Description: Unearthed from long forgotten journals and magazines, Andrew Barger has found the very best vampire short stories from the first half of the 19th century. They are collected for the first time in this groundbreaking book on the origins of vampire lore. The cradle of all vampire short stories in the English language is the first half of the 19th century. Andrew Barger combed forgotten journals and mysterious texts to collect the very best vintage vampire stories from this crucial period in vampire literature. In doing so, Andrew unearthed the second and third vampire stories originally published in the English language, neither printed since their first publication nearly 200 years ago. Also included is the first vampire story originally written in English by John Polidori after a dare with Lord Byron and Mary Shelley. The book contains the first vampire story by an American who was a graduate of Columbia Law School. The book further includes the first vampire stories by an Englishman and German, including the only vampire stories by such renowned authors as Alexander Dumas, Théophile Gautier and Joseph le Fanu. As readers have come to expect from Andrew, he has added his scholarly touch to this collection by including annotations, story backgrounds, author photos and a foreword titled "With Teeth."
Review Quotes:
In another from Gothic horror editor Andrew Barger, this collection explores the more specific tales of the vampire from early modern period. Ghosts were a popular theme of the Gothic literary tradition, but the undead make plenty of appearances! These stories reflect the foundation of the vampire mythos and many differ greatly from what we know as the blood-sucking monster/ lover of today. Some of these tales have not been published for over two centuries and give a fascinating insight into the beginning of the vampire legend in modern Western Europe.
Gothic Readers Book Club