The Vampyre
The Origin Of Dracula A Tale 1816

I’ve always been amused that Lord Byron was such an epic icon of debauchery and being a total shit that the modern interpretation of vampires was more or less created in his image. Legends of vampires have been around for centuries, going back even to cultures of Mesopotamians and the Romans where t......more

The Vampyre! Whilst Dracula drones on and on and on and on like a paranormal travelogue, this one just gets right to the point. That makes it vastly easier for a peasant like myself to get through. Also, published in 1819, this version of the modern vampire is considered one of the first in English l......more

This is one of those weird bits of fiction where the story behind its creation is actually more interesting than the work itself: it was the result of a writing challenge between Mary Shelley, Byron and Polidori, the very same challenge that resulted in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The tale begins wi......more

"The Vampyre" is a very short work, scarcely more than 20 pages, but contains a novel's worth of intrigue and horror. The dark atmosphere, taste for female blood, and demonic powers of the titular monster are just a few of the signature qualities that Bram Stoker stole and perfected. The short lengt......more