Vampires

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.

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.

This collection edited by Alan Ryan is as good a collection of vampire stories as you are going to find. The book begins with a the story fragment by Lord Byron on which John Polidori based 1819 story "The Vampyre" and ends with contemporary works by Tanith Lee and Chelsea Quinn Yarbo. In between you will find works by Bram Stoker, Algernon Blackwood, Clark Ashton Smith, August Derleth, Fritz Leiber, Richard Matheson, Charles Beaumont, Robert Block and Chelse Quinn Yabro. There is even an excerpt from the infamous "Varney the Vampyre, or, the Feast of Blood." Consequently, while there is not a lot of depth, the breadth of vampire literature is more than adequately covered.

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 is a great book! You would have to look everywhere to find each of these stories, yet this book brings you several high-quality vampire stories! Bravo Penguin books!