock Holmes' England, the plot involves the search for a
killer of vampires. It's sort of a combo historical novel/detective
story. A fast read & fairly engaging, if not great literature.
(Marni Centor, ma...@panix.com)
Kalogridis, Jeanne. _Covenant with the Vampire_ (Delacorte Press 1994)
This book's vampire villain provided an enjoyable change of
pace from the currently popular vampire heroes. The story takes
place 50 years before the start of Stoker's book. Arkady Tsepesh
and his young pregnant wife Mary have left England and relocated
back to the Tsepesh ancestral estate in Transylvania.
From the outset, the reader knows that Prince Vlad is not the
kindly uncle Arkady and his sister have believed him to be since
childhood. As the story unfolds, little things build up, and the small
family gradually puts the pieces together and realizes that Uncle
Vlad is a vampire and they are trapped...
In spite of knowing that Vlad is a vampire right from the start,
I found the book suspenseful. Part of this was due to the sinister
atmosphere, which is almost palpable right from page 1. Part is due
to the sympathy the reader feels for the characters as they gradually
learn of the horror around them. Will they learn what they need to
know in time to help them? Will each person confide in
the others, thereby providing them with necessary information?
I found this a very enjoyable and well written book. Kalogridis has
ended it in such a way that a sequel is possible. I truly hope one is
forthcoming.
(Beverly Richardson, ssau...@fox.nstn.ns.ca)
Killough, Lee. _Blood Hunt_ (Tor 1987) and _Blood Links_ (Tor 1988)
Two of my favourite vampire books deal with fiction's (possibly)
first vampire cop: Garreth Mikaelian, homicide detective with
the San Francisco PD.
In the first of these (_Blood Hunt_) the luckless Mikaelian is
assigned to investigate the murder of a man who has been found
floating in San Francisco bay. But the victim has been not drowned,
nor, in spite of appearances, died of a broken neck. Instead he
seems to have been drained of blood, and has two tiny puncture marks
on the side of his throat... _Blood Links_, the sequel, sees
Mikaelian back in San Francisco, this time involved in a hunt for a
serial killer. Unfortunately, the killer seems to have a penchant for
killing vampires and their human friends - and Mikaelian doesn't dare
tell his old colleagues what he knows. Because they realise he is
holding something back, he becomes the chief suspect in the case!
Although the "vampire cop" has become somewhat of a cliche, it is
worth noting that these books are early (if not the first) example
of the type. They also seem to have been a bit of a trend-setter for
"Forever Knight" and others. Lee Killough has a good feel for her
subjects, both cops and vampires. Mikaelian may make errors in
police procedure, but Killough knows what she is doing. The best
thing about these books, however, is the characters. In addition to
Garreth Mikaelian himself, who comes across as a warm
person with a wry sense of humour, there are a number of strong female
characters in both books. Included amongst these is Mikaelian's very
Irish "Grandma Doyle" who has "Feelings" and Irina,
the Russian vampire with a colourful past who "made" Lane Barber.
If you are looking for horror or an erotic charge, don't bother with
these . If you want an entertaining vampire mystery
with interesting characters, I highly recommend them.
(Christine Hawkins, C.Ha...@nla.gov.au)
King, Stephen. _'Salem's Lot_
Written as an homage to _Dracula_, this novel doesn't
really add anything new to the vampire myth; however,
it does deliver a pretty good story. My main complaint
is that there are too many vampires in the book, and none
of the vampires are really given any kind of motivation
beyond that of simply getting some blood.
(Travis S. Casey, ca...@cs.fsu.edu)
One of the best vampire stories that I have ever read. I stayed up
all night reading it which in itself is not terribly unusual for me,
but I also closed all the windows in my bedroom (it was summer) and
put on a necklace with a silver cross--this *is* unusual--while I
finished it.
(Julie Stauffer, j-sta...@uchicago.edu)
+++Kiraly, Marie. _Mina_
I highly recommend a book called _Mina_. _Mina_ is the
continuation of Bram Stoker's _Dracula_ as told through the
eyes of Mina Harker. The author worked very hard to maintain Stoker's
writing style and to remain fair to the text and apparently developed
this book to further tell the story from Mina's viewpoint, something
the author says is lacking from the original as the story progresses.
If anyone is interested in knowing what became of Mina after her
confrontation, this may be the book to explain it.
(Michelle Calhoun, c...@pacificnet.net)
(Marie Kiraly is a pen name used by Elaine Bergstrom, creator
of the vampiric Austra clan in her _Shattered Glass_ series.
-Ed.)
Kurtz, Katherine, and MacMillan, Scott. _Knights of the Blood_
The premise is that a group of knights in the crusades drank
the blood of a vampire together and thus became vampires
themselves. This group withdrew from the world, but a Nazi
managed to drink the blood of one of them during WWII.
Appears to be the first in a series.
(Travis S. Casey, ca...@cs.fsu.edu)
Le Fanu, J. Sheridan. _"Carmilla"_
This short story is often included in collections of
vampire stories. It's an excellent story, and is one of
the inspirations for Bram Stoker's _Dracula_.
(Travis S. Casey, ca...@cs.fsu.edu)
Lee, Earl W. _Drakulya_ (See Sharp Press, 1994)
The novel is basically a retelling of the Bram Stoker classic with
several added twists. Unlike Stoker's book the main character in
_Drakulya_ is the vampire himself. The Prince of Bloodsuckers kept a
diary it seems, and Lee has found it. At least that's the premise of
the book and it works to carry the reader's interest. What also works
is Lee's interpretation of Drakulya's character. Everyone knows the
stock character dressed in dark cape and freshly pressed tuxedo. For
years we have been stuck with either the rich, foreign undead, or as
can be seen in Anne Rice's works, the sexually ambiguous, pouty
undead...Lee, however, takes a fresh attack and presents us with a
character that rationalizes and justifies his own actions in exactly
the same way "normal" people do.
We see the "monster" not as a helpless victim of his environment, nor
as a sadistic tyrant but rather a once-human shadow that hasn't quite
forgotten what light and darkness mean but hasn't quite remembered
them either. I found the main character a reason to continue reading
the book, even though I already knew the plot of Stoker's work.
Perhaps, for me, the most interesting aspect of the novel is the
vampire's mental stream of thought. As he thinks off handedly about
God and religion he becomes convinced that God is himself a parasite
living off the blood of others. The comparison of the Catholic
sacrament to the actions of a vampire were both simple and complex.
The life giving "blood of Christ" turns out to be, in the vampire's
mind, not what God gives us in return for our love, but rather what we
give God in return for his love. Such thoughts brought a human depth
to an inhuman creature and made for a fun story....
(M. Shafer Ramsey, Technomancer)
Lee, Tanith. _Dark Dance_, _Personal Darkness_
I have a recommendation for summer reading...
_Personal Darkness_ (2nd in the series I believe)
is a story about the Scarabae race as they attempt to hunt
down one of their own --- a vampire child named Ruth who kills
people in their homes to act out her remorse for killing her
father. There's too much in this novel to summarize, but if you
like Anne Rice, you'd actually appreciate Lee's style as well.
It's always nice to read a vampire novel that has lots of
female characters with brains. Lately most vamp novels are
only with male characters that are deemed as evil monsters,
or are about vampirism as a disease that can be cured, or
about the fearless vampire hunters taking it upon their macho
selves to save the world from vampire invasion. See my point?
There needs to be more novels like _Personal Darkness_.
(Bonnie Burton, bur...@ucsu.Colorado.EDU)
Lumley, Brian. _Necroscope_, _Vamphyri_, et al.
Lumley's _Necroscope_ series deals with vampires, ESP,
and quite a few other things. Lumley's vamps are rather
different from the standard model, being symbiotes that
implant themselves in hosts and take over the body, while
leaving the mind mostly unchanged. Highly reminiscent in
many ways of the Cthulhu Mythos, with is no surprise since
Lumley has written quite a few stories set in the mythos.
I've only read the first two, so I can't really say a
whole lot about the series as a whole; personally, I
preferred the second book, but it would be very hard to
understand without reading the first.
(Travis S. Casey, ca...@cs.fsu.edu)
The Anne Rice novels come widely acclaimed and recommended,
but I believe Brian Lumley's _Necroscope_ series and the following
_Vampire World_ are a very good read. Go and buy them, you won't
be disappointed.
(Jester, ajo...@rowan.coventry.ac.uk)
Martin, George R.R. _Fevre Dream_
A long, very rich story of a vampire trying to free his people from
the need for human blood. There are power struggles within the vampire
community, and most of the action takes place on a riverboat on the
Mississippi river.
(Minx Kelly, minx...@bbs.xnet.com)
An excellent novel as a novel, superior story-telling, and a fresh
approach to the vampire-as-living-being. It's a horror story and a
Mississippi riverboat period piece, as well as pretty good SF, all
at once.
(Klaatu, kla...@eskimo.com)
+++Matheson, Richard. _I Am Legend_
Matheson's _I Am Legend_tweaks the conventions of the
genre by adopting the perspective of the "last man on earth" --
the only person immune to a plague which has reduced
everyone else to quasi-vampiric nocturnal savages.
This book provided the inspiration for both Charlton Heston's
_Omega Man_and George Romero's _Night of the Living Dead_.
The novel, in many ways superior to either film adaptation,
attempts to critique the established narrative conventions by
constructing the protagonist as the outsider / threat to a (new)
world order.
(scott e. johnson, mrng...@utkux.utcc.utk.edu)
McCammon, Robert R. _They Thirst_ (1986)
About a vampire takeover of LA, this is a pretty good
book. Plays up the supernatural aspects of vampires a
bit, with a vampire leader who has various strange
powers. In addition, the vampires are described as
being sort of snake-like, with retractable fangs; this
is a new variation; we've had bat-like and rat-like
vamps before, but these are the only snake-like ones I've seen.
(Travis S. Casey, ca...@cs.fsu.edu)
McCammon, Robert R., ed. _Under the Fang_
Seventeen short stories set on an alternate Earth where
vampires have taken over the world. The stories are
very uneven in their portrayal of vampires; no two of
the writers seem to be using the exact same model. Most
of them are OK; the real stand-out in the book is "Advocates",
by Suzy McKee Charnas and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, which
features their vampire characters Weyland and the Comte
de Saint-Germain.
(Travis S. Casey, ca...@cs.fsu.edu)
Newman, Kim. _Anno Dracula_ (1993, Stoker Award nominee 1994)
Try Newman's _Anno Dracula_. It's in 18th century England where
the king/queen are vampyres and they turn everyone. It has some
great cameos by Jack-the Ripper, etc.
(James Kalemis, jka...@mail.luc.edu)
_Anno Dracula_ is set in late *19*th century England during the reign
of Queen Victoria. Count Dracula has escaped the plans of Dr. Seward
and co. and managed to turn Wilhelmina to his dark purpose. He goes
about turning several other hapless humans and finally wheedles his
way to the side of the widowed Victoria, becoming her Prince Consort
in sort order. After that, London--and, indeed, all of England and
her colonies--is slowly but surely becoming a seething den of
vicious, blood thirsty creatures of darkness. The story begins in the
midst of the Jack the Ripper scare... someone is murdering young
Undead prostitutes one by one in a most methodical manner and the
hordes of Blood suckers are up at arms. I shan't go into any more
detail; suffice it to say, it is an excellent book and a wonderful
exploration of the old "what if" scenario.
(Michelle Mogil, mm...@cornell.edu)
Neiderman, Andrew. _The Need, Bloodchild_
2 very different books here, Neiderman seems to have 2 styles of
writing, pulp and quality. _Bloodchild_ is the pulp,
_The Need_ is the quality. _Bloodchild_ is a simple,
predictable story of an adopted baby who happens to be a vampire child.
_The Need_ is a much deeper, very introspective tale presenting
vampires as dichotomous creatures. Each creature is made up of a male
and female entity sharing one body. The male aspect feeds, and the
female aspect is more of the social and dominant side.
_The Need_ is very very well written. Get it if you can.
(Minx Kelly, minx...@bbs.xnet.com)
Pike, Christopher. _The Season of Passage_
This book is placed in the future when astronauts are exploring
Mars. Mysterious dreams are passing through a child, who knows she
must stop her sister from her adventure. And what an adventure it is:
going to Mars and coming back a vampire! This book keeps you in
suspense until the novel is finished, and even then you want more.
Pike is a great author, I find almost all his books chilling.
(Lesley, rros...@slps.k12.mo.us)
Polidori, John. _"The Vampyre"_
In its day, this was the equivalent of _Dracula_; its main
character, Lord Ruthven, showed up in just about any play
or book dealing with vampires, just as Dracula does now.
Along with _"Carmilla"_, this story established the
stereotype of the vampire-as-noble.
(Travis S. Casey, ca...@cs.fsu.edu)
Rice, Anne. _The Vampire Chronicles:
Interview with the Vampire (1976), The Vampire
Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, Tale of the Body
Thief (1993),_ and _Memnoch the Devil (1995)_
Rice's books inspired a new vampire revival, and
her version of vampires is far different from the
traditional versions. The first book deals with Louis, the
other three follow Louis' creator, Lestat. The first two
were very good, IMHO, but the third was only so-so at best.
_Body Thief_ is better than _Queen_, but not up
to the standards of _Interview_ and _Lestat_; I personally
found myself wondering how someone who is supposed to be of
superhuman intelligence could be so stupid.
(Travis S. Casey, ca...@cs.fsu.edu)
Of the five books, the first two (IWTV & TVL) really chronicle
the life of a vampire. Ms. Rice writes with
such passion, imagery, and emotion that the story creates action
in your mind like if you were really there. The descriptions
and (almost) erotic atmosphere at times sweeps you into the world
in the pages. The ideas presented regarding creation and powers
of vampyres is different in part from other "classic" tales; but
it leaves nothing to be desired!
(Sara Mitchell/Sarathena, sa...@wam.umd.edu)
Romkey, Michael. _I, Vampire_ and _The Vampire Papers_
I'd like to suggest Mike Romkey's _I, Vampire_ and _The Vampire
Papers_. Having only read the latter, I cannot justly review
Romkey's performance as an author, but this story (TVP) is a
rather long winded and annoying read at times. The story covers
the actions of a member of the 'Illuminati' who is tracking down
a member of the "Vampiri" into a small Mississippi town called
Jerusalem (sounds like an SK rip off to me), thru journal papers,
police reports, newspaper clippings, etc. Often boring, but in some
parts, fairly informative. As you get deeper into the book, it does
get a lot more interesting, and there are a few interesting things
concerning vampire history. To be perfectly fair, I'd have to say
that TVP was a decent read. It doesn't give the goody-goody side of
vampires that seems to be so prevelant in todays authors.
(nightcap, nigh...@acs.bu.edu)
Rusch, Kristine Kathryn. _Sins of the Blood_ (1994)
A most unusual vampire book, this one takes place in the US, but an
alternate US with a sizable population of vampires. Different states
treat the problem in different ways. Some ignore the problem, others
treat vampirism as an addictive disease and have rehabilitation clinics
specifically for vampires. And then there is Wisconsin with its policy
of eradication - no arrest warrant necessary. This work is performed by
employees of the Westrina Centre; they find, pass sentence on, and
kill the vampires without any outside government interference.
As the story unfolds, we learn that there are 2 kinds of vampires -
those who started out human but were bitten by a vampire and
converted, and hereditary vampires. In the early years of vampirism
a man can still father children, and it is these kids who almost
always grow up to become hereditary vampires. However, even nice
people usually change after becoming a vampire, becoming cruel and
sexually insatiable. Kids raised in vampire households
are usually abused physically, often sexually, and finally frequently
drained dry.
The author has done a superb job of linking child abuse and its
lingering effects on adults together with a vampire story.
I found this to be a disturbing, but fascinating and well written book
covering a new angle I have never seen before in any vampire story. I
definitely recommend this.
(Beverly Richardson, ssau...@fox.nstn.ns.ca)
Saberhagen, Fred. _The Dracula Tapes, The
Holmes-Dracula File, An Old Friend of the Family,
Thorn, Dominion, A Matter of Taste,_ and _A Question
of Time_
Saberhagen's Dracula series deal with Dracula basically as outlined
in Bram Stoker's novel, but from a sympathetic point of view.
My favorites are _The Dracula Tapes_, which retells _Dracula_
from Drac's point of view, and _An Old Friend of the Family_,
the first in the series to be set in modern times.
(Travis S. Casey, casey.cs.fsu.edu)
Not nearly as good as Rice, IMHO, but entertaining. Definitely
not as erotic, 'fer sure ;')
(Paul Murphy, pa...@psych.toronto.edu)
Scott, Jody. _I, Vampire_
_I, Vampire_ deals not so much with 'Ooo, I wanna suck your blood'
stuff as much as it does the exploration of the loneliness of an
immortal being who is having her mind and spirituality drastically
challenged by an alien, Benaroya, who is able to swap forms
(and maybe even sanities?). As a vampire book, it's on the fringe
of the genre. As a book about people and awarenesses, I think it's
a great read.
(Lewars Dusti L., elio...@onix.com)
Shepard, Lucius. _The Golden_ (1993)
I just finished Lucius Shepard's _The Golden_, which was a really
good vampire detective story. Somebody has killed the sacrificial
victim the night before the Feast, and a young vampire is assigned to
find out who and why. The plot is just bubbling over with secrets
and intrigue, but for me the best part was the backdrop of Castle
Banat with its acid-goth architecture: vaulted cupboards, a stunted
ballroom, a stairway made of living humans...
(David C Mudie, mu...@crete.eecs.berkeley.edu)
Simmons, Dan. _Carrion Comfort_ (1989, Stoker Award winner 1990)
"All humans feed on violence. But only those with the Ability have
tasted the ultimate power....Ordinary vampires possess the body.
But only those who use the living can violate the soul...They gather
their strength through the years. They plot their unholy games.
They war among themselves. And the victor will stand alone against
a world without defenses." --- back cover blurb.
This one is pretty long (884 pages), but chapters are short.
The plot skips around through the various characters, but it adds to
the excitement. There is a chess theme, and the character development
works in that way also. I found this one a lot of fun to read.
(Scott Baker, bak...@gwis.circ.gwu.edu)
A hefty book and an excellent read. The plot concerns a secret
clique of mind-vampires who pull on the strings of world power.
It starts a little slow, but the last two hundred pages pack quite
a pay-off.
(David C Mudie, mu...@crete.eecs.berkeley.edu)
Simmons, Dan. _Children of the Night_ (1992)
Excellent story with extensive research of the roots of Dracula.
Set after Chowchesque (Spelling?) is shot in the streets and details
a woman's plight to save the AIDS babies before the Transylvanian
cult rears its head. Well written and superbly researched with a
plausible explanation for the existence of vampires.
(Stuart Florence, flor...@underdog.ee.wits.ac.za)
_CotN_ is not quite as good as _Carrion Comfort_ but
still worth reading. The plot concerns a Rumanian orphan with
a mysterious blood disease and the shady characters who are trying
to get him back. I recommend _CotN_ for fans of the historical
Vlad Drakul; the book contains lots of well-researched tidbits into
his life and times.
(David C Mudie, mu...@crete.eecs.berkeley.edu)
Skipp, John & Spector, Craig. _Light at the End_
A great splatterpunk reworking of the vampire mythos.
Psychotic loser is bitten by a vampire and then unleashed in the
New York subway. Graphic, gory, with great characters, this book
is a great remedy for the new trend of 'romantic' vampires.
Vampires are evil, they should be feared, loathed, and destroyed.
Finally, a vampire book where you root for the humans.
(Christopher R. Nauta, cna...@nautacom.win.net)
Somtow, S.P. _Vampire Junction_
Another gem... Timothy Valentine is a teen singer/idol. He is a also
a vampire. Somtow is a fantastic writer and the book does not slow
down at all. There is a sequel to this book, but I have not managed
to get it yet.
(Minx Kelly, minx...@bbs.xnet.com)
Steakly, John. _Vampire$_
Deals with a group of people who hunt vampires for money. A
very dark book.
(Travis S. Casey, ca...@cs.fsu.edu)
Stoker, Bram. _Dracula_
This is, of course, the classic by which almost all works
about vampires since have been inspired. To a modern
reader, it's somewhat slow going, but it's still an
excellent story, and Stoker knows his vampires inside and out.
(Travis S. Casey, ca...@cs.fsu.edu)
Suskind, Patrick. _Perfume_
"Once upon a time, in 18th-century France, there lived a human monster
unlike anything mankind has ever known. Enter the world of evil
genius, a murderer so depraved that only the most hideous of crimes
could satisfy his lust...a killer who lives to possess the essence of
young virgins...a vampire of scent, whose bloody, insane quest takes
him beyond the boundaries of love...and death." -- back cover blurb
That's basically a good description. It does get a little slow in
the middle, but so does Anne [Rice] sometimes. Very good description
especially regarding the sense of scent.
(Scott Baker, bak...@gwis.circ.gwu.edu)
_Perfume_ is the tragic tale of Grenouille, the world's only scent
vampire. Suskind paints this book with an incredible palette of smells
and odors, making use of a sense most writers overlook entirely.
A truly unique twist on the vampire mythos.
(David C Mudie, mu...@crete.eecs.berkeley.edu)
Talbot, Michael. _The Delicate Dependency_ (Avon Books, 1982)
This book revolves around the relationship between a medical
doctor and a vampire who cross paths very unexpectedly. The
story grows into a very intricate and detailed yarn about the
origin and purpose of vampires in our world which spans thousands
of years. The dependency that the title hints at is not the
vampire's dependency on blood...it's much deeper than that.
It's more a dependency of vampires on humans and vice versa.
They are the true patriarchs of the this world according to this
story. Each vampire is chosen for his or her special talent or
gift. They are very creative in how they enjoy life and have
very complex personalities. I found the characters
very engrossing and there is much period detail in the descriptions.
There are too many twists and turns to describe, but let's just
say that you don't know what is REALLY going on until the end.
This book was only printed once in 1982, so it can be very hard
to find. Try calling Avon Books at 212-262-3361.
Good luck and it's well worth the trouble, I promise!
(Sherri Deener, bde...@iglou.com)
Unknown. _Varney the Vampyre; or, the Feast of Blood_
This was a serialized "penny dreadful" of the mid 19th
century which was originally published as a collected work by
E.Lloyd, 12, Salisbury Square, Fleet Street around 1847 or so. It is
not precisely known who actually wrote this work, but it has been
attributed by scholars to either Thomas Preskett Prest or James
Malcolm Rhymer. It predates Bram Stoker's _Dracula_ by 50 years or
so, and may be one of the first vampire tales published in English.
The complete serial was reprinted in facsimile form by Arno Press
in 1970 and was edited by Sir Devendra P. Varma. Since it is
illustrated, this reprint is extremely interesting to see "in the
flesh". _Varney_ is currently being electronically serialized by
James Macdonald and discussed in the SFRT1 Roundtable on GEnie.
I believe that all of us on GEnie who are following this Varney
tale are enjoying it, though it is difficult for me to recommend it as
a "must read" by today's standards. I think that its historical
significance makes it worthy of reading, as well as some of the comic
relief passages. The plot is somewhat convoluted and the numerous
mysteries have made it addicting, though more so as a soap-opera than
as an epic novel.
(Humphrey Liu, h....@genie.geis.com)
+++ Williams, Tad. _Child of an Ancient City_ (Tor Books, 1992)
_Child of an Ancient City_ is an unusual vampire story, as it is
told in an "Arabian Nights" style. It's about a caravan which is
attacked by robbers in the Caucasian mountains. The survivors must
make it back to the nearest city, but they are being stalked by a
vampire and killed one by one. To stay awake at night, they tell each
other stories... until the vampire steps into their midst and issues
a challenge.
Although the vampire is omni-present, most of the story consists of
the tales which are told by the men trying to save their lives.
If you like suspense and not bloodshed, you will love this
(rather short) novel. It has a very rewarding end.
(Sibylle Dussy, Sibyll...@il.us.swissbank.com)
Yarbro, Chelsea Quinn. _Blood Games, Path of the Eclipse, The Palace,
Darker Jewels, Hotel Transylvania, Tempting Fate_, others
I have been very impressed by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's series.
She takes a somewhat different approach to vampires
that I really enjoy. Some of her books are hard to find,
but well worth the search. The main character is the
Comte de Saint-Germain. Take a look.
(Rebbee, reb...@aol.com)
The books by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro rank right up there with Rice
in terms of the Vampire literature. Yarbro's strength is her
settings and characters; she does a very good job of capturing the
"flavor" of some of the historical periods in which she writes.
Again, not as erotic as Rice (although my fiance would disagree, I
think). Still, highly recommended.
(Paul Murphy, pa...@psych.toronto.edu)
Various authors. _The Beast Within_ (1993)
_The Beast Within_ is an anthology of short stories based on the
Vampire role-playing game -- but don't let that turn you away!
The stories are novelty twists on popular themes, dealing with
vampires in the classical sense but also retaining the clan structure
of the RPG. There is one story that shines out above the rest
about a priest who becomes a vampire -- a vampire with faith,
hilarious! The only thing wrong with the collection was the annoying
way all the stories were set in the San Francisco area, but I could
live with that. (I have heard a rumour about other books coming out
for other certain cities... namely New Orleans. :) Some of the stories
are beautifully told. I found the book to have lots of 'new' stories
as well as just good re-telling of some old ones.
(Stef Aka Zodiac, mcsd...@zippy.dct.ac.uk)
------------------------------------------------------------
This list is maintained by David C Mudie, mu...@eecs.berkeley.edu.
Copyright (c) 1995 by the authors.
--
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
David C Mudie c/o House of Style mu...@eecs.berkeley.edu
Oakland CA 94609 http://radon.eecs.berkeley.edu/~mudie
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Trust no one. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
es...@iquest.net
<tsta...@morgan.ucs.mun.ca> wrote:
>
>
>On Wed, 6 Mar 1996, Ron wrote:
>
>> In article <4hj48o$t...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>,
>> mael...@aol.com (MAEL4118) wrote:
>> >Hi.
>> >
>> >I was wondering if anyone knows of any good vampire novels written by
>> >someone other than Anne Rice, Brent Monahan or Bram Stoker?
>> >
Try the Chelsea Quinn Yarbro St. Germain series. A good sexy 4000
year old vampire. She uses the history angle for all its worth. So
these are a nice twist if you like historical fiction
Katherine Rossner
: >
: > ...FOR THE BLOOD IS THE LIFE.
: >
: >
: > (Bram Stoker's Dracula)
: >
: > ----------------------------------------------
Gee, and here I thought that was from the Bible. (Leviticus, perhaps?)
Pomponio
to die for...am looking for a female vampire to shoot a series of
pics...I figure that a vampiress would be ideal as she would not die
unless I did the old stake bit...he he...that's an idea...on the other
hand, she would demand payment for her acting, which was not a problem
with the other actresses...ah! the things one does for art...anyway, I
cannot provide large quantities of human blood but I just got in a
shipment of several gallons of bovine (i.e. cow) blood from England and
it should be OK...