I N S I D E T H E M Y T H S & M Y S T E RY

The Truth
About
the Undead
Secrets Behind the 25 Essential
Superstitions Films to Sink
Your Fangs Into
History’s Most Famous CENTENNIAL SPECIALS
Bloodsuckers

How Dracula
Changed Everything
Display Until 7/10/23 $13.99
I N S I D E T H E M Y T H S & M Y S T E RY

It’s double the bloodsuckers

in Shadow of the Vampire
(2000), the story of the
filming of Nosferatu. It stars
Willem Dafoe (pictured) as
Max Schreck, who played the
predatory count in the 1922
film. Schreck takes method
acting way too far, to the
point of adapting a Dracula-
esque lifestyle during
filming—even wanting to
feed on his co-star.
 70
A HARROWING HISTORY
10 | Undead Evolution
The concept of the vampire
has morphed over time.
18 | Famous Fangs
Meet some of history’s most
notorious vamps.
VAMP 411
30 | (Un)Dead Language
Improve your vamp vocab
with these essential terms.
34 | Care & Feeding
How to keep a vampire
happy and healthy.
40 | Dogfight
They travel in the same circles,
but there’s long been bad
blood between werewolves
and vampires.
4 VAMPIRES
THE LIVING UNDEAD
44 | The Undead Dude
Next Door
There are thousands of
self-identified vampires living
in the United States. But
they’re not exactly like the
ones on the big screen.
50 | Bats With a Bad Rap
The much maligned
vampire bat doesn’t
have much in common
with the clichés.
52 | Vampire Vacay
Long associated with
local legends, these travel
destinations don’t really
suck…unless you really
want them to.
64 | Style Slayers
Capes, lace and lots and lots
of black: Vamps inspired
goth fashion. Now their look
has gone mainstream.
POP CULTURE
70 | 125 Years and Count-ing
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
remains the definitive
vampire story.
74 | 13 Novels to Sink Your
Teeth Into
Spellbinding vampire
tomes span many genres
and centuries.
80 | Scoop from the
Showrunner
Interview with the Vampire
creator Rolin Jones talks
about AMC’s monster hit.
82 | Why Is Being Cold-
Blooded So Hot?
The fantasy of the perfect
vampire boyfriend endures.
86 | Ghouls on Film
We rank the 25 best blood-
sucking flicks of all time.
30 52

64 18
While vampire
stories can be found
in many cultures
throughout history,
perhaps they’re most
associated with the
Victorian period in the
U.K., where Dracula is
set and gaslights and
goth ruled the night.
 We Invite
YOU IN
W
ƺșȠǦƺȠșljȣЖǩǿǠǩǿȠǦǓ
șǦƺǏȅΛșșȅǾǓȠǦǩǿǠșǩǿǩșȠǓȖঁ
ǩǏƺșǓΠΡॹLjǹƺljǷেljǹƺǏșȠȖƺǿǠǓȖ
ȒȖǩljǷǹǓȠǦǓǦƺǩȖșȅǿȠǦǓLjƺljǷ
ȅǟΡȅȣȖǿǓljǷঁȅȣǹǏǩȠǦƺΚǓ
LjǓǓǿƺॺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓঁ
eƺǹǓșȅǟȣǿǏǓƺǏljȖǓƺȠȣȖǓșΛǩȠǦ
ƺȠƺșȠǓǟȅȖǦȣǾƺǿLjǹȅȅǏǦƺΚǓLjǓǓǿ
ƺȖȅȣǿǏǟȅȖljǓǿȠȣȖǩǓșॹƺǿǏljȅǿȠǩǿȣǓ
ȠȅșljƺȖǓƺǿǏȠǦȖǩǹǹǩǿƺΛƺΡȠǦƺȠȅȠǦǓȖ
ǾȅǿșȠǓȖșǴȣșȠǏȅǿঢ়Ƞঀ
৚KǿǓȅǟȠǦǓǟƺșljǩǿƺȠǩǿǠȠǦǩǿǠș
ƺLjȅȣȠȠǦǓΚƺǾȒǩȖǓǩșȠǦƺȠॹǿȅǾƺȠȠǓȖ
ǦȅΛȖǓȒȣǹșǩΚǓশȠǦǩǿǷNosferatu ǩǿ
ࢲࢺࢳࢳȅȖSalem’s LotǩǿࢲࢺࢸࢺষॹȠǦǓȖǓǩș
ƺǿƺǩȖȅǟȣǿǦȅǹΡƺȠȠȖƺljȠǩȅǿॹ৛șƺΡșȅLj
EƺǏǩșȅǿॹƺȣȠǦȅȖȅǟDracula: The
First Hundred Yearsঀ৚^ȅǾǓȠǩǾǓșॹ
ǩȠঢ়șȠǦǓƺȠȠȖƺljȠǩȅǿȅǟȠǦǓড়ȅȠǦǓȖॹঢ়
șȅǾǓȠǩǾǓșȠǦǓƺȠȠȖƺljȠǩȅǿȅǟǏǓljƺΡঀ
ȣȠȠǦƺȠƺȠȠȖƺljȠǩȅǿǩșȅǿǓȅǟȠǦǓ
ǷǓΡǓǹǓǾǓǿȠșȅǟȠǦǓড়ȖȅǾƺǿljǓঢ়ȅǟ
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǩșǾॹƺǿǏȠǦǓȠǦǩǿǠȠǦƺȠǦƺș
ǷǓȒȠȠǦǓǾΡȠǦƺǹǩΚǓȠȅȠǦǩșǏƺΡঀ৛
'ȖȅǾǿǓΛLjȅȅǷșǹǩǷǓ^ljƺȖǹǓȠȠ
^ȠঀǹƺǩȖঢ়șKing of Battle and Blood
ȠȅЙǹǾșǹǩǷǓThe InvitationƺǿǏ
[DzȞϫDzȘǮ࣓ȠǦǓΡljȅǿȠǩǿȣǓȠȅǦƺȣǿȠƺǿǏ
ǩǿșȒǩȖǓȅȣȖșȠȅȖǩǓșঀ
৚eǦǓΚƺǾȒǩȖǓljƺǿLjǓΛǦƺȠǓΚǓȖ
ΛǓǿǓǓǏȠǦǓǾȠȅLjǓॹ৛șƺΡș=ȅǦǿ
ǏǠƺȖȖȅΛǿǩǿǠॹXǦॹƺȣȠǦȅȖȅǟ
Dracula in Visual Mediaঀ৚eǦǓΡ
ǦǓǹȒȣșǓΠȒȖǓșșȠǦǓǩǿǓΠȒȖǓșșǩLjǹǓॹ
ljȅǿȠǓșȠȠǦǓǩǿljȅǿȠǓșȠƺLjǹǓॹȅȖǟȣǹЙǹǹ
ȠǦǓȣǿǟȣǹЙǹǹƺLjǹǓঀ৛
2ǿȠǦǓșǓǦȣǿǏȖǓǏȒƺǠǓșॹΛǓঢ়ǹǹ
ǏǩșljȣșșȠǦƺȠǦǩșȠȅȖΡƺǿǏǩǿȠȖȅǏȣljǓ
ΡȅȣȠȅȖǓƺǹেǹǩǟǓΚƺǾȒǩȖǓljȅǾǾȣǿǩȠǩǓșঀ
eǦǓȖǓঢ়șƺǠȣǩǏǓȠȅȣǿǏǓƺǏljƺȖǓƺǿǏ
ǟǓǓǏǩǿǠƺǿǏƺLjȣljǷǓȠǹǩșȠȅǟΚƺljƺΡ
șȒȅȠșǟȅȖǟƺǿǠǟƺǿșঀvǓঢ়ǹǹǓΠȒǹȅȖǓ
ȠǦǓǩȖȖȅǹǓǩǿȒȅȒljȣǹȠȣȖǓॹljǦƺȠΛǩȠǦ
ȠǦǓljȖǓƺȠȅȖȅǟEঢ়șInterview with
the VampireƺǿǏॹȅǟljȅȣȖșǓॹȖǓΚǩșǩȠ
ȖƺǾ^ȠȅǷǓȖঢ়șșǓǾǩǿƺǹǿȅΚǓǹDracula.
^ȅljȅǾǓȅȣȠȅǟȠǦǓljȅГ ǿƺǿǏǴȅǩǿ
ȣșॺΛǓǩǿΚǩȠǓΡȅȣǩǿॻ
7
DISCOVER THE EVOLUTION OF THE UNDEAD FROM
ANCIENT TALES OF CREEPY CREATURES TO OUR
CURRENT LOVE OF THE FANG. AND MEET SOME OF
THE MOST FAMOUS REAL-LIFE VAMPS.
H AUN TE D H ISTO RY

The ancient Egyptian goddess

Sekhmet was a fierce warrior,
hunter, healer and protector.
She was also known for
a bloodlust so great she
almost destroyed humanity.
Her image can be found in
many temples, including this
carving at Temple of Kom
Ombo along the Nile.

“BELIEF IN
VAMPIRE-LIKE
CREATURES
SPANS
CULTURES
AND HISTORY
THROUGHOUT
THE ENTIRE
WORLD.”
Һԡԝ Ӣԃ ԒӰ৺Һ ৺ӢӒ ԒӼҺӼӎ Ӓ Ե
 UNDEAD
EVOLUTION
FROM ANCIENT EVILS TO SPARKLY BEAUS, HOW THE CONCEPT
OF THE VAMPIRE HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS. BY SHARI GOLDHAGEN

t
hese days, you can’t throw a representations of ourselves, our revenants—animated corpses—with
wooden stake without hitting social identities and our own desires.” a taste for blood can be traced way
a vampire. From AMC’s uber While the features change—they back thousands of years.
hit Interview with the Vampire can morph into wolves! They turn In the Neolithic period (around
based on Anne Rice’s novel to into bats!—one thing remains the 4500 BCE) Greeks had vrykolakas—
Nicholas Hoult as Dracula’s same. “Vampires are an embodiment extremely creepy looking creatures,
employee in the upcoming dark of visceral fears that all humans have. who were more partial to snacking
comedy [DzȞϫDzȘǮ, the undead are The vampire is the corruption of on organs than drinking blood.
alive and well in pop culture, and the body,” says Donovan. “At their eǦǓЙȖșȠȠȖȣǓΚƺǾȒǩȖǩljЙǠȣȖǓljƺǿ
they have been for quite some core, no matter their origins or be found in ancient Egyptian legend
time…maybe your initiation was powers, they weaken and use up “in the form of the goddess Sekhmet,
back in 2005, when Edward’s their victims.” who had the face of a cat and became
șȒƺȖǷǹǓЙȖșȠljƺȣǠǦȠǓǹǹƺঢ়șǓΡǓǩǿ a voracious blood drinker when
Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. Or GOING WAAAAY BACK sent by her father, the sun god
perhaps it was with The Lost Boys Sure, Edward Cullen and The Ra, to punish humanity for its
of the ’80s, or when Count von Vampire Diaries’ Salvatore brothers sins,” says Donovan.
Count started adding things up on might be more than 100 years older Other early tales of these
Sesame Street in the ’70s. Or maybe than their human girlfriends, but bloodsuckers include Jewish folk
you were mesmerized by Bram they’re really baby vamps. Tales of șȠȅȖǩǓșȅǟ@ǩǹǩȠǦॹǏƺǾঢ়șЙȖșȠΛǩǟǓশǟȅȖ
Stoker’s eternally en vogue novel
Dracula, which came out 125 years
ago last May.
Actually, it turns out that the
concept of the vampire has been
around much longer. Really, these
ǾΡșȠǓȖǩȅȣșЙǠȣȖǓșǦƺΚǓLjǓǓǿ
haunting human tales, pretty
much since humans have been
telling tales.
৚tƺǾȒǩȖǓșǦƺΚǓLjǓǓǿЙǠȣȖǓșǩǿ
folklore literally around the world,
dating back several millennia,” says
Barna Donovan, PhD, a professor at
Saint Peter’s University and author
of Conspiracy Films: A Tour of Dark Cadaver monuments, like this one for
Places in the American Conscious. the celebrated doctor Guillaume de
“There has been an evolution of Harcigny constructed in 1393, depict the
dead as decomposing corpses. They’re a
these creatures from symbols of reminder of life’s brevity—and hopefully
pure evil and dread to objects of keep vampire hunters at bay.
desire and ultimately the

11
 H AUN TE D H ISTO RY
more see, page 32), who developed
a taste for the life force after leaving
Eden; and the Babylonian legend
of Lilitu—a blood-drinking female
demon who abducted people at night.
In India’s Sanskrit
ǟȅǹǷǹȅȖǓॹੈvetalas—ghoul-like beings
that inhabit corpses—made problems
ǟȅȖȠǦǓǹǩΚǩǿǠঀੈ৚eǦǓЙȖșȠǏǓȒǩljȠǩȅǿș
of the vampire in eastern cultures are
usually related to a vengeful woman,
who after death takes the form of a
șǦƺȒǓেșǦǩǟȠǩǿǠǏǓǾȅǿЙǹǹǓǏΛǩȠǦƺ
bloodlust to wreak havoc on men
who may have wronged them in life,
or pregnant women,” according to
Shannon, founder of InAsianSpaces.
com. Case in point: Malaysian stories
of langsuyar, female vampires who
are the ghosts of women who died
while pregnant or during childbirth.
৚eǦǓ'ǩǹǩȒǩǿȅșΛƺǿǠশȅȖǓΚǩǹșȒǩȖǩȠষ
manananggal was another shape-
shifter with both cannibalistic and
12 VAMPIRES
An engraving from the 1872 Gothic
novel Carmilla shows the titular vampire
attacking her friend Bertha Rheinfeldt
as she sleeps. The General lurks in the
background with a knife.
“THE VAMPIRE vampiric qualities that had a love
of blood from pregnant women
WAS RECAST or children. And the Nure-onnas
BY ROMANTIC- of Japan were said to be vampire
women with either human limbs
ERA WRITERS or the bodies of a sea serpent.
FROM ROTTING eǦǓșǓljȖǓƺȠȣȖǓșΛǓȖǓșƺǩǏȠȅǓǿǴȅΡ
disguising themselves as helpless
REVENANTS TO women carrying bundled babes,
DARKLY SEDUCTIVE which if held by a good-natured
passerby, would become a boulder
LOVERS. THE GENRE that trapped them and allowed the
WAS OPEN FOR THE Nure-onnas to drain their blood
with their long, serpentine tongues.”
METAPHORICAL In Europe, the Middle Ages
EXAMINATION and Early Modern periods are
littered with tales of these beasts.
OF EVERY FORM In Germany the nachzehrerশ৚ƺǟȠǓȖে
OF SEXUALITY devourers)” would eat their burial
shrouds and cause problems for the
AND SEXUAL living without even leaving their
ENCOUNTER.” ǠȖƺΚǓșঀǿǓƺșΡЙΠॹƺljljȅȖǏǩǿǠȠȅ
Protestant theologian Philip Rorh
ӅҺ Ԓ ӼҺ ӎԃ ӼԃԭҺӼৱ ԏ Ӣӎ in his treatises On Chewing the
Dead, was to exhume the suspected
nachzehrerƺǿǏșȠȣАȠǦǓǩȖǾȅȣȠǦș
ΛǩȠǦljȅȠȠȅǿঀ
EǓƺǿΛǦǩǹǓǩǿ2ȠƺǹΡॹȒȣȠȠǩǿǠƺLjȖǩljǷ
ǩǿƺljȅȖȒșǓঢ়șǾȅȣȠǦΛƺșƺȒȒƺȖǓǿȠǹΡƺ
ΛƺΡȠȅȠǩǓǏȅΛǿȠǦǓstregasৄΛǩȠljǦে
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșॹΛǦȅljƺǾǓȅȣȠȅǟȠǦǓǩȖ
ljȅГ ǿșȠȅǾȣǿljǦȅǿȠǦǓǾƺșșǓșঀশ2ǿ
ࢳࢱࢱࢷॹƺȖljǦǓȅǹȅǠǩșȠșȣǿljȅΚǓȖǓǏƺșǷȣǹǹ
ǟȖȅǾȠǦǓࢲࢶࢱࢱșΛǩȠǦƺLjȖǩljǷșǦȅΚǓǏ
ǩǿȠǦǓǴƺΛৄșǓǓǾǩǿǠǹΡǓǾȒǹȅΡǩǿǠ
ȠǦǩșȠǓljǦǿǩȕȣǓঀষ
[ȅǾƺǿǩƺǿmoroiΛǓȖǓșƺǩǏȠȅLjǓ
ΛǩȠljǦǓșΛǩȠǦǿȅǦǓƺȖȠșȅȖșȅȣǹșॹ
ΛǦǩǹǓȠǦǓੈpricoliciΛǓȖǓǦȣǾƺǿॹ
ȠǦȅȣǠǦȠǦǓΡǦƺǏƺȠƺǩǹƺǿǏljȅȣǹǏ
șǦƺȒǓেșǦǩǟȠǩǿȠȅƺΛȅǹǟঀeǦǓ^ljȅȠȠǩșǦ
ǦǩǠǦǹƺǿǏșǦƺǏƺșǹǓΛȅǟǹǓǠǓǿǏșƺLjȅȣȠ
șȣljljȣLjǩॹΛǦǩǹǓ^ǹƺΚǩljΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșljȅȣǹǏ
ƺȒȒǓƺȖƺșLjȣȠȠǓȖМǩǓșঀ
FȅȠȠȅLjǓȅȣȠǏȅǿǓॹsoucouyants,
ǾȅǿșȠǓȖșȅǟƺȖǩLjLjǓƺǿǟȅǹǷǹȅȖǓॹ
ΛǓȖǓșǦƺȒǓেșǦǩǟȠǓȖșΛǦȅƺȒȒǓƺȖǓǏƺș
LjǓƺȣȠǩǟȣǹΛȅǾǓǿLjȣȠΛǓȖǓƺljȠȣƺǹǹΡ
LjǹȅȅǏșȣljǷǩǿǠǦƺǠșঀ
tƺǾȒșॹȠǦǓΡȖǓƺǹǹΡƺȖǓȣǿǩΚǓȖșƺǹॻ
ǏǓljȅǾȒȅșǓঀeǦǓȖǓƺȖǓǾȣǹȠǩȒǹǓ ǟǓǓǏǩǿǠȅǿǦȣǾƺǿLjǹȅȅǏঀ৚eǦǓ
șȠȅȖǩǓșৄǩǿljǹȣǏǩǿǠȅǿǓƺLjȅȣȠȠǦǓ ȖǓǾǓǏǩǓșǩǿljǹȣǏǓǏƺșȠƺǷǓȠǦȖȅȣǠǦ
ΚǩǹǹƺǠǓȅǟ?ǩșǩǹǴǓΚȅǩǿȠǦǓ/ƺȒșLjȣȖǠ ȠǦǓǦǓƺȖȠȅǟȠǦǓljȅȖȒșǓॹljȣȠȠǩǿǠȅА
ǾȒǩȖǓǩǿࢲࢸࢳࢱৄΛǦǓȖǓljȅȖȒșǓș ȠǦǓǦǓƺǏƺǿǏLjȣȖǿǩǿǠȠǦǓLjȅǏΡॹ৛
ΛǓȖǓǏȣǠȣȒƺǿǏǏǩșljȅΚǓȖǓǏȠȅ șƺΡș?ǩǹȒƺȠȖǩljǷঀশeǦǓƺȠǦȅǹǩlj
LjǓǩǿȒǓȖǟǓljȠljȅǿǏǩȠǩȅǿশǟƺljȠȅȖș ljǦȣȖljǦॹǦȅΛǓΚǓȖॹșȅǾǓȠǩǾǓș
ǹǩǷǓǦȅΛȠǦǓΛǓƺȠǦǓȖljȅǿǏǩȠǩȅǿș ljȅǿșǩǏǓȖǓǏǿȅǿেǏǓljȅǾȒȅșǓǏLjȅǏǩǓș
ǾƺΡǦƺΚǓƺАǓljȠǓǏǏǓljȅǾȒȅșǩȠǩȅǿ ȅǟȠǦǩșǩǹǷȠȅLjǓƺșǩǠǿǩЙǓȖǿȅȠȅǟ
ΛǓȖǓǿঢ়ȠȠƺǷǓǿǩǿȠȅljȅǿșǩǏǓȖƺȠǩȅǿষॹ ΚƺǾȒǩȖǩșǾLjȣȠȅǟșƺǩǿȠǦȅȅǏঀষ
ƺǿǏȠǦȣșȠǦȅȣǠǦȠȠȅLjǓΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșঀ 'ȅȖȠǦȅșǓǹȅȅǷǩǿǠȠȅЙǿǏƺȒȅșșǩLjǹǓ
ǿȅȠǦǓȖǟƺljȠȅȖॹȒȣȖǠǓМȣǩǏॸvǦǓǿ șljǩǓǿȠǩЙljǓΠȒǹƺǿƺȠǩȅǿȅǟșȅǾǓȅǟȠǦǓ
ȅȖǠƺǿșșȠƺȖȠȠȅLjȖǓƺǷǏȅΛǿॹƺ ljǦƺȖƺljȠǓȖǩșȠǩljșƺșșȅljǩƺȠǓǏΛǩȠǦȠǦǓ
ȖǓǏǏǩșǦМȣǩǏǩșȒȖȅǏȣljǓǏƺǿǏǩȠ ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓॹljȅǿșǩǏǓȖƺǏǩșǓƺșǓǷǿȅΛǿ
ljƺǿǹǓƺǷȅȣȠȅǟȠǦǓǾȅȣȠǦঀXǓȅȒǹǓ ȠȅǏƺΡƺșȒȅȖȒǦΡȖǩƺঀ৚eǦǓȅΚǓȖǹƺȒ
ΛȅȣǹǏșǓǓȠǦǩșƺǿǏƺșșȣǾǓȠǦƺȠȠǦǓ ȅǟȒȅȖȒǦΡȖǩƺΛǩȠǦΚƺǾȒǩȖǩșǾǩș
ljȅȖȒșǓǦƺǏǹǓǟȠȠǦǓǠȖƺΚǓƺǿǏLjǓǓǿ ȣǿǏǓǿǩƺLjǹǓॹ৛șƺΡș=ঀঀ/ǓȖǿƺǿǏǓΦॹ
The metaphor of the vampire has been used in many contexts over the centuries. Here, Punch
magazine suggests the political party the National League will bleed Ireland dry in an 1885 cartoon.

DEATH, DISEASE
AND PANIC
eǦǓșǓȠƺǹǓșƺȖǓǦƺȖǏǹΡșȣȖȒȖǩșǩǿǠঀ
XǓȅȒǹǓǦƺΚǓƺǹΛƺΡșǟȅȣǿǏΛƺΡșȠȅ
ǓΠȒǹƺǩǿȠǦǩǿǠșȠǦǓΡǏȅǿঢ়ȠȣǿǏǓȖșȠƺǿǏ
ƺǿǏǏǓƺȠǦƺǿǏǏǩșǓƺșǓǦƺΚǓǹȅǿǠLjǓǓǿ
ǦǩǠǦȅǿȠǦǓǹǩșȠȅǟșȠȣАΛǓǦȣǾƺǿș
ǴȣșȠljƺǿঢ়ȠǓΠȒǹƺǩǿƺǹǹȠǦƺȠΛǓǹǹঀ
ǓǟȅȖǓȠǦǓࢲࢹࢱࢱșॹȠǦǓȖǓ
Λƺșǿঢ়ȠƺǠȖǓƺȠȣǿǏǓȖșȠƺǿǏǩǿǠȅǟ
ljȅǾƺȠȅșǓșȠƺȠǓșॹǓșȒǓljǩƺǹǹΡǩǿȖȣȖƺǹ
ljȅǾǾȣǿǩȠǩǓșॹșȅșȅǾǓȠǩǾǓșȒǓȅȒǹǓ
ΛǓȖǓȠǦȅȣǠǦȠȠȅLjǓǏǓƺǏॹLjȣȠȖǓƺǹǹΡ
ǿȅȠșȅǾȣljǦঀ৚2ǟƺLjȣȖǩǓǏȒǓȖșȅǿ
Λƺșǿঢ়ȠǏǓƺǏƺǿǏǾƺǿƺǠǓǏȠȅǏǩǠ
ȠǦǓǾșǓǹΚǓșȅȣȠȅǟƺǠȖƺΚǓॹȠǦǓΡ
ΛȅȣǹǏǦƺΚǓLjǓǓǿǏǩșljȅǾLjȅLjȣǹƺȠǓǏঀ
vǦȅΛȅȣǹǏǿঢ়ȠLjǓॹΛƺǷǩǿǠȣȒǩǿƺ
ljȅГǿȣǿǏǓȖǠȖȅȣǿǏঁ৛șƺΡșFƺǿljΡ
?ǩǹȒƺȠȖǩljǷॹƺǿƺΛƺȖǏেΛǩǿǿǩǿǠΛȖǩȠǓȖ
ΛǦȅঢ়șȒǓǿǿǓǏǾȅȖǓȠǦƺǿࢳࢱǿȅΚǓǹș
ƺLjȅȣȠȠǦǓșȣȒǓȖǿƺȠȣȖƺǹঀ৚eǦǓΡ
ȣșȣƺǹǹΡΛǓǿȠǦȅǾǓΛǦǓȖǓॹǩǟƺșȒȅȣșǓ
ȅȖȒƺȖǓǿȠǏǩǏǿঢ়ȠǏǩǓǟȖȅǾǟȖǩǠǦȠॹȠǦǓΡ
ΛǓȖǓΛǓǹljȅǾǓǏǩǿ৛ৄLjȣȠǿȅȠΛǩȠǦȅȣȠ
ƺǠȖǓƺȠǏǓƺǹȅǟșȣșȒǩljǩȅǿঀ
eǦǓȖǓΛǓȖǓƺǹșȅǾΡȖǩƺǏ
ǾǩșljȅǿljǓȒȠǩȅǿșƺLjȅȣȠǦȅΛLjȅǏǩǓș

13
 H AUN TE D H ISTO RY
an author of multiple supernatural
novels and editor of the weekly
Into Horror History newsletter.
“Symptoms of porphyria include
sensitivity to sunlight; receding
gums (which could make the canine
teeth more pronounced…like, say,
fangs); dark red urine, which folklore
blamed on drinking blood; and even
an aversion to garlic because the
sulfur could lead to acute pain.”
For many people of the era,
vampires were just about the only
explanation for evils of the world like
the bubonic plague that killed tens
of millions of people in the Middle
Ages. Then there was tuberculosis,
aka consumption, which was
probably behind a good deal of
the vampire panics and ensuing
“anti-vampire rituals” in the 1700
and 1800s. According to National
Geographic, there were at least 60
known examples of these rituals in
New England during the period,
most notably the Mercy Brown
14 VAMPIRES
incident in Rhode Island in 1892
(for more, see page 20). “TB easily
spreads, especially among family
members—often taking out entire
households (and neighboring ones)
one at a time,” says Hernandez.
“Some symptoms of tuberculosis
that cultures might recognize as
vampirism would be the victims
becoming gaunt, emaciated and
extremely pale.”
Despite advances in science and
better understanding of disease,
“Tales of vampires continued to A precursor to the vampire, the female
МȅȣȖǩșǦǩǿșȅȣȠǦǓȖǿƺǿǏǓƺșȠǓȖǿ manananggals of Philippine folklore had fangs,
European nations in the 17th and wings and some very formidable looking talons
18th centuries, to the chagrin of as shown in this 1500s rendering.
some leaders,” writes National
ISN’T IT ROMANTIC
What we tend to think of as the
vampire today is really a product of
literature and the Romantic period
that began around 1800.
“The concept of a vampire
consuming blood for power goes
back thousands of years in folklore,
but it seems it took awhile for
someone to write about it,” says
Hernandez. “German poet Heinrich
August Ossenfelder penned a piece
ȠǩȠǹǓǏড়ǓȖtƺǾȒΡȖঢ়ǩǿࢲࢸࢵࢹৄ
this is generally considered the
earliest known literary reference
to a vampire in modern literature.
It’s about a man frustrated by a
woman who continually refuses
his advances and how he imagines
himself as a vampire that sneaks
into her room to kiss her and drain
A 19th-century engraving depicts a her blood.”
man dying of tuberculosis as hospital This idea of seduction was one
staff prays around him. The symptoms ȠǦƺȠȖǓƺǹǹΡȠȅȅǷȅАঀeǦǓȖǓΛƺș
of TB looked a bit vampire-y, which
led to a good deal of confusion and J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla,
unnecessary corpse spiking. about a sapphic-esque vampire (for
ǾȅȖǓॹȠȣȖǿȠȅȒƺǠǓࢸࢵষॹƺǿǏȠǦǓǿ
“The Vampyre,” a short story written
by Dr. John Polidori (though when
Geographic. “By the mid-18th ǩȠΛƺșЙȖșȠȒȣLjǹǩșǦǓǏǩǿࢲࢹࢲࢺॹǩȠ
century, Pope Benedict XIV declared was attributed to poet Lord Byron;
ȠǦƺȠΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșΛǓȖǓੈড়ǟƺǹǹƺljǩȅȣșЙljȠǩȅǿș XȅǹǩǏȅȖǩΛƺșǦǩșǹȅǿǠেșȣАǓȖǩǿǠ
ȅǟǦȣǾƺǿǟƺǿȠƺșΡॹঢ়ੈƺǿǏ/ƺȒșLjȣȖǠ traveling companion). The tale
ruler Maria Theresa condemned was conceived as part of a contest
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓLjǓǹǩǓǟșƺșড়șȣȒǓȖșȠǩȠǩȅǿƺǿǏ between Byron and Percy and Mary
fraud.’” But it still took awhile for Shelley (her iconic novel Frankenstein
people to give up the ghost. was also a product of the contest).
 When talking about the modern concept
of the vampire, it’s hard to overstate the
importance of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In
the 1992 film adaptation, Keanu Reeves
played Jonathan Harker, while Gary
Oldman starred as the infamous count.

It told the story of the suave yet

horrible vampire Lord Ruthven, who
bears a close resemblance to Byron.
And then of course there’s the
father of all contemporary vampire
stories, Bram Stoker’s Dracula,
published in 1897 (for more on the
novel, turn to page 70).
“In these stories, the encounter
with a vampire is not just dangerous
but becomes subtly erotic,” says
Donovan. “In what would become
archetypal plot points in scores of
vampire stories and later movies,
a victim being bitten by a vampire to the embrace and bite. The of Kansas. “The vampire narrative
is an unmistakable metaphor very act of a vampire taking a addresses the possibility of female
for a sexual encounter. Vampires victim is akin to a seduction and sexuality and that women may be
would often meet their victims mutual participation.” more than simply mothers, but we
in the bedroom, the bite would But Victorians had their hang-ups also see Stoker enforce Victorian
be delivered on the victim’s bed, about sex, so of course this was a mores by punishing women who
an aroused vampire’s fangs will double-edged sword. break out of traditional roles.” Look
extend, there is the penetration of “Women were supposed to no further than Lucy Westenra,
ȠǦǓМǓșǦॹƺǿǏЙǿƺǹǹΡƺǿǓΠljǦƺǿǠǓȅǟ be what Virginia Woolf called Eǩǿƺঢ়șLjǓșȠǟȖǩǓǿǏǩǿDracula who
LjȅǏǩǹΡМȣǩǏșঀEȅȖǓȅΚǓȖॹȠǦǓLjǩȠǓȅǟ ‘angels in the house’—caretakers has the audacity to entertain three
the vampire would not come after with no desires or goals of their suitors. Her fate, well, it’s not good.
some violent struggle and resistance, own,” says Ani Kokobobo, PhD, As opposed to some of the early
but after the vampire is able to a professor of Slavic, German and vamps, who might be unfortunate
mesmerize the victim and be invited ȣȖƺșǩƺǿੈ^ȠȣǏǩǓșƺȠȠǦǓhǿǩΚǓȖșǩȠΡ peasants, Dracula, Ruthven,

15
 H AUN TE D H ISTO RY

Carmilla et al. were all nobility,
allowing their authors to present
readers with glamorous places
and situations, and to pepper in
class commentary.
“One can also see sociopolitical
and economic subtexts to these
stories as well,” says Donovan.
“The vampires are the upper class.
They can be seen as representatives
of the exploitative and coercive
power of those with wealth and
status. They do not merely feed
on the blood of their victims or
hypnotize them into an invitation
into the bedroom, but they use their
economic power to manipulate and
exploit the underclasses.”
Some critics suggest an even
more sinister spin, arguing these
bloodsuckers represented age-old
anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
“Dracula, a mysterious man of vast
wealth and power from Eastern
Europe coming to England and
buying up real estate as a part of
his nefarious plan to spread death
and disease, this line of criticism
argues, is but a stand-in for the
wealthy Jew of anti-Semitic
conspiracy theories who uses
his money to secretly rule and
exploit the world,” says Donovan.
“It points to the ‘blood libel’
conspiracy theories dating back to
the Middle Ages when Jews were
accused of abducting Christian
children, murdering them, and
using their blood in rituals.”
Indeed, Adolph Hitler, who
spearheaded the execution of
more than 6 million Jews under
his Nazi regime, explicitly called
Jews vampires in 1925’s Mein
Kampf (My Struggle), in which he
wrote of Jewish men seducing and
controlling Aryan women.
Current conspiracies du jour
such as those peddled by QAnon
have direct lineage to these vampire
tales. “Conspiracy beliefs have
taken an especially dark turn over
the past several years with the
rise of the QAnon and Pizzagate

“VAMPIRISM IS
ALMOST ALWAYS
SOMEHOW EQUATED
WITH SEX AND
SEXUALITY.
THE VAMPIRE
FIRST SEDUCES,
THEN KILLS.”
Һԡ ԝӢ ԃ Ԓ Ӆ ԃӅ ӻ Һӎ ӥ Ԗԃ Ӽ

Netflix’s now cancelled

First Kill featured Imani
Lewis as slayer Calliope and
Sarah Catherine Hook as
Juliette, a vampire looking
for her first kill. It was a
complicated relationship.

16 VAMPIRES
movements, the tropes of vampire Jonathan Frid
legends have been, shockingly starred as vamp
Barnabas Collins
enough, adapted by these latest on the cult 1960s
ljȅǿșȒǩȖƺljǩșȠșॹ৛șƺΡșȅǿȅΚƺǿঀੈ৚eǦǓ TV series Dark
QAnon movement has essentially Shadows.

seduced its believers by weaving a

narrative that is stunningly similar
to the plot arc of Dracula. A
sinister Satanic group of globalist
elites is seeking to topple America
with its economic and mass media
weapons and the elites are given
an unholy power by their occultic
LjǹȅȅǏȖǩȠȣƺǹșঀ৛ੈ
Certainly, from the Romantic
period forward the vampire has
ljȅǾǓȠȅȖǓȒȖǓșǓǿȠ৚ȠǦǓKȠǦǓȖঀ৛
But that’s not necessarily all bad.
Carmilla’s cautionary same-sex
tale aside, the literature of the
vampire has long been a place to
explore relationships outside the
heterosexual. Louis, the vampire
with a conscious and hero of Anne
Rice’s vampire books, has not-so-
subtle relationships with fellow
vampires Lestat and Armond and
searches the world with surrogate
ǏƺȣǠǦȠǓȖǹƺȣǏǩƺȠȅȠȖΡȠȅЙǿǏ
others of their kind. It’s a legacy
with through lines to stories like
FǓȠМǩΠঢ়șࢳࢱࢳࢳǹǓșLjǩƺǿেΚƺǾȒেșǹƺΡǓȖ
romp First Kill.
৚eǦǓtǩljȠȅȖǩƺǿșΛǓȖǓȠǓȖȖǩЙǓǏȅǟ
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșƺșȠǦǓΡΛǓȖǓȠǓȖȖǩЙǓǏȅǟ
sex,” says Bob Madison, who wrote
the Emmy-nominated vampire Sesame Street’s ǿǓǓǏșȠȅǟǓǓǏȅАȅǟȅȠǦǓȖLjǓǩǿǠș
Count von Count
documentary Dark Shadows is a parody of Bela has ethical implications,” says
and Beyondঀ৚vǓৄǟȅȖLjǓȠȠǓȖȅȖ Lugosi’s Dracula. ?ȅǷȅLjȅLjȅঀ৚eǦǓΚƺǾȒǩȖǓLjȖǩǿǠș
ΛȅȖșǓৄƺȖǓǾȅȖǓșǓΠȣƺǹǹΡǹǩLjǓȖƺȠǓǏ us into an alternate reality, it
rather like our vampires.” asks questions about how we can
ƺșƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșǹƺΡǓȖৄΛǦǩljǦǾƺǷǓș LjǓǏǩАǓȖǓǿȠঀƺǿΛǓȠȖǓƺȠǓƺljǦ
LONG LIVE THE UNDEAD for both compelling stories and ȅȠǦǓȖǏǩАǓȖǓǿȠǹΡঁvǦƺȠǷǩǿǏ
eǦǓșǓȣǿǏǓƺǏǦƺΚǓljȅǿȠǩǿȣǓǏ characters. Not only that, but ȅǟȖǩǠǦȠșǏȅΛǓƺАȅȖǏȠǦȅșǓΛǓ
to evolve in our stories, often because these creatures have roots ȒǓȖljǓǩΚǓƺșȅȠǦǓȖșঁ2ǹǩǷǓȠȅșƺΡ
becoming the misunderstood in ancient lore that spans the entire to my students that each era
ȅȠǦǓȖঀ৚XǹǓǿȠΡȅǟΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșǿȅΛ world, there’s a certain mystique ljȖǓƺȠǓșǩȠșȅΛǿΚƺǾȒǩȖǓঀ৛ੈ
have tragic backstories that lead about them because we’ll never If the slew of upcoming books,
us to want to cheer for them, or know the true origins of all of etșǦȅΛșƺǿǏЙǹǾșƺȖǓƺǿΡ
at the very least, understand why the folklore.” indication, these new-era
they act the way they do,” says eǦǓƺȖljǦǓȠΡȒǓǓǿǏȣȖǓșLjǓljƺȣșǓ bloodsuckers are well on their way
/ǓȖǿƺǿǏǓΦঀ৚2ǿǾȅǏǓȖǿЙljȠǩȅǿॹ it forces us to reexamine our own ȅǟǩǿМȣǓǿljǩǿǠǿǓΛǠǓǿǓȖƺȠǩȅǿșঀ
they are so close to humans that lives and how we live them and ৚eǦǓΡঢ়ǹǹljȅǿȠǩǿȣǓȠȅǩǿȠȖǩǠȣǓƺǿǏ
we can picture ourselves on either how we interact with others around inspire forever,” says Hernandez.
side of the story: as a vampire or ȣșঀ৚eǦǓΚǓȖΡǩǏǓƺȅǟƺLjǓǩǿǠȠǦƺȠ ৚tƺǾȒǩȖǓșƺȖǓǩǾǾȅȖȠƺǹॹƺǟȠǓȖƺǹǹঀ৛

17
STAR S UCK E RS
MEET SOME OF HISTORY’S MOST NOTORIOUS VAMPIRES.
BY K ATE SULLIVAN

In the 2005 film The Brothers Grimm,

Monica Bellucci played the Mirror
Queen, loosely based on Countess
Elizabeth Báthory, who according to
lore used the blood of young women to
maintain her own youth.
 STAR S UCK E RS
Mercy
Brown
t
wo months after 19-year-
old Mercy Brown’s death in
January 1892, the townspeople
of Exeter, Rhode Island,
demanded that she, her mother
and older sister be exhumed.
One of them had to be a vampire—
after all, the entire Brown family
had been systematically drained
of life, a sign of vampiric activity.
With Mercy’s brother Edwin now at
death’s door, her father reluctantly
allowed his wife and daughters’
bodies to be inspected.
Mercy’s mother, Mary, and sister
Mary Olive were appropriately
decomposed, but when her own
casket was opened, Mercy looked
as she did on the day she was
buried. Perhaps better—her face
ΛƺșȖǓȒȅȖȠǓǏǹΡМȣșǦঀȠȠǓǿǏǓǓșȅǟ
Mercy’s wake insisted that her body
had shifted positions, according
to The Encyclopedia of Vampires
and Werewolves. The local doctor
was a nonbeliever, according to
New England Myths and Legends:
The True Stories Behind History’s
Mysteries, and he pleaded with the
crowd, saying that it was not unusual
for a body to be in such shape—
especially considering that Mercy
died during a cold New England
winter and was likely frozen.
Still, the crowd demanded that the
doc surgically remove Mercy’s heart;
he did and discovered it to be full
of blood—which they considered
to be proof that she was undead.
ǹǓȠȠǓȖȠȅȠǦǓǓǏǩȠȅȖȠǦƺȠǦƺǏLjǓǓǿ
published in a recent issue of the
Pawtuxet Valley Gleaner called for
the ashes of a vampire’s burned
heart to be “carefully preserved and
administered in some form to the
living victim.” So Mercy’s heart was
thus thrown on a pyre, and its ash
mixed into a cocktail that her sick
20 VAMPIRES
After the Mercy Brown Incident, Rhode
Island became known as “The Vampire
Capital of America.” Upon Bram Stoker’s
death, files and articles about Mercy
were found among his papers.
brother Edwin consumed in the
hopes that it would restore him. He
died about two months later.
Mercy was the third in the
family to die of the disease we
now know as tuberculosis, which
spreads easily in enclosed areas.
Though “consumption” seemed to
be everywhere in New England in
the 18th and 19th centuries, often
wiping out entire families, little was
known about the illness, so little, that
supernatural rumors often ran amok.
There had been 18 exhumations
like Mercy’s throughout the region
since 1799, during the New England
Vampire Panic. But Mercy’s would
be the last—and quite haunting.
Today, local legend is that at her
grave site, one can hear a young
woman’s voice saying, “Please help
me; let me out.”
THE GHASTLY
GRISWOLD
DISCOVERY
She didn’t believe her son—until he
brought home a human skull.
In 1990, three boys playing near an
abandoned gravel mine in Griswold,
Connecticut, discovered a skull in
a family cemetery that dated from
the 1800s. They showed it to their
mom, who summoned authorities.
Most of the other bones were in
coffins in a traditional manner.
But one coffin was smashed in
and the skeleton inside had been
manipulated. The man had been
beheaded, and his skull and
femurs were laying across his rib
cage. “It looked like a skull-and-
crossbones motif, a Jolly Roger,”
archaeologist Nick Bellantoni told
Smithsonian Magazine. “I’d never
seen anything like it.”
Citizens during the New England
Vampire Panic sure had. It had
swept nearby Jewett City (among
other places), leading to multiple
exhumations and inspections of
suspected vampires in the 19th
century. Reconfiguring the bones
was meant to keep the vampire in
its grave. Archeologists determined
that this buried man’s bones had
likely been rearranged five years
after his death. In 2019, his DNA
was analyzed, and he was identified
as a farmer named John Barber.

Richard Chase
i
t started with rabbits.
A young man who consumed
copious amounts of LSD,
marijuana and alcohol, Richard
Chase also drank a hearty
helping of rabbits’ blood in
the 1970s. He’d pop rabbit guts
and Coca-Cola into a blender,
The Sacramento News & Review
later reported. Around this time,
neighbors’ cats and dogs started
going missing.
Institutionalized in 1975 after
injecting himself with rabbit’s
blood, which he said was to keep his
heart from shrinking, Chase was
diagnosed as schizophrenic. Only,
antipsychotic medications had no
ǓАǓljȠȅǿǦǩǾॹșȅǾǓȠǦǩǿǠǏȅljȠȅȖș
believed was due to his prolonged
ǏȖȣǠȣșǓঀKǿǓǏƺΡॹǦȅșȒǩȠƺǹșȠƺА
came upon Chase, his mouth covered
in blood, and two dead birds on
his windowsill, according to The
The lore says a vampire must be invited in to enter a home, a rule Richard Chase abided by. He told police that if he encountered a locked door, he took that as a
sign that he was not welcome and would leave the inhabitants alone, whereas he took an unlocked door as an invitation to enter.
Last Book on the Left. They
nicknamed him “Dracula.”
In 1976, Chase was released from
the hospital and quickly resumed
torturing small animals. He ripped a
dead cat apart in front of his mother
and smeared himself in its blood.
Then, from December 1977 to
January 1978—over the course of
just one month—Chase, then 27, shot
and killed six people. He mutilated
three of his victims’ bodies, including
those of a pregnant woman and
a 22-month-old child. Moreover,
he drank their blood and ate their
organs, earning him the nickname
“The Vampire of Sacramento.”
^ǦǓȖǩАȣƺǿǓ@ȅΛljƺǹǹǓǏΛǦƺȠǦǓ
șƺΛƺȠȠǦǓЙǿƺǹljȖǩǾǓșljǓǿǓॹΛǦǓȖǓ
four people were killed, “The most
bizarre, grotesque and senseless
killings I’ve seen in 28 years.”
'2ȒȖȅЙǹǓȖșǦƺǏƺǠȅȅǏșǓǿșǓ
of who they were hunting. In his
memoir Whoever Fights Monsters,
FBI Agent Robert K. Ressler
shared his initial expectations:
An undernourished-appearing
white male, 25 to 27, unemployed
and living alone in a slovenly
home, who had a history with
drugs and mental illness, probably
one or more forms of paranoid
psychosis. But it was a former
high school classmate who took
Chase down. She’d run into him
in a store; he creeped her out
and he had blood on his clothing.
When she heard the police were
looking for a killer in the area,
she called and told them about
her strange interaction with a
wild-eyed Chase.
Once apprehended, Chase told
authorities stories about Nazis and
aliens. Housed in the notorious
San Quentin State Penitentiary,
ȅȠǦǓȖȒȖǩșȅǿǓȖșΛǓȖǓȠǓȖȖǩЙǓǏȅǟ
Chase. The Vampire of Sacramento
ultimately died by suicide,
overdosing on antidepressants that
he had been hoarding in his cell.
21
STAR S UCK E RS

Vlad the
Impaler

s
trictly speaking, the brutal
15th-century ruler of what
is now Romania was not a
vampire. But he was likely
an inspiration for the most
ǟƺǾȅȣșЙljȠǩȅǿƺǹLjǹȅȅǏșȣljǷǓȖॹ
ȖƺljȣǹƺঀtǹƺǏঢ়șǟƺȠǦǓȖॹtǹƺǏ22
Dracul, was a member of The
KȖǏǓȖȅǟȠǦǓȖƺǠȅǿॹƺǦȖǩșȠǩƺǿ
ȅȖǠƺǿǩΦƺȠǩȅǿǓșȠƺLjǹǩșǦǓǏȠȅȒȖȅȠǓljȠ
Europe from the Ottomans. Dracul
ǩșǏǓȖǩΚǓǏǟȖȅǾȠǦǓ@ƺȠǩǿ৚ǏȖƺljȅ৛ৄ
ǾǓƺǿǩǿǠ৚ǏȖƺǠȅǿঀ৛৚hǹǓƺ৛ǾǓƺǿș
৚șȅǿȅǟ৛ǩǿ[ȅǾƺǿǩƺǿঀDracula
ƺȣȠǦȅȖȖƺǾ^ȠȅǷǓȖȖǓƺǏȅǟ

Vlad (1430–1476) is widely

considered one of the most important
rulers in Wallachian history. He led
the nation three separate times and
kept invaders at bay.

ȠǦǓ2[@Ȗƺljȣǹঢ়șΚǩȅǹǓǿljǓঀeǦǓ
ȒȅșȠǦȣǾȅȣșǹΡǿǩljǷǿƺǾǓǏtǹƺǏȠǦǓ
2ǾȒƺǹǓȖljǓȖȠƺǩǿǹΡǹǩΚǓǏȣȒȠȅȠǦƺȠ
ǿƺǾǓঀ/ǓȠȅȖȠȣȖǓǏƺǿǏǷǩǹǹǓǏƺș
ǾƺǿΡƺșࢲࢱࢱॹࢱࢱࢱǓǿǓǾǩǓșॹǏǩșȒǹƺΡǩǿǠ
ȠǦǓǩȖǩǾȒƺǹǓǏǦǓƺǏșȅǿȒȅșȠșশƺǿǏ
ƺljljȅȖǏǩǿǠȠȅșȅǾǓॹǏǩȒȒǩǿǠǦǩșLjȖǓƺǏ
ǩǿȠǦǓǩȖLjǹȅȅǏষঀ^ȠǩǹǹॹǦǓঢ়șljȅǿșǩǏǓȖǓǏ
ƺǦǓȖȅǩǿ[ȅǾƺǿǩƺƺǿǏȠǦǓȖǓƺȖǓ
statues built in his honor.
ljljȅȖǏǩǿǠȠȅȠǦǓঢ়șThe
History HourॹtǹƺǏঢ়șǹȣșȠǟȅȖ
punishment was so fervent that
ǦǓȅȖǏǓȖǓǏȒǓȅȒǹǓǦǓljȅǿșǩǏǓȖǓǏ
ǹƺΦΡȠȅLjǓLjȣȖǿǓǏȠȅǏǓƺȠǦঀ/Ǔƺǹșȅ
ǓΠǓljȣȠǓǏƺΛȅǾƺǿǟȅȖǾƺǷǩǿǠǦǓȖ
ǦȣșLjƺǿǏƺșǦǩȖȠȠǦƺȠΛƺșȠȅȅșǦȅȖȠঀ
He might have been less scary if he
was a supernatural creature.
A German woodcut from 1499 shows
Dracula taking his meals among the
impaled corpses of his victims. Today
he’d likely be accused of war crimes.

Wealthy families would send their
daughters to Elizabeth Báthory’s
Čachtice Castle so they could
learn etiquette from her, but after
a number of them disappeared or
died mysteriously, people began to
suspect the countess was to blame.
S
he was christened
Elizabeth, but a more
appropriate name
would have been
Bloody Báthory.
The 17th-century
Hungarian countess and
niece of the king of Poland
grew up in the lap of luxury.
She was beautiful and
reportedly obsessed with
maintaining her youth,
which she allegedly did by
bathing in and drinking
the blood of virgins, both
servants and lower-ranking
noblewomen. She’s said to
have murdered as many as
600 young women and girls,
according to the Guinness
World Records, which would
ǾƺǷǓǦǓȖȠǦǓǾȅșȠȒȖȅǹǩЙlj
female serial killer in history.
In 1940, occult historian
William Seabrook referred to
Elizabeth Báthory
her as the “World Champion
Lady Vampire of All Time.”
György Thurzó, her
cousin, was appointed by
Hungary’s King Matthias to
investigate Báthory. Word on
the cobblestone street was
that she didn’t just kill her
victims; she tortured them
before their deaths. She’s said
to have enlisted her servants
to help her whip victims as
young as 10, drive needles
ǩǿȠȅȠǦǓǩȖЙǿǠǓȖșॹƺǿǏljȅƺȠ
them in honey so that they’d
attract biting insects. The
horrors Báthory supposedly
committed inspired poems,
ǹǩȠǓȖƺȠȣȖǓॹЙǹǾșƺǿǏǓΚǓǿ
operas. “To say that Báthory
galvanized the imagination
of her posterity would be
a gross understatement,”
professor Susanne Kord
wrote in Murderesses in
German Writing, 1720–
1860. “And is perhaps
characteristic of legends, hers
rests on a very thin historical
foundation.”
The accusations against
Báthory were always wild,
but became wilder over time.
For example, that she had an
Iron Maiden—a machine
meant to press blood out of
bodies—installed above a
bathtub was not mentioned
at her trial. While her
arrestor later claimed to
have discovered Báthory in
the act, with blood on her
mouth, an earlier account
said she was arrested while
eating (a nonhuman) dinner.
Thurzó also wrote in a
letter to his wife that he had
discovered a live victim in
Báthory’s torture chamber,
but there’s no record of that
victim testifying at her trial.
Instead, 289 witnesses were
called to the stand, with
229 saying they hadn’t seen
anything but had heard
stories; 29 said they knew
nothing, and two more
said they were guessing,
according to Murderesses.
Like some European witch
trials involving the wealthy
accused, there might have
LjǓǓǿƺЙǿƺǿljǩƺǹǾȅȠǩΚǓ
behind the allegations
against Báthory. According
to Britannica, her family
members inherited the
widow’s assets after her
conviction. And a debt owed
to her by King Matthias was
forgiven when he allowed
her family to supervise her
ljȅǿЙǿǓǾǓǿȠǩǿǦǓȖljƺșȠǹǓॺঀ
That’s one way to avoid
paying someone back.
23
 STAR S UCK E RS

Sarah
Ellen
Roberts
n
o European country would
agree to have Sarah Ellen
Roberts buried in their soil.
Both Argentina and Chile
had also turned her lead-lined One reason Pisco residents
ljȅГǿƺΛƺΡॹǩȠঢ়șșƺǩǏॹșȅǦǓȖ might have been so ready to
exhausted husband John went on believe that Roberts was a
ȠȅXǓȖȣॹΛǦǩljǦƺșƺǩǹȅȖǦƺǏȠȅǹǏ vampire might relate to a belief
him was the land of witches. It in a type of Peruvian sucker—
was worth a shot; Sarah had been the pishtacoॹƺΛǦǩȠǓǾƺǿॹΛǦȅ
accused of witchcraft—in addition according to An Amazonian Myth
ȠȅΚƺǾȒǩȖǩșǾॹƺljljȅȖǏǩǿǠȠȅǹȅljƺǹǹȅȖǓঀ and Its HistoryॹǟǓǏȅАǦȣǾƺǿ
2ǿǦǓȖǦȅǾǓȠȅΛǿȅǟǹƺljǷLjȣȖǿॹȠǦǓ fat. The authors of Cholas and
Englishwoman had allegedly been Pishtacos: Stories of Race and Sex in
ǩǿȠǓȖȖǓǏǩǿǦǓȖljȅГ ǿƺǹǩΚǓȅǿ=ȣǿǓࢺॹ the Andes attribute pishtaco stories
ࢲࢺࢲࢴॹǦǓȖȒȣǿǩșǦǾǓǿȠǟȅȖǏȖǩǿǷǩǿǠ to capitalist foreigners entering
human blood and worshipping the indigenous land.
ǏǓΚǩǹॹƺljljȅȖǏǩǿǠȠȅWritten in Blood: 2ǿȣǠȣșȠࢳࢱࢱࢸॹƺǿȅȠǦǓȖȖǓƺșȅǿ
A Cultural History of the British ȠȅLjǓǹǩǓΚǓǓǾǓȖǠǓǏॸƺǿǓƺȖȠǦȕȣƺǷǓ
Vampire. Around her new “home” ǏǓșȠȖȅΡǓǏࢹࢱઔȅǟȠǦǓȠȅΛǿॹLjȣȠ
ǩǿXǩșljȅॹXǓȖȣৄƺǠȖƺΚǓǦǓȖǦȣșLjƺǿǏ [ȅLjǓȖȠșঢ়ǠȖƺΚǓΛƺșȣǿǏǩșȠȣȖLjǓǏঀ
bought for £5—rumors soon
circulated that she had been bitten by
Dracula himself. Neighbors had also
heard that Roberts had promised to
return from the grave in 80 years…
'ƺșȠেǟȅȖΛƺȖǏȠȅ=ȣǿǓࢲࢺࢺࢴঀ@ȅljƺǹș
were on edge. “Pregnant women
МǓǏॹǟǓƺȖǟȣǹȠǦƺȠম[ȅLjǓȖȠșঢ়যșȒǩȖǩȠ
might try to reincarnate itself in
ȠǦǓǩȖljǦǩǹǏॹ৛ΛȖȅȠǓȠǦǓ Daily Mail.
“Vampire kits” complete with garlic
ƺǿǏșȠƺǷǓșМǓΛȅАȠǦǓșǦǓǹΚǓșঀȣȠ
=ȣǿǓࢺljƺǾǓƺǿǏΛǓǿȠΛǩȠǦȅȣȠ
incident. (Folks wondered: Is she
biding her time? Had she really said
100 years and not 80?)
British census papers report
[ȅLjǓȖȠșঢ়ǏǓƺȠǦȕȣǩȠǓǏǩАǓȖǓǿȠǹΡ
ǟȖȅǾȠǦǓǹǓǠǓǿǏঀǿǠǹƺǿǏΛƺșǿঢ়ȠșȠǩǹǹ
ǓΠǓljȣȠǩǿǠƺljljȣșǓǏΛǩȠljǦǓșǩǿࢲࢺࢲࢴঀ
Roberts is reportedly buried in Peru
because she died there while on a
visit to her brother-in-law—possibly
ǏȣȖǩǿǠljǦǩǹǏLjǩȖȠǦॹƺljljȅȖǏǩǿǠȠȅ
Written in Blood.

24 VAMPIRES
 Lucía de Cabrera
AND THE WITCHES OF ANAGA
f
or centuries, locals said the
Witches of Anaga danced
ƺȖȅȣǿǏƺLjȅǿЙȖǓǩǿȠǦǓ
mountains and swam naked
ȅАȠǦǓljȅƺșȠȅǟȠǦǓƺǿƺȖΡ
Islands…. It would sound
ǩǏΡǹǹǩljॹǩǟǿȅȠǟȅȖȠǦǓLjǹȅȅǏșȣljǷǩǿǠঀ
In 1581, an alleged vampire-
ΛǩȠljǦ@ȣljǫƺǏǓƺLjȖǓȖƺƺǏǾǩȠȠǓǏ
to making a deal with the devil, to
МΡǩǿǠƺǿǏȠȅǏȖǩǿǷǩǿǠljǦǩǹǏȖǓǿঢ়ș
LjǹȅȅǏঀ^ǦȅȖȠǹΡƺǟȠǓȖȠǦǩșljȅǿǟǓșșǩȅǿॹ
she died in a local hospital from
injuries sustained during her
torture, historian Francisco
Fajardo Spínola told the news
website Lanzarotelandia.
ƺLjȖǓȖƺΛƺșȅǿǓȅǟȠǦȅȣșƺǿǏș
of accused witches in the islands
during the 16th and 17th centuries,
and bloodsucking was not a rare
charge. The public was looking
for scapegoats to explain problems
such as plagues and pirates, said
Local legends of the Canary Islands include the tales of the Anaga witches who’d dress in dense
black robes and ascend to the upper plain of the Massif and into the forest.
Clockwise from top:
Some speculated that
Sarah Ellen Roberts
was a concubine
of Dracula, like one
played by Elena Anaya
in Van Helsing; her
tomb in Peru is
a popular haunt
of tourists.
Spínola—and inquisitors found
them in the vulnerable. A
translation of a Lanzarotelandia
article noted that more than half
of those prosecuted in the islands
for witchcraft were Black (like
ƺLjȖǓȖƺষॹǾȣǹƺȠȠȅȅȖEȅȅȖǩșǦআ
89% were from the lower classes.
Spínola, who has researched
ȠǦǓƺǿƺȖΡ2șǹƺǿǏșΛǩȠljǦ
ǩǿȕȣǩșǩȠǩȅǿǓΠȠǓǿșǩΚǓǹΡॹșƺǩǏ
ȠǦƺȠƺLjȖǓȖƺΛƺșƺǦǓƺǹǓȖॹƺǿǏ
her satanic and blood-drinking
confessions originated from the
minds of her prosecutors. While
ȠǦǓȖǩljǦljȅȣǹǏșǓǓǏȅljȠȅȖșॹǾƺǿΡ
“witches” used medicinal herbs
to cure the ailments of the poor,
according to The Secret History of
the Canary IslandsঀeȅǏƺΡॹǦǩǷǩǿǠ
tours of the Anaga mountains
share the legend of its witches
ƺǿǏȠǦǓΛǩǹǏȒǹƺǿȠșȠǦǓΡȣșǓǏȠȅ
create medicines.
 STAR S UCK E RS
The Highgate
Cemetery Vampire
i
n 1969, an accountant
walking in London’s Highgate
Cemetery claimed that a
specter hovering above the
ground drained him of his
energy. Who wouldn’t believe
him? He’s an accountant. At least
that was what David Farrant, a
Wiccan priest and press-dubbed
“vampire hunter” thought.
To be fair, there had been
many unusual occurrences at the
cemetery—graves that looked
disturbed, a slew of dead foxes,
two sightings of a ghostly cyclist.
Farrant and his rival vampire
The Highgate Cemetery, shown in this engraving from 1838, is the
final resting place of more than 170,000 souls.
hunter, self-proclaimed bishop
Sean Manchester, agreed that
there was some presence in
the cemetery. Though Farrant
thought of it as more of a draining
spirit, Manchester saw it as a true
humanoid vampire, according to
their respective books. Manchester
described the Highgate vampire as
26 VAMPIRES
being “a gaunt, lean creature with
pale skin, red lips, horrible stinking
breath and razor-sharp teeth.”
Manchester became convinced
it existed after he interviewed
Elizabeth, a young woman who
had reportedly encountered the
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓঀ/ǓȖLjȅΡǟȖǩǓǿǏljȅǿЙǏǓǏ
in Manchester that he had since
seen two strange marks on her neck.
One night, her boyfriend said that
he’d heard Elizabeth scream and
ǓǿȠǓȖǓǏǦǓȖȖȅȅǾȠȅЙǿǏǦǓȖǠƺșȒǩǿǠ
for breath and specks of blood on
her pillow, according to The Last
Podcast on the Left.
Farrant and Manchester inspired
a vampire mania in London. On
March 13, 1970—you guessed it, a
Friday—Manchester led a crowd to
the cemetery to hunt the vampire.
৚ǓșȒǩȠǓȒȅǹǩljǓǓАȅȖȠșȠȅljȅǿȠȖȅǹȠǦǓ
mob, several graves were opened, and
corpses were beheaded and mutilated
with spikes, both on that night
Stone angels
pepper the
ground, but what
about vampires?
and during subsequent ‘hunts,’”
reported My London News.
In August, police arrested Farrant
for stalking the cemetery with a
ljȖȣljǩЙΠƺǿǏșȠƺǷǓॹƺljljȅȖǏǩǿǠȠȅtǩljǓঀ
(His increasingly strange behavior—
șȒǓljǩЙljƺǹǹΡॹȒȅșǩǿǠǟȅȖȒǩljȠȣȖǓșΛǩȠǦ
corpses, led to him going to prison
ǟȅȖЙΚǓΡǓƺȖșঀষEƺǿljǦǓșȠǓȖǾƺǏǓƺ
follow-up visit to the cemetery too,
intending on staking a corpse, only
to be held back by a fellow hunter,
according to folklore expert Bill
Ellis, PhD, of Pennsylvania State
University. (Manchester still left some
ǠƺȖǹǩljǩǿȠǦǓljȖΡȒȠঀষ/ǓǹƺȠǓȖljǹƺǩǾǓǏ
to have tracked the Highgate vampire
to a local mansion, where he staked
the creature, turning it to slime,
which he then set ablaze.
Eventually, the London
vamp-hunting fever died down,
even with a handful of unusual
incidents occurring in the cemetery
over the years. Today, the main
takeaway from the Highgate
vampire case is the combative
relationship between Farrant and
Manchester, who resented each
other’s claims and fame. Farrant
made “Bishop Bonkers” comic
books and merchandise based on
Manchester, and even decades after
they met, Manchester wrote posts
about Farrant having “narcissistic
personality disorders.”
Could it be that the vampire
of Highgate is really a green-eyed
monster called jealousy?
John Haigh
t
he money was great—but it
wasn’t his motivation. “He
said his main motive for the
murders was his urge to drink
his victims’ blood,” The
History Press reported of John
Haigh, dubbed The Acid Bath
Murderer. “He’d cut a nick in their
ǿǓljǷșƺǿǏЙǹǹǓǏƺǠǹƺșșȅȖȠΛȅΛǩȠǦ
their blood to quench his thirst.”
Or so Haigh claimed after he was
arrested in 1949. He went to trial
for killing six people and dissolving
their bodies in oil drums full of
sulfuric acid. The court said his
crimes were premeditated murder
done for personal gain. Haigh, who
had previously been to prison for
fraud, lived in the tony Onslow
Court Hotel in London and was
a chronic gambler with expensive
tastes. But he insisted that his
ǷǩǹǹǩǿǠșΛǓȖǓǿȅȠƺLjȅȣȠȠǦǓȒȖȅЙȠș
he made from stealing pension
checks and selling luxury items he
ȠȅȅǷȅАLjȅǏǩǓșॹLjȣȠƺȒȅΛǓȖǟȣǹ
bloodlust. He shared exclusive
information on his crimes with
The News of the World paper; in
exchange they paid for his defense.
An account of this, including the
paper’s telegram to him, is found in
the book The Acid Bath Murders:
The Trials and Liquidations of John
George Haigh.
Haigh claimed that he’d been
obsessed with blood as a child,
according to Ian Cooper’s Frenzy,
and that after a car accident in
1944, childhood dreams returned
to him. “I saw before me a forest of
ljȖȣljǩЙΠǓșॹΛǦǩljǦǠȖƺǏȣƺǹǹΡȠȣȖǿǓǏ
ǩǿȠȅȠȖǓǓșঀȠЙȖșȠॹȠǦǓȖǓƺȒȒǓƺȖǓǏ
to be dew or rain, dripping from
the branches, but as I approached,
I realized it was blood. The whole
forest began to writhe and the trees,
dark and erect, to ooze blood…. A
man went from each tree catching
the blood…. When the cup was
full, he approached me. ‘Drink,’ he
said, but I was unable to move.”
Haigh had hoped his vampiric
confessions would land him in the
Broadmoor asylum. But the jury
deliberated for just 15 minutes
before sentencing Haigh to hang.
The day before his execution,
Madame Tussauds took a cast of
Haigh’s face. For years, his wax
ЙǠȣȖǓΛȅȣǹǏșȠƺǿǏǩǿȠǦǓǦƺǾLjǓȖ
of Horrors, alongside historic
villains Vlad the Impaler and
Ǐȅǹǟ/ǩȠǹǓȖঀeǦǓЙǠȣȖǓǓΚǓǿΛȅȖǓ
Haigh’s own suit.
John Haigh believed that if
investigators found no body, there
was no crime. This theory was, in
fact, not at all true, and Haigh was
convicted and sentenced to death.
27
 FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE VAMPIRE
VOCABULARY, LEARN HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR
OWN LITTLE REVENANT, AND EXPLORE THE
RIVALRY BEHIND TEAM EDWARD AND TEAM JACOB.
 WOR DS OF W IS DOM

If only Lucy
Westenra knew
the lingo, she
might have
avoided her fate
in Bram Stoker’s
Dracula.

(UN)DEAD
LANGUAGE
WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR VAMP VOCAB? HERE ARE SOME
TERMS THAT ARE BLOODY ESSENTIAL. BY K ATE SULLIVAN

▸ APOTROPAIC
This is an item or talisman
that wards off evil. Garlic, a
crucifix and holy water are
among the things thought to
keep a vampire at bay.

30 VAMPIRES
BA JANG
A vampiric male demon in Malaysian
legend that takes the form of a cat. It
could be called upon by humans using
the corpse of a family member or a
stillborn child. A strong witch could have a
Bajang as a familiar and order it to attack
enemies. While Bajang hunger can be
sated by eggs and milk, it prefers kids. The
female version is called a Langsuir, which
appears as a beautiful woman. Instead of
using fangs, she sucks blood through a
long black hair at the back of her neck.
▴ BLOODLINE
This is your basic “family tree”
of vampires who are connected
through one master or several
creators and their progeny.
▾ BYRONIC VAMPIRE
A variation on the Byronic
hero, named for the English
Romantic poet and satirist Lord
George Byron. These characters
generally look and act much like
the handsome poet himself, and
have similarly
prolific love
lives. Pale,
rake thin,
with deeply
passionate
eyes, Byronic
vamps seduce
their pray
before going in
for the kill.
▸ CHUPACABRA
Spanish for “goat-sucker,”
this vampiric creature leaves
its uneaten domestic animal
and pet victims bloodless. In
the 1970s, a rash of attacks in
Puerto Rico, Nebraska and South
Dakota gave credence to the
mythical predator’s existence,
as did several sightings in Puerto
Rico in 1995. Britannica.com
likens the chupacabra’s
supposed appearance to a
“reptilian kangaroo.”
CRYPT
A vault or underground room often
used to bury the dead. It’s sometimes
the location of a coffin where a vampire
might hang out in the daytime.
DHAMPIR
A supernatural hybrid, a dhampir is a
child born of a human and a vampire.
According to Balkan legend, a dhampir
has wild black hair and no shadow.
These powerful beings often used
their gifts for detecting vampires to
hunt them. Dhampir stories inspired
the half-human comic book and movie
character Blade, who had all of a
vampire’s powers and none of
its weaknesses.
EXSANGUINATE
To drain of blood. Vampires usually do
this through the jugular.
FANGS
The long, sharp canine teeth that a
vampire uses to pierce through the skin
to suck blood. Most historians agree
that while the vampire had been in
stories going back through the
1700s, vamps didn’t really have fangs
until Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1897.
Many depictions in contemporary
culture show these chompers to be
retractable, only coming out when an
attack is imminent.
FLEDGLING
A newly created vampire just starting
out in the world.
31
 WOR DS OF W IS DOM

MEDALLION
A medal worn by a vampire, made popular
by Hollywood depictions of Dracula. An
piece of jewelry known as an amulet refers
to a talisman meant to deter a vampire.

▴ MESMERIZING
This act of vampiric hypnosis (known as
“glamouring” to True Blood fans) not only
holds a victim’s attention but can be used
▴ GHOUL to plant ideas in their mind and influence
A human brought back from the behavior (this happened a lot on The
grave who consumes flesh instead of Vampire Diaries).
blood. In Haitian lore, this zombie-
like being could be summoned
through magic and controlled.

JUBOKKO
Essentially a vampire tree in
Japanese folklore, Jubokkos appear
on battlefields to suck up the blood
of the casualties. If there’s not a war
going on, they’re not above grabbing
a human victim on their own.

▾ L AMASHTU
An ancient Mesopotamian demon
goddess, her name translates
to “she who erases.” The feared
daughter of the sky god Anu was
believed to be the mythical cause
of miscarriages and infant deaths.
A human-monster hybrid, she’d
suck the blood of newborns and
of young men, giving the latter
nightmares and diseases.
▸ LILITH
The first wife of the biblical Adam,
Lilith was created from the same
soil that he was, according to the
ancient Middle Ages text Alphabet
of Ben Sira. Lilith spurned Adam
and chose to be with Ashmedai,
whom Jewish legend calls the
King of Demons. Some stories
said this led to Lilith becoming the
first vampire, sucking the blood of
young men as they sleep or causing
crib death among infants because
angels killed her offspring.

32 VAMPIRES
PSYCHIC VAMPIRE
Also known as an “emotional vampire”
or “energy vampire.” Outside of
folklore, this term applies to a person
who unconsciously or deliberately
drains another of mental and emotional
energy to fuel their own narcissism.
They’re often charming, but spending
too much time with them causes stress
that can literally make you sick.
▸ SEKHMET
The destructive, vampiric daughter
of the sun god Ra, sent to punish
those who had not shown him
respect. The ancient Egyptian
goddess with the face of a lioness
breathed fire, caused disease
and drank human blood. But for
her friends, she used her powers
to heal. Eventually, Sekhmet’s
bloodlust knew no bounds—going
beyond even her father’s need for
revenge. She was tamed by Ra
when he dyed a copious amount
of beer red, and she drank it
thinking it was blood. She fell
asleep and awoke as a new, gentler
goddess, Hathor. But the Sekhmet
underneath continued to exist and
was blamed for plagues and wars.

▴ RENFIELD’S
SYNDROME
Known as clinical vampirism,
people with this mental disorder
crave blood. Some lust after other
people’s or animal blood, while
others desire their own blood. This
type of autovampirism can also
arise in those with schizophrenia
and borderline personality
disorder. The name comes from
R.M. Renfield, a deranged
character in Dracula, who acts as
the count’s familiar and hopes
his boss will return the favor by
granting him immortality.
REVENANT
A person who has returned from beyond
the grave. Not all revenants are vampires,
but most vampires are revenants.
SIRING
Also known as initiating, creating or
turning, this is the act of making a new
vampire. Most lore agrees that a vampire
is “born” via a bite from an established
vamp. And what, you may ask, made
the first bloodsucker? A curse is usually
to blame. Some say a victim must
reciprocate, drinking the vampire’s blood
after being bitten themselves to complete
the transformation (à la Interview with the
Vampire). But other proposed methods
of transforming include eating meat from
a sheep killed by a wolf or having a cat
jump over one’s grave. In Greece, it was
believed that babies born with teeth were
future vampires, which was thought to
have been caused because a vampire
looked at their pregnant mother.
▾ STAKING
Piercing a vampire’s heart with a
wooden spike in order to kill him
or her. Other methods for offing
a bloodsucker include exposing
them to sunlight, thus setting them
aflame, and decapitation. A good
hunter generally does all three to
cover their bases.
TELEPATHY
The ability to read thoughts and see
images in others’ minds. Anne Rice,
author of Interview with the Vampire,
included telepathy in a trifecta of powers
she called The Mind Gift. If a vampire has
The Mind Gift, he or she can use telepathy,
telekinesis (the ability to move objects
with one’s mind) and pyrokinesis (the
ability to start fires with one’s mind). In
Twilight, Edward had a form of telepathy,
but couldn’t read Bella’s thoughts.

33
 B E HI N D T HE M YT HS

CARE &
FEEDING
THE AUTHORS OF THE SCIENCE OF MONSTERS SHARE HOW TO KEEP
A VAMPIRE HAPPY AND HEALTHY. BY KELLY FLORENCE & MEG HAFDAHL

No coffin? No problem! An
old Victorian suitcase should
suffice for your little one. The
creepier, the better!

34 VAMPIRES
C
ongratulations! It’s a vampire!
Whether this little bloodsucker
came into your life as a child,
ƺǟȖǩǓǿǏॹȅȖƺșǩǠǿǩЙljƺǿȠ
other is up to you and your
imagination. But now that
you have that little undead darling,
you’ll need to keep your companion
safe and happy. Where should
you look for advice? The movies
of course! And turn to us, Kelly
Florence and Meg Hafdahl, co-
authors of The Science of Monsters.
We’ve carefully researched and fact-
checked all the vampire legends and
ǹȅȖǓȠȅǠǓȠΡȅȣƺǿǏΡȅȣȖΚƺǾȒȅАȠȅ
a great start.
FOOD
eǦǓЙȖșȠȠǦǩǿǠȠȅǷǿȅΛǩșȠǦƺȠ
vampires need to drink blood to
survive. What could the biological
reasons be? Animals that consume
blood include bats, mosquitoes,
МǓƺșॹǹƺǾȒȖǓΡșƺǿǏǹǓǓljǦǓșঀeǦǩș
practice, known as hematophagy, is
a preferred form of feeding for many
small animals due to its ease and the
high levels of protein and lipids (fats)
found in blood. What do all these
animals have in common? They have
mouth parts that pierce the skin of
hosts (like vampire fangs!) and then
allow them to suck or lap up the
blood that escapes.
Is there any blood that vampires
should avoid? Lestat (Tom Cruise) is
tricked into drinking “dead blood”
ǩǿȠǦǓЙǹǾΚǓȖșǩȅǿȅǟInterview
Interview with the that this dizziness is the result of
Vampire’s Lestat (Tom the blood not gaining fresh oxygen
Cruise) is a classy
vamp, so he let’s his through circulation.” So, probably
victim bleed into a good to avoid it!
wine goblet before Some vampires opt not to
he drinks it (top). The
undead on True Blood, consume human blood and drink
like Jessica (Deborah that of animals instead (like the
Ann Woll) and Bill Cullens in the Twilight series), while
(Stephen Moyer), only
drink the synthetic other stories explore alternate food
stuff (left). sources. These include True Blood
(2008–2014), in which a synthetic
blood allows vampires to live in
with the Vampire (1994) and it human society, and Sundown: The
really doesn’t agree with him. Why Vampire in Retreat (1989), in which
ΛȅȣǹǏȠǦǩșƺАǓljȠǦǩǾǿǓǠƺȠǩΚǓǹΡঁ ƺǿƺȖȠǩЙljǩƺǹȒǹƺșǾƺȒǹƺǿȠǦǓǹȒșƺ
According to IMDB, “Vampires small town of vampires survive in
drink blood because it sustains
them. In the Ricean universe, a
vampire must not drink blood
from a dead person. ‘Dead blood’
will make them seriously ill. But
ljȅǿЙȖǾǓǏLjΡ@ǓșȠƺȠঢ়șȅΛǿșȠȅȖΡ
ǹǩǿǓǩǿȠǦǓЙǹǾॹȠǦǓLjƺǏLjǹȅȅǏǏȅǓș
not kill him as some mistakenly
think. The uncirculating blood
becomes toxic and therefore, the
vampire must stop drinking before
the heart stops beating, even if there
is more blood left in the victim’s
veins. Lestat is forced to drink from
a corpse in the novel’s sequel and
it causes what he calls a temporary
‘rolling delirium.’ It’s theorized
35
 B E HI N D T HE M YT HS
Forget the Italian food, garlic won’t
help you fend off Kiefer Sutherland
and the other vamps in The Lost Boys.
Buffy initially didn’t
invite Angel in but later
changed her mind.
the desert. Synthetic blood has made
many advances and according to
ȠǦǓXƺljǩЙlj/ǓƺȖȠ@ȣǿǠƺǿǏǹȅȅǏ
Institute, “currently, two main
ȠΡȒǓșȅǟƺȖȠǩЙljǩƺǹLjǹȅȅǏȒȖȅǏȣljȠșৄ
hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers
শ/KșষƺǿǏȒǓȖМȣȅȖȅljƺȖLjȅǿș
শX'șষৄƺȖǓǓǩȠǦǓȖLjǓǩǿǠȠǓșȠǓǏȅȖ
are already on the market for human
use.” Let your vampire decide if they
want to be a vegetarian or vegan!
What about human food
consumption? Do vampires eat
solids? Some do, as seen in The
Vampire Diaries (2009–2017),
while others pretend to.
36 VAMPIRES
What about garlic, you ask. In The
Lost Boys (1987), Sam (Corey Haim)
wears a garlic lei believing it will ward
ȅАȠǦǓΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșǩǿǦǩșȠȅΛǿঀȅǓșǩȠ
work? Not for these bloodsuckers! It
ǏȅǓșƺАǓljȠȒǹǓǿȠΡȅǟȅȠǦǓȖșॹȠǦȅȣǠǦ
in numerous iterations. The idea that
the aromatic plant could have an
ǓАǓljȠȅǿΚƺǾȒșljȅȣǹǏLjǓȠȖƺljǓǏLjƺljǷ
to a medical explanation related to
the disease porphyria. Its symptoms,
according to The Chemical Institute
of Canada, include sensitivity to
sunlight (more about that later!), a
defect in red blood cells that may
ǦƺΚǓǹǓǏșȅǾǓșȣАǓȖǓȖșȠȅșǓǹǟে
medicate by ingesting animal blood,
ƺǟƺljǩƺǹǏǩșЙǠȣȖǓǾǓǿȠȖǓșȣǹȠǩǿǠǩǿƺ
fang-like appearance, and an aversion
to garlic due to its high sulfur
content. Garlic contains certain
compounds that can exacerbate
ƺǿǓǾǩƺǩǿȠǦȅșǓΛǩȠǦȒȅȖȒǦΡȖǩƺঀǓșȠ
to avoid this ingredient, we’d say.
HABITAT
Make sure your vampire is invited
into your home formally. Angel
শƺΚǩǏȅȖǓƺǿƺΦষȠȖǩǓǏȠȅǓǿȠǓȖ
ȣАΡঢ়șশ^ƺȖƺǦEǩljǦǓǹǹǓ(ǓǹǹƺȖষǦȅȣșǓ
on ɂωͧȿȅDztǙȝȱȈȵDz^ȘǙͧDzȵ(1997–
2003) during the episode “Lovers
Walk,” but he wasn’t invited so he
was physically denied. Why is this?
This lore may have started as early
as 1645 with Leo Allatius, a Greek
theologian, who wrote in one of
his manuscripts that “such vampire
myths are not able to hurt the
citizens and their homes, unless they
enter after the response of the owners
at the doors.” According to modern
etiquette experts, like Jacqueline
Whitmore, it’s good manners for
anyone, undead or not, to wait for an
invitation to someone’s home before
popping in for a visit. She suggests
texting or calling before you go to
someone’s house, avoid dropping by
during inconvenient times, and don’t
be afraid to set boundaries of your
own. Good advice for us all.
What about sleeping
accommodations for your charge?
The vampires in What We Do
in the Shadows (2019–present) all
șǹǓǓȒljȅǾǟȅȖȠƺLjǹΡǩǿȠǦǓǩȖljȅГ ǿșॹ
and Dracula himself napped in
one, too. This practice is common
for vampires in lore and literature,
reaching back to the bloody
beginning. As vampires have long
been believed to be the walking dead,
it’s natural that their resting place
would be quite literally where they
were interred to rest in peace.
Eighteenth-century scholar and
monk Antoine Augustin Calmet,
ΛǦȅǠȖǓƺȠǹΡǩǿМȣǓǿljǓǏȖƺǾ^ȠȅǷǓȖঢ়ș
novel, wrote of vampires as a scourge
in Eastern Europe. He recorded
numerous accounts of vampire
attacks, in which the dead somehow
LjȖȅǷǓȅȣȠȅǟȠǦǓǩȖljȅГ ǿșॹΛƺǹǷǓǏ
about villages, sucked blood from
their family members, caused illness
and death, and returned to their
ljȅǾǟΡljȅГ ǿșॹƺǹǹLjǓǟȅȖǓșȣǿȖǩșǓঀ
One such case involves the
deceased Arnold Paole, a
Serbian soldier who was
believed by townspeople to
be a vampire who escaped his
ljȅГ ǿƺȠǿǩǠǦȠঀeǦǓΡǓΠǦȣǾǓǏ
ǦǩșLjȅǏΡॹȖǓȒȅȖȠǓǏǹΡЙǿǏǩǿǠȠǦƺȠ
he was “intact” with a set of
ǓΠȠȖǓǾǓǹΡǹȅǿǠЙǿǠǓȖǿƺǩǹșॹ
according to nationalgeographic.
com. This was proof enough
for the crowd and they thrust a
In The Vampire Diaries,
Elena (Nina Dobrev) had to
specifically invite in vampire
bros Stefan (Paul Wesley) and
Damon (Ian Somerhalder)
before they could come into
her house and, uh, ravish her.
B E HI N D T HE M YT HS
wooden stake into his corpse. We’re
glad he was already dead.
'ȣǿǟƺljȠॸ'ȖȅǾǿȅΚǓǹșƺǿǏЙǹǾșȠȅ
personal accounts, the undead (not
always vampires) have been said to
have grown not only their nails but
their hair, too. This phenomenon
is one that has been perpetuated
by a misunderstanding of biology.
Without consuming glucose, a dead
person is unable to grow anything.
What actually happens is that
the corpse dehydrates, which in
turn makes the skin shrink. This
shrinking exposes the nails beneath,
and sometimes the hair trapped
under our scalps. What people
ƺljȠȣƺǹǹΡșƺΛǩǿȠǦǓljȅГ ǿȅǟXƺȅǹǓΛƺș
the natural degradation of his body.
But your vampire will surely need a
nail clipper, as they will have lots of
delicious glucose in their bloody diet!
Sleeping in dirt, in particular
the vampire’s “native soil,” has
also been a popular trope. This
particular trait did not originate
Sparkly Edward Cullen (Robert
Pattinson) in Twilight is so
pretty, it’s a good thing that he
does have a reflection. Dracula
and the gang aren’t so lucky.
from folklore, but rather from the
brain of Stoker. In fact, Dracula’s
desperate need for Transylvanian
soil is what ends up being his
ǏȅΛǿǟƺǹǹআȠǦǓljȅГ ǿșЙǹǹǓǏΛǩȠǦ
his home’s dirt were emptied and
șȠȣАǓǏΛǩȠǦȣljǦƺȖǩșȠΛƺǟǓȖșLjΡ
the novel’s heroes. We recommend
asking your vampire if they have a
proclivity for Victorian literature,
ƺșȠǦǩșǾƺΡƺАǓljȠȠǦǓǩȖǿǓǓǏǟȅȖ
hometown soil.
GROOMING
No need to put a mirror in your
vampire’s lair, they probably won’t
LjǓƺLjǹǓȠȅșǓǓȠǦǓǩȖȅΛǿȖǓМǓljȠǩȅǿঀ
This also seems to translate onto
ЙǹǾঀǹƺșॹȠǦǓȖǓΛǩǹǹLjǓǿȅΛƺΡǟȅȖ
your vampire to take a proper fangs-
ƺǿǏেƺǹǹșǓǹЙǓॻ
This notion of the missing
ȖǓМǓljȠǩȅǿǾȅșȠǹǩǷǓǹΡǩșǏǓȖǩΚǓǏ
from the antiquated belief that one
without a soul lacks the ability to

ƺȒȒǓƺȖǩǿƺȖǓМǓljȠǩΚǓșȣȖǟƺljǓঀ
ZȣǩȠǓșǩǾȒǹΡॹǏǓƺǏǓȕȣƺǹǓǏ
șȅȣǹǹǓșșঀ2ǿșȅǾǓƺǿljǩǓǿȠljȣǹȠȣȖǓșॹ
șȣljǦƺșǩǿǠΡȒȠॹȒǓȅȒǹǓLjǓǹǩǓΚǓǏ
ǾǩȖȖȅȖșșǦȅΛǓǏȠǦǓ৚șǦƺǏȅΛșȅȣǹॹ৛
ȠǦǓȒǓȖșȅǿঢ়șȠȖȣǓǩǿǿǓȖșǓǹǟঀǿǏ
ǾƺǿΡljǓǿȠȣȖǩǓșǹƺȠǓȖॹȠǦǓtǩljȠȅȖǩƺǿș
ljȅΚǓȖǓǏȠǦǓǩȖǾǩȖȖȅȖșΛǦǓǿƺǏǓƺȠǦ
ǩǿȠǦǓǦȅǾǓȅljljȣȖȖǓǏॹȠȅȒȖǓΚǓǿȠ
ȠǦǓȒǓȖșȅǿঢ়șșȅȣǹǟȖȅǾLjǓljȅǾǩǿǠ
ȠȖƺȒȒǓǏǩǿȠǦǓǾǩȖȖȅȖঀ
2Ƞঢ়șȅȣȖșȣǠǠǓșȠǩȅǿȠȅǷǓǓȒǾǩȖȖȅȖș
ƺΛƺΡǟȖȅǾΡȅȣȖМǓǏǠǹǩǿǠΚƺǾȒǩȖǓॹƺș
ȠǦǓΡǾƺΡȠƺǷǓǩȠƺșƺǿǩǿșȣǹȠƺǠƺǩǿșȠ
ȠǦǓǩȖǹƺljǷǩǿǠșȅȣǹঀ
SAFETY
2ǿ'Ȗƺǿljǩș'ȅȖǏȅȒȒȅǹƺঢ়șBram
Stoker’s Draculaশࢲࢺࢺࢳষॹtƺǿ
/ǓǹșǩǿǠশǿȠǦȅǿΡ/ȅȒǷǩǿșষǏǩȖǓljȠș
@ȅȖǏ/ȅǹǾΛȅȅǏশƺȖΡǹΛǓșষ
ȠȅȒȅȣǿǏƺșȠƺǷǓȠǦȖȅȣǠǦǦǩș
LjǓǹȅΚǓǏঢ়șǦǓƺȖȠঀ^ǦǓǦƺșLjǓljȅǾǓƺ
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓॹƺǿǏȠǦǩșǩșǦȅΛșǦǓǾȣșȠ
LjǓșȠȅȒȒǓǏঀșǓΚǩǏǓǿljǓǏLjΡȠǦǓ
Van Helsing (Anthony
Hopkins, center) knows
that the only way to really
kill Lucy (Sadie Frost) is to
stake her and chop off her
head. It’s kind of a bummer
for Lord Holmwood (Cary
Elwes, second from left),
who had plans to marry her
in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
ƺljljȅȣǿȠȅǟȒȅȅȖȖǿȅǹǏXƺȅǹǓॹ
ȠǦǩșΚǩȅǹǓǿȠƺljȠǦƺșLjǓǓǿȣșǓǏǩǿ
ȖǓƺǹǩȠΡȠȅǷǓǓȒΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșƺȠLjƺΡঀ
KȠǦǓȖLjȅǏǩǓșǦƺΚǓLjǓǓǿǓΠǦȣǾǓǏ
ǩǿƺșȠǓȖǿȣȖȅȒǓΛǩȠǦΛȅȅǏǓǿ
ȅȖǩȖȅǿșȠƺǷǓșǏȖǩΚǓǿȠǦȖȅȣǠǦȠǦǓǩȖ
“DON’T FORGET
TO INVITE YOUR
VAMPIRE IN.”
ӲӒ ӵӵԱ ସ  ӻӒӝ
ǦǓƺȖȠșঀeǦƺǿǷǟȣǹǹΡॹȠǦǓșǓΛǓȖǓ
ǾȅșȠǹΡȒȅșȠǦȣǾȅȣșঀ2ȠșǓǓǾșȠǦƺȠ
ǩȠΛƺșLjǓǹǩǓΚǓǏȠǦƺȠșȠƺǷǩǿǠȠǦǓ
ljȅȖȒșǓȠȅȠǦǓǠȖȅȣǿǏȅȖljȅГ ǿ
ΛȅȣǹǏȒȖǓΚǓǿȠȠǦǓǾǟȖȅǾǠǓȠȠǩǿǠ
ȣȒঀKȠǦǓȖǾǓȠǦȅǏșΛǓȖǓȣșǓǏॹȠȅȅॹ
ǹǩǷǓȠǦǓȖǓǾȅΚƺǹȅǟȠǦǓǏǓƺǏঢ়șǹǩǾLjș
șȅȠǦǓΡljȅȣǹǏǿঢ়ȠΛƺǹǷƺǿǏȠǓȖȖȅȖǩΦǓ
ȠǦǓǩȖǹǩΚǩǿǠǿǓǩǠǦLjȅȖșॹƺljljȅȖǏǩǿǠȠȅ
șǾǩȠǦșȅǿǩƺǿঀȅȖǠঀvǓȠǦǩǿǷǩȠșǦȅȣǹǏ
ǠȅΛǩȠǦȅȣȠșƺΡǩǿǠȠǦƺȠΡȅȣșǦȅȣǹǏ
ǿȅȠȣșǓȠǦǓșǓǾǓȠǦȅǏșȅǿΡȅȣȖ
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓॹƺșǴȣșȠƺȠȠǓǾȒȠǩǿǠǩȠΛǩǹǹ
ȒȖȅLjƺLjǹΡǹǓƺΚǓΡȅȣΛǩȠǦȠǦǓǾǩșșǩǿǠ
ƺȒȒǓǿǏƺǠǓșঀশKȖΛȅȖșǓॻষ
eǦǓǏȖǓƺǏǓǏșȣǿǹǩǠǦȠǾƺΡǿȅȠ
ǿǓǠƺȠǩΚǓǹΡƺАǓljȠǏΛƺȖǏȣǹǹǓǿ
শ[ȅLjǓȖȠXƺȠȠǩǿșȅǿষǩǿTwilight
শࢳࢱࢱࢹষLjȣȠǟȅȖǾƺǿΡǾȅǏǓȖǿ
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșॹȠǦǓșǹǩǠǦȠǓșȠljȅǿȠƺljȠ
ΛǩȠǦǏǩȖǓljȠșȣǿǹǩǠǦȠǩșǟƺȠƺǹঀeǦǩș
ǩșȒǓȖǦƺȒșȠǦǓǾȅșȠΚǩȠƺǹȖȣǹǓǟȅȖ
ȠƺǷǩǿǠljƺȖǓȅǟΡȅȣȖΚƺǾȒǩȖǓॹƺșȠǦǓΡ
ljƺǿljƺȠljǦȅǿЙȖǓƺǿǏȠȣȖǿȠȅǏȣșȠ
LjǓǟȅȖǓΡȅȣljƺǿȠǦǩǿǷȠȅǠȖƺLjƺǿ
ȣǾLjȖǓǹǹƺǟȅȖșǦƺǏǓঀ
^ȣǿLjǓǩǿǠǹǓȠǦƺǹȠȅΚƺǾȒǩȖǓș
ǩșƺȖǓǹƺȠǩΚǓǹΡǿǓΛȠȖȅȒǓঀȖƺljȣǹƺ
ΛƺǹǷǓǏǩǿȠǦǓǏƺΡǹǩǠǦȠॹƺșǏǩǏǦǩș
ǹǩȠǓȖƺȖΡLjǹȅȅǏșȣljǷǩǿǠljȅȣǿȠǓȖȒƺȖȠș
ǩǿȠƺǹǓșǹǩǷǓ=ȅǦǿXȅǹǩǏȅȖǩঢ়ș৚eǦǓ
tƺǾȒΡȖǓ৛শࢲࢹࢲࢺষƺǿǏ=ঀ^ǦǓȖǩǏƺǿ
@Ǔ'ƺǿȣঢ়ș Carmilla শࢲࢹࢸࢳষঀEƺǿΡ
ȠǦǩǿǷȠǦǓЙȖșȠǓΠƺǾȒǹǓȅǟȠǦǩșȠǦȖǓƺȠ
ljƺǾǓǟȖȅǾȠǦǓ(ǓȖǾƺǿșǩǹǓǿȠЙǹǾ
Nosferatu শࢲࢺࢳࢳষΛǦǓǿȅȣǿȠKȖǹȅǷ
শEƺΠ^ljǦȖǓljǷষǩșȠƺǷǓǿȣǿƺΛƺȖǓ
LjΡȠǦǓǏƺΛǿॹƺǿǏǩǿƺȒƺǿǩljॹМǓǓș
ȠȅΛƺȖǏǦǩșǏǓǾǩșǓঀ/ǓΚƺǿǩșǦǓșǩǿȠȅ
ȠǦǓȖƺΡșȅǟșȣǿǹǩǠǦȠǩǿǏȖƺǾƺȠǩlj
ǟƺșǦǩȅǿঀǓljƺȣșǓΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșΛǓȖǓ
ǿȅΛƺΚǩșȣƺǹǾǓǏǩȣǾǩǿȠǦǓΛȅȖǹǏ
ȅǟǾȅΚǩǓșॹȠǦǩșǏǓΚǩljǓLjǓljƺǾǓƺ
șȣȖǓЙȖǓশȒȣǿǩǿȠǓǿǏǓǏॻষΛƺΡȠȅ
ƺǏǏǓΠljǩȠǓǾǓǿȠǟȅȖȠǦǓƺȣǏǩǓǿljǓঀ2Ƞ
ΛƺșΡǓȠƺǿȅȠǦǓȖΛƺΡȠȅǷǩǹǹȅАȠǦǓ
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓॹΛǩȠǦȖȅȅǾȠȅǩǿȠǓȖȒȖǓȠ
ȠǦǓǩȖǟƺȠƺǹǓǿǏঀvȅȣǹǏȠǦǓΡșǩǾǾǓȖ
ǩǿȠȅƺȒǩǹǓȅǟƺșǦঁǓljȅǾǓƺ
LjǹƺljǷǓǿǓǏljȅȖȒșǓঁǩșǾƺǿȠǹǓǩǿȠȅ
ȠǦǓǓȠǦǓȖঁeǦǓǾƺǠǩljȅǟǾȅǏǓȖǿ
ǾȅΚǩǓșǩșȠǦǓȖǓƺșȅǿΡȅȣȖΚƺǾȒǩȖǓ
ǾȣșȠȖǓǾƺǩǿǦǩǏǏǓǿǩǿȠǦǓljǓǹǹƺȖ
ȣǿȠǩǹΛǓǹǹȒƺșȠșȣȒȒǓȖȠǩǾǓঀ
FȅΛȠǦƺȠΛǓǦƺΚǓǓǏȣljƺȠǓǏΡȅȣ
ȅǿȠǦǓljƺȖǓƺǿǏǟǓǓǏǩǿǠȅǟȠǦǓǿǓΛǓșȠ
ǾǓǾLjǓȖȅǟΡȅȣȖǾȅǿșȠȖȅȣșLjȖȅȅǏॹ
ΛǓǦȅȒǓΡȅȣǟǓǓǹΛǓǹǹǓȕȣǩȒȒǓǏঀ
tƺǾȒǩȖǓșƺȖǓljȅǾȒǹǩljƺȠǓǏljȖǓƺȠȣȖǓș
ΛǦȅȠƺǷǓȠǩǾǓȠȅȣǿǏǓȖșȠƺǿǏঀ
eǦƺǿǷǟȣǹǹΡॹȠǦǓΡǦƺΚǓǹȅȠșȅǟȠǩǾǓॻ
KǦॹǏǩǏΛǓǟȅȖǠǓȠȠȅǾǓǿȠǩȅǿȠǦƺȠ
ȠǦǓΡঢ়ȖǓǩǾǾȅȖȠƺǹঁǦॹΛǓǹǹॹ2ǠȣǓșș
ΡȅȣǦƺΚǓǓΚǓǿǾȅȖǓȠȅǹǓƺȖǿॺ
39
 FAN G O FF

Like vampires, stories and

folklore about werewolves go
back thousands of years. But
Hollywood films like The Wolf
Man have also shaped our ideas
about the creature.

DOGFIGHT
THEY TRAVEL IN THE SAME CIRCLES, BUT THERE’S SOME BAD
BLOOD BETWEEN WEREWOLVES AND VAMPIRES. BY SUSAN ROBERTS

40 VAMPIRES
 Henry Hull in
Werewolf of London
a
re you camp vamp or a
member of the wolf pack?
Both vampires and werewolves
are supernatural beings, but
from the Underworld series to
What We Do in the Shadows,
they’re often shown to be at odds.
vǦȅঢ়șЙǓȖljǓȖঁvǦȅΛȅȣǹǏΛǩǿ
ǩǿƺǟƺǿǠেȅАLjǓȠΛǓǓǿȠǦǓȠΛȅঁ
Robert Pattinson’s eyes or Taylor
Lautner’s abs?
James E. Doan, PhD, a professor
at Nova Southeastern University
and co-editor of The Universal
Vampire: Origins and Evolution
of a Legend, says the relationship
between these two varies by story.
Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, for
example, sees vampires accompanied
by wolves, while director Francis
Ford Coppola tweaked the tale so
vampires turned into wolves in his
1992 take on the novel.
Other tales see the two as
sworn enemies like Montagues
and Capulets—à la Twilight. The
movie series Underworld posits
that past generations of vampires
had enslaved werewolves, which
led to a war. In both sagas the two
factions occasionally put aside their
ǏǩАǓȖǓǿljǓșǟȅȖȠǦǓǠȖǓƺȠǓȖǠȅȅǏঀ
While vamps and wolves have
LjǓǓǿǷǿȅΛǿȠȅșȠȖȣȠȠǦǓǩȖșȠȣАॹǷǩǹǹ
innocent humans and create more of
their kind (via bites for both), they
ǦƺΚǓǏǩАǓȖǓǿȠƺȒȒȖȅƺljǦǓșঀ
The bloodsuckers are often
shown as mysterious, sleek and
A werewolf
in Van Helsing
ȖǓЙǿǓǏॹșȠǓƺǹȠǦǩǹΡșȠƺǹǷǩǿǠȠǦǓǩȖ
prospective victims through
windows and seductively charming
the room’s occupant into granting
entrance. Doan suggests it’s the
vampire’s “perpetual youth and
immortality” that are appealing,
despite the fact that it comes at a
“tremendous cost.” Meanwhile,
Amanda Quill, a paranormal
investigator, maintains it’s the
ability to psychically control others
that impresses vampire enthusiasts.
vǓȖǓΛȅǹΚǓșॹǾǓƺǿΛǦǩǹǓॹƺȖǓЙǓȖljǓॹ
powerful, and once the full moon
rises, they struggle to contain their
rage and bloodlust. They’re the
ultimate hunters.
WHO’D TAKE THE TITLE?
So just who has the advantage
in a supernatural slug-out? Both
vampires and werewolves are shape-
shifters, who can only really come
out at night.
Common lore depicts a vampire
being able to transform from a
humanoid shape to that of a bat.
eǦǩșȠȖƺǿșǾȅǠȖǩЙljƺȠǩȅǿƺǹǹȅΛșȠǦǓǾ
to quickly leave an area, avoid threats
and travel unnoticed. They can also
surreptitiously spy on individuals
they perceive as threats.
Werewolves, for the most part, are
vulnerable to the forces of the moon.
Quill adds that werewolves might be
inter-dimensional beings or elemental
energies—a theory currently being
explored by paranormal researchers.
Michael J. Fox
in Teen Wolf
While vampires, in general, don’t
age, they can be injured and do face
threats. Garlic and holy artifacts
can weaken and deter them. A
wooden stake through the heart
can be a fatal blow, but ultimately
exposure to sunlight is usually their
biggest threat, causing a vampire
ȠȅLjȣȖșȠǩǿȠȅМƺǾǓșঀ^ȠȖȅǿǠƺǿǏ
swift, vampires can easily overcome
their victims through force. Some
accounts of vampires include the
ability to mesmerize humans, staring
hauntingly into their eyes to establish
dominance and control—though
usually this power doesn’t apply to
their wolf brethren.
Werewolves, on the other hand,
have a natural human life span. Their
major assets are speed and strength.
They are impervious to most human
weapons, but are vulnerable to silver
bullets. Unlike vampires, who can be
loners, werewolves, like their canine
cousins, prefer to live and travel in
packs, and there’s certainly strength
in numbers.
Asked who would win in a
vampire-werewolf rumble, Quill
doesn’t hesitate. “I would hands
down put my money on that
werewolf. The vampire will always
win our hearts as there is that
romantic vision of the vampire,”
but the ability of a werewolf to “rip
ΡȅȣȖǟƺljǓȅА ৛ǩșΛǦƺȠǦƺșǦǓȖLjǓȠȠǩǿǠ
on loup-garou. After all, she says,
the wolfman “has one night, so he’s
going to give it his all!”
41
 DISCOVER THE REAL-LIFE BLOODSUCKERS
LIVING AMONG US, GET THE SCOOP ON
VAMPIRE BATS, CHECK OUT GOTH CHIC AND
PACK YOUR COFFIN FOR A HAUNTED HOLIDAY.
At the vampire-themed
bar The V in Beijing,
guests can order “blood
cocktails” prepared via
syringe (there are also
coffin-shaped chocolate
cakes). But will that
satisfy real vamps?

The
VAMPIRE
NEXT DOOR
REAL-LIFE BLOODSUCKERS ARE OUT THERE, JUST NOT HOW
v
ampires walk among us…. No,
seriously. They’re doctors,
artists, teachers, lawyers and
parents, spanning all ages,
genders, races and religions.
They get Starbucks lattes and
walk their dogs and grumble about
the high price of gas. They also have
ƺΚǓȖΡșȒǓljǩЙljȠΡȒǓȅǟǦȣǿǠǓȖঀ
“Real vampires have what they
vehemently consider to be an innate,
biological need for blood or energy,
a need that generally surfaces just
after puberty, and without self-
treatment, they experience feelings
of severe weakness, sluggishness
and lethargy,” says John Edgar
Browning, PhD, a professor at
Savannah College of Art and
ǓșǩǠǿॹƺǿǏljȅেƺȣȠǦȅȖȅǟੈDracula
in Visual Media. Browning knows Real vampires don’t
what he’s talking about; he’s spent have any of Edward’s
abilities in Twilight—no
13 years living among and studying super speed, strength
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșǩǿȣАƺǹȅॹFǓΛ|ȅȖǷॹ or sparkle.
and New Orleans, and says, “The
experience changed my life forever.”
vǦǩǹǓȠǦǓȖǓǩșǿȅȅГ ljǩƺǹljǓǿșȣș
on vampires, according to a survey of vampires follow a consistent adds that entertainment is far
conducted by Atlanta’s Vampire pattern. “Some unexplained more responsible for elevating the
Alliance, there were at least 5,000 misfortune would befall a person, appeal of bloodsuckers in modern
șǓǹǟেǩǏǓǿȠǩЙǓǏΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșǹǩΚǩǿǠǩǿȠǦǓ family, or town—perhaps a drought society. As a result, vampire fans
United States in 2015. dried up crops, or a plague struck. ǏȖƺΛȠǦǓǩȖǩǿșȒǩȖƺȠǩȅǿǟȖȅǾЙljȠǩȅǿƺǹ
৚ȖǓƺǹΚƺǾȒǩȖǓЙȖșȠƺǿǏǟȅȖǓǾȅșȠ Before science could explain sources like True Blood, Twilight,
is a self-designated label,” writes weather patterns and germ theory, What We Do in the Shadows and
Joseph Laycock, PhD, in Vampires any bad event for which there was ljȅȣǿȠǹǓșșȅȠǦǓȖșঀੈ৚2ǿȒȅȒljȣǹȠȣȖǓॹ
Today: The Truth About Modern not an obvious cause might be the vampire character is very
Vampirism. “This separates real blamed on a vampire.” Radford alluring, with its elements of power,
vampires from creatures of myths
and folklore, as well as from various
criminals who have been labeled
vampires by the media. Monsters
receive the vampire label from
others, real vampires adopt it as
an identity.”
That’s a long way from where
they started. “Originally, belief in
revenants, or vampires in human
form, stemmed from superstition
and mistaken assumptions about
postmortem decay,” says Benjamin
Radford, folklorist and author
ȅǟੈTracking the Chupacabra: The
Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction and
Folklore. Nevertheless, he points
ȅȣȠȠǦƺȠȠǦǓЙȖșȠȖǓljȅȖǏǓǏƺljljȅȣǿȠș
 romance, mysticism, eroticism drinking that vampire’s blood
and immortality,” says Radford. to complete the transition, or Festivalgoers head to
“However, there is no historical sometimes a nip from a bat will do the Whitby Abbey in
precedent for the kind of ‘real’ the trick. For real vampires…not so Northern England as
part of the “Whitby
vampires we see today.” much. Haematomania (the craving Goth Weekend.”
Indeed, Merticus—a founding for blood) usually comes to these
member of Atlanta’s Vampire individuals slowly—an “awakening”
as Merticus called
it. Individuals who
have experienced the
sensation compare
the extreme thirst-like
feeling to an addiction,
complete with
withdrawal-
like symptoms.

A HEAPING
HELPING
OF HEMOGLOBIN
Contrary to what
The food truck of Hollywood would
the vamp world? have you believe,
modern vamps are not
noshing on the necks
of unwilling damsels in
ǹǹǩƺǿljǓΛǦȅǦƺșǩǏǓǿȠǩЙǓǏƺșƺȖǓƺǹ distress. And you can forget about
vampire since 1997 and who goes ǟƺǿǠșঀশ^ȅǾǓǏȅljȖǓƺȠǓȠǦǓǾLjΡЙǹǩǿǠ
by one name—told The Guardian, their canines to points or with a
৚vǓǏȅǿȅȠǩǏǓǿȠǩǟΡΛǩȠǦЙljȠǩȅǿƺǹ custom grill, but it’s for show.)
characters, supernatural powers, Instead, according to Browning,
or immortality, nor do we have any who has allowed vamps to drink his
ǏǩГ ljȣǹȠΡǏǩșȠǩǿǠȣǩșǦǩǿǠLjǓȠΛǓǓǿ blood, many prefer to satisfy their
ǟƺǿȠƺșΡƺǿǏȖǓƺǹǩȠΡঀ৛ੈ bloodlust with a small incision made
As mentioned, not all of these by a sterilized scalpel on a discreet,
modern vampires are blood МǓșǦΡȒƺȖȠȅǟȠǦǓLjȅǏΡঀvǦǩǹǓșȅǾǓ
drinkers—or as they call themselves, drink straight from the source—i.e.
“sanguinarians”—there are also the human donor—others prefer to
energy/psychic vampires, known as have medically trained professionals
“psi-vamps,” who thrive by draining ljȅǹǹǓljȠȠǦǓǠȅȅǏșঀੈ
a person’s life force. Of course, we ^ȅǾǓЙǿǏșƺȠǩșǟƺljȠǩȅǿșȣLjșȠǩȠȣȠǩǿǠ
ƺǹǹǷǿȅΛșȅǾǓȅǿǓǏǩГ ljȣǹȠƺǿǏ rare steaks or animal blood
emotionally draining, but these (“vegetarians”), but for the majority
folks take it to a whole new level ȅǿǹΡȠǦǓǦȣǾƺǿșȠȣАΛǩǹǹȕȣǓǿljǦ
by tapping into the human body’s that killer thirst. But unlike TV
latent energy systems, what some vamps, who “drain the body,” a few
call chakra or chi, says Radford, teaspoons of human blood a week is
who adds, “Scientists and doctors usually enough to satiate the desire.
have never been able to locate or Merticus compared it to a regular
even verify the existence of this person consuming a cappuccino, and
supposed energy.” Then there are added that vampires “have had to
ǦΡLjȖǩǏșΛǦȅǟǓǓǏȅАȅǟLjȅȠǦঀ develop alternative means to sate our
In pop culture, the undead are energy needs.”
usually “turned” by being bitten ΚǓȖΡǠȅȅǏǿǓΠȠȕȣǓșȠǩȅǿǩșǴȣșȠ
by another bloodsucker, and then where does this blood come from.

46 VAMPIRES
 “THE COMMUNITY ADOPTED THE
NOMENCLATURE OF ‘REAL VAMPIRE’
AS A MEANS OF DISTINGUISHING
THEMSELVES FROM FANTASY TO THE
OUTSIDE WORLD.”
Ӱ ԃӢӼ Ӓ ӎӝҺԒ Ӆ ԒԃԮ ӼӥӼ ӝ ৱ ԏӢ ӎ

47
I R L VA MPS
Several film and TV vamps
keep a stash of donated
blood on hand to curb
hunger, but real vamps likely
don’t need quite so much.
A few teaspoons or not, most people
might object to having it taken non-
consensually from them. So, much
like your local mobile blood bank,
vampires rely on donors.
৚'ȅȖȖǓƺǹΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșॹЙǿǏǩǿǠ
willing donors isn’t as simple, or as
dangerous, as simply walking down
the street and asking a homeless
person if they want to make a few
bucks,” says Browning. “No, real
vampires—both sanguinarian
and psychic alike—take great care
ǩǿЙǿǏǩǿǠǏȅǿȅȖșঀ2ȠljȅȣǹǏLjǓ
something as intimate and benign
as asking a close friend they’ve
known for years, that is, someone
whose receptivity they can gauge.
Community members might also
frequent vampire clubs and bars,
places where receptivity might
be high among patrons. Or
members might go on online
forums designed to help vampires
and donors meet one another
in exchange for money, sexual
favors, or whatever is agreed
upon. Whatever the case may be,
community members vet their
donors thoroughly. And in the
case of sanguinarians, both the
vampire and the donor traditionally
have their blood tested beforehand.”
There are multiple websites and
forums out there discussing how and
ΛǦǓȖǓȠȅЙǿǏȒȅȠǓǿȠǩƺǹǏȅǿȅȖșॹƺș
well as tips for the best ways to feed
and how to control bloodthirst.
Writes Laycock, “Biting to obtain
blood is relatively rare as it is both
painful and unsanitary. Biting is
typically only done when there is
a sexual relationship between the
vampire and the donor.” While
that romantic pairing isn’t exactly
uncommon, and might even be a
part of foreplay, blood fetishism is
șȅǾǓȠǦǩǿǠǏǩАǓȖǓǿȠȠǦƺǿȠǦǓ৚ǿǓǓǏ৛
real vampires feel for blood. And
forget all those tales of a vamp not
being able to control oneself at the
sight of a speck of blood. “Within
the vampire community…it is
almost unheard of for a vampire to
take blood against the consent of a
donor,” writes Laycock.
The reason for that isn’t just
good old-fashioned self-control,
says Radford. “The problem is that
blood is toxic, and anyone who
consumes blood regularly runs a real
risk of problems including liver and
nervous system damage.”
That is because blood is rich in
iron. Some human bodies struggle
to remove excess iron, which can
ǹǓƺǏȠȅƺǏƺǿǠǓȖȅȣșȅΚǓȖǏȅșǓঀ2ǿ
addition, there are other dangers
associated with drinking blood as
it can carry parasites and diseases,
ǩǿljǹȣǏǩǿǠǦǓȒƺȠǩȠǩșƺǿǏ/2tঀ2ǿ
order to safeguard the
New Orleans community of
vampires, the Donor Bill of
Rights was established, which is
paperwork and testing to prove
that donors have consented and are
free of any blood-borne diseases.

In other words, these vamps only
șȣȒȒȅȖȠƺǿǓȠǦǩljƺǹǹΡșȅȣȖljǓǏșȣȒȒǹΡঀੈ
HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
So is your neighbor with the perfect
rose bushes secretly sanguinarian?
How about that group of goth teens
with the witchy rings and black
eyeliner on the subway? What about
ȠǦǓǠǩȖǹƺȠȠǦǓȅГljǓΛǦȅƺǹΛƺΡș
comes in late wearing dark glasses?
/ȅΛljƺǿΡȅȣЙǿǏȠǦȅșǓΚƺǾȒș
among us? Well…you honestly
probably can’t.
“There isn’t really any generic
way to recognize a real vampire,”
says Browning. “The community
is full of variety. And variety means
anonymity, and anonymity
means protection.”
While both Browning and
Laycock have encountered vampires
who claim to have heightened
sensitivities or empathic abilities
similar to mediums and psychics,
it’s not universal. And as far as those
other vampire rules: “Some report
having sun allergies. I know one
woman who wears welding goggles
whenever she goes outdoors, but I
know another vampire who went
to Thailand and sat on the beach
all day,” Laycock reports. “As far
as having to be invited in and not
being able to cross running water—
no one claims to follow any of that.”
These vampires can walk in the
sunshine, so why do they prefer
to stick to the shadows? Because
as much as pop culture celebrates
vampires, the real world is much
less welcoming.
“The members of this
ljȅǾǾȣǿǩȠΡșȣАǓȖǟȖȅǾȠǦǓ
ljȅǿșȠƺǿȠljȅǿМƺȠǩȅǿȅǟȠǦǓǩȖǩǏǓǿȠǩȠΡ
by the outside world with the
mythological and movie vampire,”
says Browning. “Had they called
themselves something else entirely,
their reception may have developed
ȕȣǩȠǓǏǩАǓȖǓǿȠǹΡঀ[ǓǠƺȖǏǹǓșșॹƺǿΡ
mention of their special health
Fangs aren’t generally used
by the community, but biting
may occasionally be done
when a donor and vampire
are in a romantic relationship.
issues is almost always treated with
suspicion by medical professionals;
the inclusion of the word ‘vampire’
ȅǿǹΡǩǿȠǓǿșǩЙǓșǩȠঀ৛
Browning stresses that while
vampires are private, they can also
be quite charitable. For example, the
New Orleans vampire community
regularly gathers to help feed the
city’s homeless population. While
many expect Browning to divulge
stories of horror and disgust about
his experiences with the community,
he says the truth is that he never
felt safer. “Generally speaking,
real vampires are not looking for
anything except each other, and with
that a sense of belonging among
others who acknowledge their
existence, and their needs, based
on a condition no one, not even
themselves, fully understands.”
“We often keep this aspect of
our life secret for fear we will be
ǾǩșȣǿǏǓȖșȠȅȅǏॹ৛EǓȖȠǩljȣșȠȅǹǏੈ
The Guardian. “I hide in plain sight.”
N O C TURNA L CR EATUR ES
BAD RAP
THE MUCH MALIGNED VAMPIRE BAT DOESN’T HAVE A
WHOLE LOT IN COMMON WITH THE LORE. BY SUSAN ROBERTS
v
ampire bat. The name
alone is chilling. Centuries-
old folklore tells us that
bloodsucking monsters in
human form transform
into these stealthy winged
ljȖǓƺȠȣȖǓșȠȅМΡȣǿȅLjșȠȖȣljȠǓǏǩǿȠȅ
the night after draining their prey
dry. The image has sent many a
child (and a good many adults)
șljȖǓƺǾǩǿǠǩǿȠȅȠǦǓǏȣșǷॹМƺǩǹǩǿǠ
their arms above their heads to
prevent the inevitable attack. The
reality isn’t nearly as exciting.
WHAT’S THE CONNECTION?
According to Gary F. McCracken,
PhD, of the University of Tennessee,
there are two regionally distinct
sources of bat-vampire folklore.
South American and Mayan
Bats With
legends reveal stories of large bats
that kill human prey, a notion that
corresponds with the presence
of vampire bats in the region.
According to McCracken, the lore,
which included perceived “vampire
epidemics,” can be traced back to the
late 17th century in eastern Europe.
Those stories, however, didn’t
include the idea that humanoid
vampires could transform into
bats. It wasn’t until the publication
of Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1897
that the direct connection between
bats and vampires was introduced.
In her 2017 article “Why Are
Bats Associated With Vampires?,”
Phoebe Codling explains that the
name vampire bat was actually
introduced in 1810, 87 years prior
to the publication of Dracula. But
it was only with the introduction
of the novel that the link between
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșƺǿǏLjƺȠșΛƺșșȅǹǩǏǩЙǓǏǩǿ
the public consciousness.
DISPELLING MYTHS
Contrary to the lore, most bats don’t
drink blood. In fact, only three of
the nearly 1,300 bat species consume
blood, with the rest relying on
insects and fruit for their diet.
Found predominantly in warm
climates that include Mexico as well
as Central and South America—
notably, not in Transylvania!—
vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus)
ǏǩАǓȖǟȖȅǾȠǦǓǩȖljȅȣșǩǿșǩǿȠǦƺȠȠǦǓΡ
ƺȖǓljƺȖǿǩΚȅȖǓșশȅȖॹǾȅȖǓșȒǓljǩЙljƺǹǹΡॹ
sanguivores), who, in addition to
МΡǩǿǠॹȣșǓȠǦǓǩȖǹǓǠșȠȅΛƺǹǷƺǿǏȠȅ
stalk their meals.
 1

“Vampire bats ‘creep’ up on their

prey by slowly crawling up to them
so they can bite them unnoticed,” 2
says Melissa Scubelek, an Oregon-
based environmental education
instructor. “This is very unique 3
to vampire bats and unlike other
species of bats.”
The diversity of movement allows
the stealthy creatures to slowly
drain the life from their victims,
often without them even knowing
the bat is there. By making small
incisions with their fangs, they use
a strong anticoagulant dubbed,
appropriately, Draculin, to make
șȣȖǓȠǦǓLjǹȅȅǏljȅǿȠǩǿȣǓșȠȅМȅΛǩǿ
order to enjoy a maximum feast.
Ȗƺljȣǹǩǿঢ়șƺǿȠǩljȅƺǠȣǹƺǿȠǓАǓljȠș
are so impressive that the protein is
being explored for medicinal uses,
including the treatment of strokes.
The diet of vampire bats includes 4
livestock (pigs, cows, horses) and
birds. According to Scubelek, bats actually possess excellent vision
“Vampire bats used to feed on wild along with heightened senses of
animals but with the increase in smell and hearing. And unlike the
cattle and farm livestock with human popular image of the vampire as a
populations, they have changed their brooding, reclusive being, vampire
preference to these easily accessible bats are extremely social and
animals. It is very rare for a vampire nurturing. Colleen Lucey, PhD, of
bat to bite humans, as farm animals the University of Arizona, explains
are much easier to prey on for that vampire bats form long-term
multiple nights in a row.” relationships, adopt orphaned young
Nocturnal animals, vampire bats and share regurgitated food with
hunt at night, relying on ultrasonic others in need.
ǿƺΚǩǠƺȠǩȅǿশǓljǦȅǹȅljƺȠǩȅǿষȠȅЙǿǏ 2ǟΡȅȣșȣАǓȖǟȖȅǾljǦǩȖȅȒȠȅȒǦȅLjǩƺ
food and avoid other birds and (fear of bats), consider that more
obstacles in their path. The Denver than 1,200 species of bats are not 1. Poster from the 1933 flick The Vampire Bat.
Zoo notes that, contrary to the looking to drink your blood, as 2. Vampyre illustration from 1851’s The Comic
Natural History of the Human Race.
image perpetuated through the they’re only interested in the bugs 3. A vampire bat enjoys a meal.
phrase “blind as a bat,” vampire and plants around you. 4. Vampire bats hanging around.
 VAMPIRE
VACAY
WITH THEIR CREEPY UNDEAD LEGACIES, THESE
PL ACES DON’T SUCK…UNLESS YOU REALLY WANT
THEM TO. BY PATTY ADAMS MARTINEZ

Now a popular museum,

Bran Castle features the
art and furniture of Marie
of Romania—wife of
King Ferdinand I and the
nation’s last queen before
it became a republic.

52 VAMPIRES
Transylvania, Romania

o
ne of Bram Stoker’s biggest
Unlike in Egypt, the Sphinx
of Bucegi is most likely
ǩǿМȣǓǿljǓșǟȅȖDracula, Vlad
a natural rock formation 222ॹXȖǩǿljǓȅǟvƺǹǹƺljǦǩƺॹ
caused by wind erosion… ƺǿǏȖȣǹǓȖȅАƺǿǏȅǿǟȖȅǾ
though some have
claimed it was sculpted
1456 to 1462, was born in
by an advanced ancient ȠǦǓeȖƺǿșΡǹΚƺǿǩƺȖǓǠǩȅǿȅǟ
civilization or aliens. [ȅǾƺǿǩƺঀ^ȅǾǓǦǩșȠȅȖǩƺǿșǏǓșljȖǩLjǓ
ǦǩǾƺșƺLjȖƺΚǓǾȅǿƺȖljǦΛǦȅ
ǟȅȣǠǦȠȅАȠǦǓKȠȠȅǾƺǿǾȒǩȖǓঀ
ȣȠƺljljȅȖǏǩǿǠȠȅǹǓǠǓǿǏॹtǹƺǏ
ǓǿǴȅΡǓǏǏǩǿǩǿǠƺǾǩǏǦǩșǏΡǩǿǠ
ΚǩljȠǩǾșƺǿǏǏǩȒȒǩǿǠǦǩșLjȖǓƺǏǩǿ
ȠǦǓǩȖLjǹȅȅǏঀ/ǓǓƺȖǿǓǏȠǦǓǿƺǾǓ
tǹƺǏȠǦǓ2ǾȒƺǹǓȖLjΡƺǹǹǓǠǓǏǹΡ
șǷǓΛǓȖǩǿǠȣȒȠȅࢲࢱࢱॹࢱࢱࢱǓǿǓǾǩǓș
ȅǿǹȅǿǠșȒǩǷǓșঀȖƺǿƺșȠǹǓশ^ȠȖƺǏƺ
(ǓǿǓȖƺǹeȖƺǩƺǿEȅɭȅǩȣࢳࢵষॹȅǟȠǓǿ
ȖǓǟǓȖȖǓǏȠȅƺș৚Ȗƺljȣǹƺঢ়șƺșȠǹǓॹ৛
ȠǦȅȣǠǦtǹƺǏǿǓΚǓȖǹǩΚǓǏȠǦǓȖǓॹǦƺș
ƺǿȅǿেșǩȠǓǾȣșǓȣǾƺǿǏǠƺǹǹǓȖΡ
șȒƺljǓȠǦƺȠǏǓȠƺǩǹșȠǦǓǦǩșȠȅȖΡȅǟȠǦǓ
ƺȖǓƺƺǿǏǩȠșΚƺǾȒǩȖǓȅȖǩǠǩǿșঀ
?ǩǿǠǦƺȖǹǓș222ǦƺșLjǓǓǿ
ȕȣȅȠǓǏƺșșƺΡǩǿǠǦǓƺǿǏǦǩșǾȣǾॹ
ZȣǓǓǿǹǩΦƺLjǓȠǦ22ॹƺȖǓȖǓǹƺȠǓǏȠȅ
tǹƺǏঀ2ǿǏǓǓǏॹǠǓǿǓƺǹȅǠǩșȠșǦƺΚǓ
ljǹƺǩǾǓǏǦƺȖǹǓșǩștǹƺǏঢ়șǠȖǓƺȠ
ǠȖƺǿǏșȅǿࢲࢷȠǩǾǓșȖǓǾȅΚǓǏঀeǦǓ
ǷǩǿǠЙȖșȠΚǩșǩȠǓǏeȖƺǿșΡǹΚƺǿǩƺ
ǩǿࢲࢺࢺࢹƺǿǏǦƺșLjǓǓǿƺȖǓǠȣǹƺȖ
ǓΚǓȖșǩǿljǓॹǓΚǓǿȅΛǿǩǿǠƺǦȅǾǓ
ȠǦǓȖǓশƺǿƺȠȣȖǓȖǓȠȖǓƺȠǩǿƺǹƻǿ
tƺǹǹǓΡষॹƺșΛǓǹǹƺșǦǓǹȒǩǿǠȠȅȖǓșȠȅȖǓ
ǟƺȖǾǦȅȣșǓșȠǦƺȠƺȖǓƺΚƺǩǹƺLjǹǓǟȅȖ
ȖǓǿȠশȠȖƺǿșΡǹΚƺǿǩƺǿljƺșȠǹǓঀljȅǾষঀ
2ǟΡȅȣǿǓǓǏƺLjȖǓƺǷǟȖȅǾȠǦǓ
ljȖǓǓȒǩǓȖșȠȣАॹȠǦǓȖǓƺȖǓȒǹǓǿȠΡ
ȅǟΛǩǹǏМȅΛǓȖǾǓƺǏȅΛșƺǿǏ
ǦƺȖǏΛȅȅǏǟȅȖǓșȠșȠȅǓΠȒǹȅȖǓঀ@ƺȠǓ
șȒȖǩǿǠƺǿǏșȣǾǾǓȖƺȖǓΛȅǿǏǓȖǟȣǹ
ȠǩǾǓșȠȅΚǩșǩȠॹƺșǩșǟƺǹǹΛǩȠǦȠǦǓ
ȠȣȖǿǩǿǠȅǟȠǦǓǹǓƺΚǓșঀ|ȅȣঢ়ǹǹЙǿǏ
ǾƺǿΡșljǓǿǩljȠȖƺǩǹșƺȖȅȣǿǏȠǦǓ
ƺȖȒƺȠǦǩƺǿEȅȣǿȠƺǩǿșৄǦȅǾǓ
Completed in 1388, Bran Castle ȠȅΛȅǹΚǓșॹǹΡǿΠƺǿǏȣȖȅȒǓঢ়ș
is known as “Castle Dracula”
outside of Transylvania. Still ǹƺȖǠǓșȠȒȅȒȣǹƺȠǩȅǿȅǟLjȖȅΛǿ
lovingly maintained, it bears LjǓƺȖșঀeȖƺǩǹLjǹƺΦǓȖșΛǩǹǹƺǹșȅΛƺǿȠ
little resemblance to the ȠȅΚǩșǩȠȠǦǓ^ȒǦǩǿΠȖȅljǷǩǿȣljǓǠǩ
crumbling home of the count in
Bram Stoker’s novel. FƺȠȣȖƺǹXƺȖǷƺǿǏȠǦǓXǩƺȠȖƺ
ȖƺǩȣǹȣǩEȅȣǿȠƺǩǿșঀ

53
 The St. George Cathedral in
Sofia is beautiful and haunting.
Built in 1924, Alexander Nevsky
Cathedral is one of the city’s
biggest tourist destinations.
B
ulgaria is known for its
mountains, beaches, historic
cities—and more recently,
700-year-old vampire skeletons.
Seventeen adolescent skeletons
were discovered in 2004 near
the Black Sea Coast; nails had pierced
their hearts, attaching them to their
caskets. Over the past few decades,
more than 100 corpses have been
found throughout Bulgaria with iron
rods in their chests (many
also had their teeth pulled). It’s
believed that Bulgarians once did
this to prevent the dead from
becoming vampires.
They believed that evil people’s
souls remained in their bodies
after death, and if not careful,
they could come back to life
and prey on the living. This was a
pagan tradition followed in
the area up until about 1910,
Bozhidar Dimitrov, the head of
the National History Museum
ǩǿȠǦǓȣǹǠƺȖǩƺǿljƺȒǩȠƺǹॹ^ȅЙƺॹ
told the BBC at the time of a
new skeletal discovery in 2012.
An example of “vampire bones,”
as they’re now called, is on display
at the National Museum of History
in Bulgaria (Vitoshko lale 16) and
ȠȅȣȖǩșȠșМȅljǷȠȅșǓǓȠǦǓǾঀ
The museum has a place in history
in its own right: The former residence
of dictator Todor Zhivkov, it now
54 VAMPIRES
Sofia, Bulgaria
displays more than 65,000 items (one-
tenth of the museum’s collection).
FȅǦǩșȠȅȖǩljƺǹȠȅȣȖȅǟ^ȅЙƺΛȅȣǹǏ
be complete without visiting the St.
George Rotunda (Kniaz Aleksandar
Dondukov Blvd. 2), a cylindrical
church that dates to the 300s. On the
ceiling are frescoes (restored in the
1990s) that were once painted over
by the Ottomans when the church
was turned into a mosque in the
1600s. The St. Alexander Nevsky
Cathedral (Sveti Aleksandar Nevski
Place) is another beautiful church
worth a look. Built in the 1880s, it’s
the second largest cathedral in the
Balkan area and
seats 10,000.
The Ivan Vazov
National Theatre
(5 Dyakon Ignatiy St.)
was designed by
Helmer & Fellner
and built in 1909.
It’s equally iconic
for appearing on
the country’s paper
money and for its well-
received dramas.
In 2014, archaeologists
unearthed graves from
the Middle Ages containing
bodies that were pinned
down with iron rods through
their chests to prevent them
from returning as vampires.
 Dublin
The crypt at St. Michan’s
Church showcases a host
of ornate coffins.

w
hile most people associate
Count Dracula (and vampires
in general) with Transylvania, Besides being Bram
Stoker’s hometown,
author Bram Stoker actually Dublin is known for
hails from Dublin. its beautiful bridges.
His hometown honors
the writer with a four-day Bram
Stoker Festival every October, which
Walk among the stacks of
includes costume contests, movie the Long Room library at
screenings, book readings, live Trinity College, just like
music and food tours. Stoker did as a student.

If you’re not traveling to Ireland

in the fall, no worries. The nation’s
capital is littered with historic spots
from Stoker’s life.
You can visit St. Michan’s Church
crypts—scary must-sees—all year
long. Past a metal-
chained doorway and
limestone stairway in
the 11th-century church
lie the burial vaults,
where open caskets of
skeletal remains are on
display. Stoker was said
to have regularly visited
the site for inspiration You can Known as the “City of
while writing also visit Literature,” Dublin Marsh’s
his masterpiece. Stoker’s Library (St. Patrick’s Close) is
While neither are open to the alma mater, Trinity College also a requisite stop for anyone
public, you can view the exteriors Dublin (College Green). The who wants to walk in the author’s
ȅǟ^ȠȅǷǓȖঢ়șǦȅǾǓșঀ/ǓЙȖșȠǹǩΚǓǏ school was founded in 1592 and footsteps. The library—founded
with his family in a small Georgian- today is considered Ireland’s in 1707 and now a museum—
style cottage (located at 15 Marino most elite university. Stoker was a claims it’s where Stoker came to
Crescent, Clontarf), where during prominent figure in the school’s do his research, learning about
ǦǩșΡȅȣȠǦॹǾȣǹȠǩȒǹǓljȖȣljǩЙΠǓșǦȣǿǠ Historic Society and was also the Transylvania, Romania, the
inside. Today, eerily enough, the president of the Philosophical Carpathian Mountains and Eastern
home is said to “creak and groan Society. In addition, he played European culture and folklore. You
at night.” As an adult, Stoker rugby and competed in weight can even see exactly which books
moved into a house at 30 Kildare lifting competitions before and maps Stoker studied because
Street, Dublin 2, which is now a graduating in 1870 with a degree the library still has a record of
historical landmark. in mathematics. which materials he checked out.

55
 SP O O KY SP OTS

Stryga, Notre-Dame
Cathedral’s spitting chimera
(ornamental monster statues
are chimera, while gargoyle
actually refers to a statue that
serves as a drain), survived the
catastrophic 2019 fire along
with the famous rose window
(pre-fire photo below).

Revenant-killing kits can be

found at The Vampire Museum.

The largest cemetery in Paris,

Père Lachaise gets more than
3.5 million visitors per year,
making it the most visited
necropolis in the world.

56 VAMPIRES
Paris
L
earn all there is to
know about vamps
by visiting the world’s
ЙȖșȠǾȣșǓȣǾǏǓǏǩljƺȠǓǏ
to them, Le Musée des
Vampires (10 Av. du Père
@ƺljǦƺǩșǓǩǿ@Ǔș@ǩǹƺșॹ'ȖƺǿljǓআ
an appointment is needed).
2Ƞঢ়șȖȣǿLjΡșǓǹǟেȒȖȅljǹƺǩǾǓǏ
৚ΚƺǾȒǩȖȅǹȅǠǩșȠ৛=ƺljȕȣǓș
Sirgent, who’s written several
LjȅȅǷșȅǿLjǹȅȅǏșȣljǷǓȖș
ƺǿǏΛǦȅǾȠǹƺșKLjșljȣȖƺ
ljƺǹǹș৚ƺǿǓΠȒǓȖȠșljǦȅǹƺȖȅǿ
the undead.”
@ȅljƺȠǓǏǴȣșȠȅȣȠșǩǏǓXƺȖǩșঢ়
ljǩȠΡǹǩǾǩȠșॹȠǦǓȅǿǓেȖȅȅǾ
ǾȣșǓȣǾǩǿƺȒȖǩΚƺȠǓȖǓșǩǏǓǿljǓ
is delightfully littered with
ȒȅșȠǓȖșǟȖȅǾΚƺǾȒǩȖǓЙǹǾșॹ
ǾƺșǷșƺǿǏLjȅȅǷșআȖƺljȣǹƺ
ȠȅΡșআƺȣȠȅǠȖƺȒǦǓǏȒǦȅȠȅș
ȅǟƺljȠȅȖșΛǦȅঢ়ΚǓȒǹƺΡǓǏȠǦǓ
ǟƺǾǓǏljȅȣǿȠআƺǿǏǓΚǓǿƺǿ
ƺǿȠǩেΚƺǾȒǩȖǓȒȖȅȠǓljȠǩȅǿǷǩȠ
ǟȖȅǾȠǦǓࢲࢺȠǦljǓǿȠȣȖΡঀ
FǓΠȠॹǦȣǿȠǟȅȖLjƺȠșǏȣȖǩǿǠ
a walking tour of Père
@ƺljǦƺǩșǓǓǾǓȠǓȖΡশࢲࢷ[ȣǓ
Ǐȣ[ǓȒȅșষঀEƺǿΡȠȅǾLjș
have bats on them and as an
ƺǏǏǓǏLjȅǿȣșॹǩȠঢ়șƺǹșȅȠǦǓЙǿƺǹ
ȖǓșȠǩǿǠȒǹƺljǓȅǟșȣljǦǟƺǾǓǏ
ǩǿǏǩΚǩǏȣƺǹșƺșEƺȖljǓǹXȖȅȣșȠॹ
EȅǹǩǚȖǓॹKșljƺȖvǩǹǏǓƺǿǏ
Jim Morrison. There’s even a
ljȅГ ǿেșǦƺȒǓǏǠȖƺΚǓȠǦȅȣǠǦȠ
to be linked to Vlad Tepes,
șƺǩǏȠȅLjǓȠǦǓȖǓƺǹȅȣǿȠ
Ȗƺljȣǹƺঀ2Ƞঢ়șƺȒȒȖȅȒȖǩƺȠǓǹΡ
marked with bats, is never
ȠȅȣljǦǓǏLjΡșȣǿǹǩǠǦȠƺǿǏLjǓƺȖș
ǿȅljȖȅșșॹȣǿǹǩǷǓǾȅșȠȅǟ
the other tombstones.
Those looking for more
ljǦǩǹǹșƺǿǏȠǦȖǩǹǹșljƺǿǦǓƺǏ
underground to visit the
ƺȠƺljȅǾLjșশࢲΚǓঀǏȣȅǹȅǿǓǹ
/ǓǿȖǩ[ȅǹেeƺǿǠȣΡষॹΛǦǩljǦ
are elaborate labyrinths
where millions of Parisians
ƺȖǓȖǓșȠǩǿǠǩǿȒǩǓljǓșঀeǦƺȠঢ়ș
right, there are skulls and
LjȅǿǓșȅǟǾȅȖǓȠǦƺǿࢷǾǩǹǹǩȅǿ
ȒǓȅȒǹǓƺȖȠǟȣǹǹΡȒǩǹǓǏȣȒࢷࢶ
ǟǓǓȠǏǓǓȒশǓȕȣǩΚƺǹǓǿȠȠȅƺ
ЙΚǓেșȠȅȖΡLjȣǩǹǏǩǿǠষǩǿȠǦǓ
ǟȅȖǾǓȖeȅǾLjǓে2șșȅǩȖǓȕȣƺȖȖǩǓș
ȣǿǏǓȖEȅǿȠȖȅȣǠǓঀvǦǓǿ
XƺȖǩșljǓǾǓȠǓȖǩǓșLjǓljƺǾǓ
overrun in the late 1700s,
ȠǦǩșǾƺljƺLjȖǓǏǓșȠǩǿƺȠǩȅǿॹ
ljƺǹǹǓǏ৚ǠȖȣǓșȅǾǓॹǠǦȅȣǹǩșǦ
and downright spooky”
by Lonely Planet, was the
șȅǹȣȠǩȅǿঀ'ǩȖșȠȅȒǓǿǓǏȠȅȠǦǓ
ȒȣLjǹǩljǩǿࢲࢹࢱࢺশLjƺljǷȠǦǓǿॹLjΡ
appointment only), the mile-
long maze of remains winds
ƺȖȅȣǿǏࢳࢵࢴșȠǓȒșȠȅljǹǩǾLjȅȖ
ǏǓșljǓǿǏঀΠȒǓljȠȠȅșȒǓǿǏƺǿ
hour in the underworld, wear
ljȅǾǟȅȖȠƺLjǹǓșǦȅǓșǟȅȖȠǦǓ
ȣǿǓΚǓǿॹșǹǩȒȒǓȖΡșȣȖǟƺljǓșॹƺǿǏ
Ǐȅǿঢ়ȠǟȅȖǠǓȠΡȅȣȖǴƺljǷǓȠশȠǦǓ
ljƺȠƺljȅǾLjșșȠƺΡƺȠƺljȅǿșǩșȠǓǿȠ
ȠǓǾȒǓȖƺȠȣȖǓȅǟࢶࢸ'ষঀ2Ƞঢ়ș
ǿȅȠΛǦǓǓǹljǦƺǩȖƺljljǓșșǩLjǹǓॹ
and its narrow walkways
ƺȖǓǿȅȠȖǓljȅǾǾǓǿǏǓǏǟȅȖ
ljǹƺȣșȠȖȅȒǦȅLjǩljΚǩșǩȠȅȖșঀ
KǿljǓΡȅȣȖǓșȣȖǟƺljǓॹ
ljȅǿȠǩǿȣǓȠǦǓƺǿȠǩ৅ǩȠΡ
of Lights theme with The
ƺȖǷǓșȠ^ǓljȖǓȠșȅǟXƺȖǩșॹ
a two-hour walking tour
ȖȣǿLjΡEΡXȖǓljǩȅȣșXƺȖǩș
শǾǓǓȠșƺȠࢲ[ȣǓǏঢ়ȖljȅǹǓআ
ȖǓșǓȖΚƺȠǩȅǿșȖǓȕȣǩȖǓǏষঀ2Ƞ
ljȅΚǓȖșǾȣȖǏǓȖșॹǠǦȅșȠșƺǿǏ
other mysteries, as well as the
“Vampire of Montparnasse”
শƺǷƺ^ǠȠঀ'ȖƺǿnjȅǩșǓȖȠȖƺǿǏॹ
ΛǦȅΛƺșǴƺǩǹǓǏǟȅȖǿǓljȖȅȒǦǩǹǩƺ
ǩǿࢲࢹࢵࢲষঀKȠǦǓȖșȒȅȅǷΡșȠȅȒș The last bones were deposited
ǩǿljǹȣǏǓFȅȠȖǓেƺǾǓॹȠǦǓ in Paris’ famed catacombs
Latin Quarter and the Hôtel
in 1860, and the facility
now welcomes more than
de Ville. 550,000 visitors a year.
57

Whitby, England
From left: Costumed participants check out the St. Mary’s Church graveyard during Whitby Goth Weekend; a whalebone arch pays homage to
the town’s fishing roots; with the sun setting over St. Mary’s Church graveyard, is it time for the undead to arise?
l
ocated 300 miles east of
Dublin, author Bram Stoker
went on holiday to this town
on the Yorkshire coast in
1890. He fell in love with
medieval architecture and
was fascinated by the crumbling
Whitby Abbey (at Abbey Ln.), a
Benedictine monastery from the
seventh century. Stoker mentioned
the abbey (and its 199 steps) in
Dracula, when the vampire, in dog
form, runs up the steps after his ship
is wrecked.
The author also got the name of
Swales, one of Dracula’s victims
in the book, from a headstone
that caught his eye while walking
58 VAMPIRES
The quaint fishing village of
Staithes in North Yorkshire
looks like it stumbled out of a
different century.
Oswy of Northumbria, and played an important part in
through a nearby graveyard. But
the local library is said to be the
greatest inspiration of all for the tale.
There, Stoker found a book about
Vlad III, a 15th-century prince
who killed his enemies by driving
a wooden stake into their hearts,
earning him the nickname Vlad
the Impaler. He was also known as
Dracula, which in the Wallachian
dialect means Dragon. At the time
in Romania, the Wallachians would
give this as a surname to any person
who rendered himself conspicuous
either by courage, cruel actions or
cunning. Stoker made a note of
this name, along with the date,
Aug. 8, 1890.
The Whitby Abbey was founded in AD 657 by King
the town’s religious life for hundreds of years.
One of the area’s biggest
attractions, The Dracula
Experience (at 9, Marine Parade),
literally brings the story of the
infamous count to life, and
explores his many forms and
victims. The Daily Mail
has called it “an eerie, spine-
chilling show.”
And if you will be in Whitby
in April or October, check out
the Whitby Goth Weekend
(whitbygothweekend.co.uk),
which features two nights of live
music and three days of dark
shopping heaven with 100 indoor
vendors. The biannual event is a
feast for the eyes!
Independence
Hall is a must
for any history
buff, but the
city has a
darker side.
s
ure, it may be best known
as the City of Brotherly
Love, but did you know
Philadelphia was also named
the Best City to be a Vampire
in 2014? Real-estate website
[ǓǏЙǿLjǓșȠȅΛǓǏȠǦǓșȒȅȅǷΡ
honor to Philly thanks to its
high number of cloudy days
annually (160), the numerous
blood banks and blood drives it
holds every year (548), and the fact
that bars are allowed to stay open
20 hours a day there (including the
wee hours of the morning, prime
feeding time for vamps).
The city is brimming with
history from the Revolutionary
War, but if just any history walk
won’t do, Grim Philly’s adults
only “Dark Philly Night Tour
(Vampires, Sex & Ghosts)” is a
slightly R-rated version. The two-
hour walk (which meets at 1 N.
Independence Mall) may only cover
a mile by foot, but it covers years
of debauchery from our Founding
Fathers and wild tales of phantoms
and bloodsuckers, who at one point
ran amok in the city.
The Rosenbach Museum (2008–
2010 Delancey Pl.) is home to more
than 100 pages of Stoker’s notes on
Dracula. Purchased in 1970, they
ΛǓȖǓȠǦǓЙȖșȠǩȠǓǾȅǟȠǦǓǾȣșǓȣǾঢ়ș
vampire collection, which has since
Philadelphia
ǠȖȅΛǿȠȅǩǿljǹȣǏǓƺЙȖșȠǓǏǩȠǩȅǿȅǟ If you would rather party with
Dracula (with a dust jacket still vampires than read about them,
intact), printed in Irish in 1933. Dracula’s Ball is for you—and
“They show the conception and it’s not just in October. Here, the
development of the novel over the legendary dance party happens
course of seven years, and they four times a year with live bands,
reveal how an author put together dancing and people dressing in
an imaginative work through everything from Victorian-style
ΚƺȖǩȅȣșȖǓșȅȣȖljǓșৄșljǩǓǿȠǩЙlj tuxes and ball gowns to leather and
research, folkloric research, travel vinyl fetish wear. (draculasball.com)
writing. He even
goes into studying
tide tables and
weather patterns,”
Edward G. Pettit,
the senior manager
of public programs
at Rosenbach
Museum, told
Atlas Obscura
in 2021.
The Rosenbach
Museum has a vast
collection of Stoker’s
papers and notes
from Dracula.
59
 SP O O KY SP OTS

In the novels of Anne

Rice, the tombs for
the Mayfair witches
and the vampire
Lestat are in Lafayette
Cemetery No. 1 in the
Garden District.

Louis and Lestat in AMC’s

Interview with the Vampire
series regularly hang out
in the French Quarter’s
Jackson Square.

60 VAMPIRES
w
hile vampire legends
have swirled through
the streets of New
Orleans for centuries,
native-born novelist
Anne Rice brought
them to life for millions with
her books like Interview with
the Vampire and The Queen of The city’s history is
the Damned. Fans can check rich with Voodoo
out the Gallier House (1132 and there are

Royal St.), a townhouse built

in the 1850s in the French
Quarter that Rice envisioned
many of her vampires living
in. It’s now a museum—as
is the 18th-century site
known as Madame John’s
Legacy (632 Dumaine St.),
ΛǦǩljǦǩșǟǓƺȠȣȖǓǏǩǿȠǦǓЙǹǾ
Interview with the Vampire.
ȖljǦǩȠǓljȠȣȖƺǹLjȣАșΛǩǹǹƺǹșȅ
plenty of shops to
buy all manner of
accoutrements.
Dunst) literally killed for a
doll. Even a NOLA favorite,
where locals and tourists alike
ǠȅǟȅȖLjǓǩǠǿǓȠșƺǿǏƺশljȅАǓǓষ
buzz, the famed Café Du
Monde (848 Decatur St.),
is part of the Rice vampire

New Orleans
appreciate St. Elizabeth’s
Orphanage Asylum (1314
Napoleon Ave.). The three-
story red-brick building was
an asylum and orphanage
before becoming Rice’s house;
it’s now luxury condos.
Lafayette Cemetery No.
1 (1400 Washington Ave.) is
a frequent roaming ground
for vamps in Rice’s novels
and the not-so-eternal resting
place of Lestat de Lioncourt.
If you’re looking for a
good souvenir for a child,
how about something from
Boyer Antiques Doll and Toy
Museum (241 Chartres St.)?
Rice fans will know it better
as the place Claudia (Kirsten
universe, showing up in
The Tale of the Body Thief
and The Witching Hour.
While in the Garden
District, eat like the Mayfair
characters in Rice’s novels at The city’s Creole-style
townhouses have more
Commander’s Palace (1403 than their fair share of
Washington Ave.), known ghost stories.
for its haute Creole cuisine.
If any ol’ Airbnb won’t do,
check out Magnolia Mansion
(2127 Prytania St.), a historic
house in the Lower Garden
District, which is both
luxurious and haunted. And
when you’re ready to buy
your own custom fangs (it’s
inevitable), Boutique Du
Vampyre (709 St. Ann St.) is
the place to go.

FUN FACT The first mention of vampires in the Crescent City comes
from the “Casket Girls” of the 1700s. These women were shipped
from France to marry colonists, and arrived pale and gaunt with
only wooden trunks called “casquettes.” The ladies were housed
with the sisters in the Ursuline convent. Legend says the nuns opened
the trunks, which had been locked on the third floor, and found them
empty, fueling rumors the girls were actually vampires.

61
 Los Angeles
Hollywood Boulevard at dusk is
the perfect spot to start
an LA ghost tour.
t
he TV and movie industry
has had a lot to do with the
perpetuation of vampires as
cool, dark and brooding.
Fans of ɂωͧȿȅDztǙȝȱȈȵDz
^ȘǙͧDzȵ might want to make a pit
șȠȅȒǟȅȖșǓǹЙǓșǩǿǟȖȅǿȠȅǟeȅȖȖƺǿljǓ
High School (2200 W. Carson St.,
Torrance) aka Sunnydale High,
which served as the center of the Hell
Mouth on the show. Three blocks
north of the high school is where
ȠǦǓǓΠȠǓȖǩȅȖșȅǟȣА Ρঢ়șǦȅȣșǓΛǓȖǓ
ЙǹǾǓǏƺȠࢲࢴࢲࢴȅȠƺΚǓঀশȠǦȅȣǠǦ
on the show, the house address was
1630 Revello Dr.—eagle-eyed fans
may have noticed the mistake that
you could sometimes make out “13”
as part of the house numbers). The
curved, white Art Deco exterior
for Xander and Anya’s apartment
building is located at 844 S.
Plymouth Blvd. And Angel devotees
will remember him (and in Season
2, Spike and Drusilla) living in
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House
ƺȠࢳࢷࢱࢸ(ǹǓǿǏȅΛǓȖΚǓঀǩǿ(ȖǩГ ȠǦ
Park. It was the last and largest of
the architect’s “textile block” houses
in the area at 6,000 square feet and
constructed from 2,700 perforated
concrete blocks. For another type
The Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery was one of the
first in the state to allow people from all races
and religions to be buried there. Birds like it, too.
62 VAMPIRES
of resting place, visit the Angelus-
Rosedale Cemetery at 1831 W.
Washington Boulevard, which made
multiple appearances on the series
during its seven seasons.
True Blood enthusiasts will
recognize Hotel Carmilla, the
vampire hotel on the show—with
super-strong blackout shades—
ΛǦǩljǦǩșƺljȠȣƺǹǹΡȠǦǓ^ȅЙȠǓǹƺȠ
8555 Beverly Blvd. Fans of Sookie
(Anna Paquin) and Eric (Alexander
Frank Lloyd Wright designed
the Ennis House, with its
dramatic entry hall, in 1923.
It’s appeared in more than 80
films and TV shows.
Skarsgård) will want to stay at the
Jackson Hotel (1770 N. Serrano
Ave.), the site of the infamous
ǏȖǓƺǾșǓȕȣǓǿljǓΛǦǓȖǓȖǩljМȅƺȠș
up to Sookie’s window and seduces
her. For a vampy night out, head
25 miles south of LA to Alex’s Bar
in Long Beach at 2913 E. Anaheim
St., which is the real-life Fangtasia
ǟȖȅǾȠǦǓșǓȖǩǓșঀKАেșljȖǓǓǿॹǩȠঢ়șƺ
red velvet–covered punk rock
bar with live music.
For what’s said
to be a real vampire
bar, head to Beverly
Hills to the Vampire
Lounge & Tasting
Room at 9865 S.
Santa Monica Blvd.
Get cozy in the
ȣȒșȠƺǩȖșǹƺǩȖЙǹǹǓǏ
with velvet couches,
plenty of pillows and
a wine selection that
includes Trueblood
Pinot Noir and
more wines from the
Vampire Vineyards.
The Charles Bridge over the
Vltava river offers one of the
city’s most famed vistas.

Prague

s
ince the 1935 Bela Lugosi
thriller Mark of the Vampire
(also known as Vampires of
The Basilica of St. Peter and
St. Paul is beautiful...and
foreboding. Would you walk
through that door?

Prague), the bloodsucking

undead have been
intertwined with the city’s
history. But the tales
of vampire attacks in
Prague actually started
centuries before.
In fact, in the early
1990s, just outside
Prague in Celakovice,
Czech Republic, an
archaeologist discovered
what has been called
“the largest vampire
graveyard.” It dates
back 1,000 years and investigate the placed in the vault to begin with.
contains 14 adult graves, which The Museum of Prague Ghosts
corpses that were buried with anti- only led to more hysteria when they and Legends (Mostecká 46/18)
vampire precautions (decapitated, discovered that dead people’s hair is a fun trip through back alleys,
skulls shattered, hearts impaled, and nails had continued to grow, where you can meet some of the
daggers forced between their jaws or that the blood came to the area’s resident ghosts. It claims to
and bodies weighted down, so they surface, making the corpses be kid-friendly, though note it does
couldn’t come back to life). sometimes look healthier than include decapitated bodies and
Giuseppe Maiello, a professor when they were buried. șǷǓǹǓȠȅǿșॻ@ǩȠǓȖƺȠȣȖǓLjȣАșljƺǿȒƺΡ
at Prague’s Charles University, Around town there are lots of their respects to writer Franz Kafka
explained, “If in a small macabre reminders of the city’s in the Jewish section of the Olsany
community there was a typical ghoulish past. A shoulder blade Cemetery (Vinohradská 1835/153)
epidemic and people began to die… of St. Valentine was discovered or tour the Franz Kafka Museum
they were sure it was the action in the vault of the Basilica of St. (Cihelná 635) to learn more about the
of one or more vampires.” In Peter and St. Paul (Štulcova 128) in writer and some of his most famous
many cases, townspeople would 2002. It’s a mystery why it was ever works, like The Metamorphosis.

63
 FAN G FAS HI ON
STYLE
SLAYERS
WITH OPERA CAPES AND GOTH CHIC, VAMPIRES HAVE
LONG BEEN KILLING THEIR LOOK. BY JORDANA WHITE
f
rom Bela Lugosi’s Dracula
to Tom Cruise’s Lestat and
Robert Pattinson’s Edward
Cullen, on-screen vampires
have been a fashion-forward
bunch. Everything they wear
ǏǓЙǿǓșȠǦǓǾƺșƺȒƺȖȠǟȖȅǾৄ
ƺǿǏȅǟȠǓǿșȣȒǓȖǩȅȖȠȅৄȠǦǓǩȖ
unsuspecting human prey.
So naturally, they are very chic,
avant-garde dressers, a fact that
ǦƺșșȅǹǩǏǩЙǓǏȠǦǓǩȖȒȅșǩȠǩȅǿƺșȠǦǓ
originators of many iconic fashion
looks over the past century.
2Ƞঢ়șЙȠȠǩǿǠȠǦƺȠLjǹȅȅǏșȣljǷǩǿǠ
monsters are trend-setters, says
Deirdre Clemente, PhD, an
associate professor at University of
Nevada Las Vegas, who specializes
in American material culture and
costume curation. “Vampires
64 VAMPIRES
are never casually dressed. Their
decadence goes hand in hand with
the decadence of fashion.”
The fashion industry, which is
always looking for fresh inspiration,
has looked to these debauched
denizens of the night time and time
again. It’s a symbiotic relationship
ǩǿΛǦǩljǦǓƺljǦǩǿМȣǓǿljǓșȠǦǓȅȠǦǓȖॹ
each searching for new ways to set
oneself apart via the simple act of
getting dressed.
CAPED CRUSADERS
eǦǓЙȖșȠǩljȅǿǩljȒǩǓljǓƺșșȅljǩƺȠǓǏ
with vampires was a cape, as seen in
ȠǦǓࢲࢺࢴࢲЙǹǾDracula. 2ǿȠǦǓЙǹǾॹ
we were introduced to the titular
count (Bela Lugosi), who was
decked out in a tuxedo and full-
length opera cape. That role set the
It was only the finest frocks and
suits for immortal child vamp
Claudia (Kirsten Dunst) and her
dapper dad-figure Louis (Brad
Pitt) in the neo-Victorian world
of Interview with the Vampire.
monster’s image, and established
him as a style icon.
These creatures are meant “to
dress in uptight, formal ways,” notes
Clemente, “to cement that idea that
they are very controlled, provocative
and deceptive” creatures. That idea
of provocation, that suggestion of
decadence helped make the cape
a perennial favorite in many a
sanguineous fashionista’s closet.
As Belisa Vranich, PhD, posits
in the blog post Why We Love
Vampires: the Psychology Behind
the Obsession: “All of us have at
some point tried on or pretended
to wear a cape…. Capes make you
feel cool.” That’s why vampires are,
inherently, “slick and cool looking.”
VICTORIAN INFLUENCE
“The social status we gave vampires
in the past,” had to evolve beyond
a black cape and tuxedo, explains
designer and stylist Chantelle
Hartman Malarkey. Vampires
ǿǓǓǏǓǏǿǓΛΛƺΡșȠȅМƺȣǿȠȠǦǓǩȖ
other-worldly elegance. Add to
that shifting fashion norms, and
on-screen portrayals of our favorite
bloodsuckers shifted once again.
“This led to a very Victorian-style
type of vampire fashion including
lace, corset dresses and chokers,”
for the females of the species,
along with waistcoats, top hats
and swaths of velvet for men, as
seen on Gary Oldham in 1992’s
Bram Stoker’s Dracula. He wore
an embellished scarlet robe that
The Yves Saint
Laurent 2020 Paris
ready-to-wear show
took goth glam to
new heights.

65
FAN G FAS HI ON
Olivier Theyskens
chose goths’ second
favorite shade for
this velvet dress and
matching accessories.
șǩǠǿƺǹǓǏǦǩșljǦƺȖƺljȠǓȖঢ়șǾƺǠǿǩЙljǓǿȠ
ȠƺșȠǓॹLjȣȠƺǹșȅǦǩșǾƺǹǓЙljǓǿljǓঀ
Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt were
equally opulently dressed in 1994’s
Interview with the VampireঀeǦǓșǓ
LjǹȅȅǏșȣljǷǓȖșƺljȠȣƺǹǹΡȖǓМǓljȠ
the earliest “thread of gothic
fashion,” says Clemente, a style that
actually “goes back to the French
court where people had white
skin, embellished clothing and
ǩǿljȖǓǏǩLjǹΡǏȖƺǾƺȠǩljǦƺǩȖǏȅșঀ৛
This Victorian-inspired turn
of dress also made perfect sense
in terms of what was happening
ȅǿǟƺșǦǩȅǿȖȣǿΛƺΡșঀǟȠǓȖƺǹǹॹ
says Clemente, starting in the late
1970s, we saw designers “return
to decadence with elaborate and
ǹȣΠȣȖǩȅȣșǟƺLjȖǩljșƺșǟȣǿǏƺǾǓǿȠƺǹșঀ৛
BLACK ISN’T A COLOR,
IT’S A LIFESTYLE
ljƺȒǓǩșƺǹǩȠǓȖƺǹΛƺΡȠȅǾƺșǷ
your identity, but the fashion
industry adapted another more
ЙǠȣȖƺȠǩΚǓljǹȅƺǷॹƺǹșȅǩǿșȒǩȖǓǏLjΡ
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșॸǦǓƺǏেȠȅেȠȅǓLjǹƺljǷॹƺ
The model’s hair
and makeup
accentuated the
decadence of this
look from Jean
Paul Gaultier.
trend that we can credit our undead
ǟȖǩǓǿǏșǟȅȖঀ2ȠΛƺșȠǦǓΡΛǦȅȠȅȅǷ
black from funeral territory to haute
ǠǹƺǾȅȣȖঀǹǓǾǓǿȠǓȒȅǩǿȠșȅȣȠȠǦƺȠ
@ƺǿΚǩǿǾƺǏǓȠǦǓЙȖșȠǹǩȠȠǹǓLjǹƺljǷ
dress in 1912, but Coco Chanel is
credited with popularizing it in the
ࢲࢺࢳࢱșƺǿǏࢴࢱșঀǓǟȅȖǓȠǦǓǿॹΛǓƺȖǩǿǠ
LjǹƺljǷǠƺȖǾǓǿȠșΛƺșȖǓșǓȖΚǓǏǟȅȖȠǦȅșǓ
ǩǿǾȅȣȖǿǩǿǠƺǿǏǟȅȖǹǓșșƺЖ ȣǓǿȠ
members of society, since dark
clothing could conceal dirt and stains
better than brightly colored ones, so
it required less frequent laundering
(an expense many people could ill
ƺАȅȖǏǩǿȠǦȅșǓǏƺΡșষঀ
2ǿࢲࢺࢴࢲॹΛǦǓǿDracula was
released, the idea of an opulent
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓǏȖǓșșǓǏǩǿƺǹǹLjǹƺljǷǦǓǹȒǓǏ
propel the color into the closets
ȅǟȠȖǓǿǏșǓȠȠǓȖșঀ
“The fashion world has always
LjǓǓǿljƺȒȠǩΚƺȠǓǏƺǿǏǩǿșȒǩȖǓǏLjΡȠǦǓ
dark, mysterious and sexy nature of
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșॹ৛EƺǹƺȖǷǓΡǓΠȒǹƺǩǿșঀ৚2ǟ
ΡȅȣȠǦǩǿǷƺLjȅȣȠǩȠॹΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșǦƺΚǓ
ƺǹΛƺΡșLjǓǓǿljȅǿΚǓΡǓǏǩǿljȅǾȒǹǓΠ
ǹȅΚǓșȠȅȖǩǓșƺǾǩǏǓǹǓǠƺǿȠȒƺȖȠǩǓș
Long, Dracula-
inspired
overcoats, like
this one from
Balenciaga, are a
menswear staple.
of the high class in beautiful old-time
Ǿƺǿșǩȅǿșঀ৛^ȅǩȠΛƺșǿƺȠȣȖƺǹȒǓȅȒǹǓ
wanted to emulate this glamour by
șȒȅȖȠǩǿǠLjǹƺljǷǠƺȖǾǓǿȠșঀ
REDEFINING GOTHIC
^ȠƺȖȠǩǿǠǩǿȠǦǓࢲࢺࢹࢱșॹƺǿǓΛ
subgroup of people, the rebels
known as goths, looked beyond
LjǹƺljǷȠȅȅȠǦǓȖǓǹǓǾǓǿȠșȅǟΚƺǾȒǩȖǓ
șȠΡǹǓǟȅȖǩǿșȒǩȖƺȠǩȅǿঀhǿǹǩǷǓȠǦǓ
formality of Victorian-inspired looks,
ȠǦǓΡǏǓljȅǿșȠȖȣljȠǓǏȠǦǓƺǓșȠǦǓȠǩljঀ
There was still lots of black, but also
ripped and torn shirts, skirts, jeans
and tights, tattered sweatshirts,
spiky leather accessories, zippers,
LjȣljǷǹǓșƺǿǏȅljEƺȖȠǓǿșॹȒƺǩȖǓǏ
with powder-white skin, deep red
lips, black eye makeup and a world
ȅǟǦƺǩȖǠǓǹঀeǦȅȣǠǦǿǓΚǓȖȠȅȠƺǹǹΡ
mainstream, the look has been
sported by people wanting to set
ȠǦǓǾșǓǹΚǓșƺȒƺȖȠǓΚǓȖșǩǿljǓঀ
THE NEXT EVOLUTION
ȣȠΛǦƺȠǦƺȒȒǓǿșȠȅΚƺǾȒǩȖǓș
when their signature look is

Thanks to Twilight,
21st century
bloodsuckers
might sport classic
schoolgirl looks,
like this one from
Ralph Lauren.
co-opted by people who just love
wearing head-to-toe black, but are
not true vampires? You guessed it:
eǦǓΡঢ়ΚǓǠȅȠȠȅЙǿǏƺǿǓΛΛƺΡȠȅ
stay stylish.
Which is exactly what happened
with the arrival of 2008’s Twilight,
and the sleek-and-chic Cullens.
eǦǓЙǹǾΛƺșƺǿǩǾȒȅȖȠƺǿȠ
moment in vampire fashion
because for once, the bloodsuckers
weren’t out stalking remote castles
in Transylvania at night; instead,
they attended public high school in
small-town America.
Clearly, in such a setting, a fully
goth nightwalker would stand out
in all the wrong ways. Still, says
Clemente, the key elements of
vampire fashion—namely, “clothes
that are deceptive enough to lure
you in”—remained constant.
To that end, she says, “the
Cullen crew are all buttoned up.
While their fellow students are in
raggedy jeans and T-shirts, they’re
perfectly done” at all times. And
the results speak for themselves:
You might even
find preppy
classics like
Lilly Pulitzer
in modern
vampires’ closets.
They lure in fashion-challenged
Bella and make her one of their
own. In turn, she ups her style
game, swapping out denim and
hoodies for feminine dresses and
ljȅǩАǓǏǹȅljǷșঀ
This same aesthetic was also
ǓΚǩǏǓǿȠǩǿȠǦǓFǓȠМǩΠșǓȖǩǓș First
Kill. Like the Cullens, vampire
Juliette Fairmont (Sarah Catherine
Hook) adheres to a strictly preppy
dress code, complete with tailored
shirts paired with sweaters and a
pastel palette.
THE LOOK TODAY
Many goths recoil from Twilight-
inspired cheery hues and basic
styles the way true vampires do
from sunlight. Thankfully, many
designers have continued to show
looks for the color-averse who want
to channel old-school Dracula
style. In recent years, Versace,
Givenchy, Prada, Gucci and other
designers have shown collections
that nod to classic goth style,
including lace, velvet and leather
Basic blue and
other cheerful
colors from brands
like Lacoste
replaced black
on Twilight.
Twilight’s always en vogue Cullens: Emmett
(Kellan Lutz), Rosalie (Nikki Reed), Alice (Ashley
Greene) and Jasper (Jackson Rathbone).
pieces, corset bodices and other
lingerie-inspired looks, oversize
ȖȣЖ ǓșॹМȅȅȖেșΛǓǓȒǩǿǠȅΚǓȖljȅƺȠșॹ
peek-a-boo sheer styles and suits
with dramatically nipped in waists,
all in vampire-approved noir. “One
of my favorite trends right now,
the black tutu-meets-corset dress,
is even considered ‘vampire-goth,’”
Malarkey says.
Even as the style evolves, vamps
and the designers who love them
are in a never-ending race to shun
ȠǦǓǾƺǩǿșȠȖǓƺǾƺǿǏǏǓЙǿǓȠǦǓ
next big trend in runway and
street wear.
68 VAMPIRES
EXPLORE BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA AND 12 OTHER
GREAT READS, FIND OUT WHAT’S NEXT FOR AMC’S
INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE AND COUNT DOWN
THE GREATEST 25 VAMP FLICKS OF ALL TIME.

69
 Gary Oldman starred as the
count in Bram Stoker’s Dracula,
a 1992 adaptation directed by
Francis Ford Coppola. Though
it incorporated much of the
original text, it significantly
altered the relationship
between Mina and Dracula.
 Bela Lugosi’s take on the role
in 1931’s Dracula is still the
most iconic.

Since its first publication, the novel has

never gone out of print, and has been
translated into more than 30 languages.

i
n May 2022, thousands of
costumed fans—1,369 to be
exact—gathered in Whitby,
England, to set a world record
for the most people dressed
as vampires. It was just one of
multiple events around the world to
celebrate the 125th anniversary of the
release of Bram Stoker’s Dracula—
the novel that introduced the world
to the infamous count, and set the
standard by which all vamp stories
are still judged to this day.
Through letters, journal entries
and telegrams, Stoker’s book
tells the story of the mysterious
Transylvanian nobleman and those
whose lives he forever changes,
including lawyer Jonathan Hawker,
Hawker’s wife, Mina, and her
“sleepwalking” friend Lucy, as well
Abraham Van Helsing, the most
famous vampire hunter of all time. Count Dracula is so ingrained in the collective consciousness, even stories aimed at kids reference it, like
DraculaМȣȠȠǓȖǓǏȅǿȠȅLjȅȅǷșǦǓǹΚǓș the book Bunnicula about a rabbit who sucks veggies dry, and Disney’s Count Duckula.
ǩǿEƺΡࢲࢹࢺࢸআǩȠΛƺșǿঢ়ȠȠǦǓЙȖșȠ
vampire story, but the fang-tastic The novel came out at the end of It began in 1890, when 45-year-
ЙljȠǩȅǿǩșȠǦǓǾȅșȠǩǿМȣǓǿȠǩƺǹঀ ȠǦǓtǩljȠȅȖǩƺǿȖƺॹƺȒǓȖǩȅǏǏǓЙǿǓǏ old Stoker was on a mission for
“Stoker’s central character by sexual repression, the Industrial inspiration. He did research into
became—physically, behaviorally Revolution and the beginning of stories from the principalities of
and narratologically—the archetypal the decline of the British Empire. It Moldavia and Wallachia (where
vampire the public didn’t know it was published eight years after the Dracula means dragon), then studied
needed, or wanted, until it got a taste infamous Jack the Ripper murders in maps to trace a trip from the heart
of him,” says John Edgar Browning, London, which were still very much of London to a mountaintop deep
PhD, author of Dracula in Visual a part of the public consciousness. in the Romanian heartland. He
Media. “Dracula went immediately The count’s seductive evil tapped spoke to members of the Royal Coast
en vogue, and after all this time, he’s into xenophobic fears, as well as the Guard about a sailing vessel called
never really gotten old.” buttoned-up sexuality of the time. the Dmitri, which in real life had

71
C RYP T KING
journeyed a few years earlier from
Varna, Bulgaria, to London, where it
ran aground, damaged and carrying
crates of earth. A large black dog
akin to a mythical creature called a
barghest (a goblin dog) reportedly
raced from the Dmitri into an
adjacent graveyard near the ruins of
Fanged fashion ruled at the
Whitby Abbey in Yorkshire,
England on May 26, 2022,
where a Guinness World
Record was set for most
people dressed as vampires.
Whitby Abbey. Stoker shaped this
macabre material into his classic
story. His original manuscript,
however, is believed to have featured
101 pages of narrative prior to what
was ultimately published. His initial
preface mentioned that the story was
about real people and true events.
Likely concerned about how the
public might perceive his morbid
tale in the wake of the unsolved
Ripper murders, his British publisher
soundly rejected those claims of
authenticity, asked for factual
information to be removed, excised
ȠǦȅșǓЙȖșȠǦȣǿǏȖǓǏȒƺǠǓșশǟȅȖȖǓƺșȅǿș
unknown) and required that the
epilogue be altered. The book had to
LjǓȒȖǓșǓǿȠǓǏƺșЙljȠǩȅǿǿȅȠǟƺljȠঀ
But the Icelandic edition, titled
Makt Myrkranna (aka Powers of
Darkness) and recently translated
into English, does include the
original preface and other material.
Left: In 1958’s Dracula, Christopher Lee played
the count, while Peter Cushing played Dr. Van
Helsing. Below: Stoker’s influence on the vampire
genre is still felt today with films like 2019’s Bliss.
More deleted content made it into
Stoker’s subsequent short story
“Dracula’s Guest,” which was
published in 1914, two years after
his death. Will the entire original
text be found, rising from the grave
like a member of the undead? Only
time will tell.
Although Stoker’s novel became
a sensation, vampiric characters had
existed in folklore going back to the
Mesopotamians and Ancient Greeks
(see page 10).
What made Dracula and two 19th-
century literary predecessors—Lord
Ruthven in John Polidori’s short
story “The Vampyre” (1819) and
the title character from Sheridan Le
Fanu’s CarmillaশࢲࢹࢸࢳষৄǏǩАǓȖǓǿȠ
was that they were aristocratic and
thus more sophisticated and elegant
than the undead in the lurid lore of
yore, says Nancy Kilpatrick, four-
ȠǩǾǓȖƺǾ^ȠȅǷǓȖΛƺȖǏЙǿƺǹǩșȠॹƺǿǏ
author of more than 20 novels about
the supernatural. People across the
ages have been fascinated with high
society, and in a way, Dracula’s life-
draining activities could make him
a heroic or villainous symbol in the
struggle between the lower classes
and the rich who preyed upon them,
depending on how one viewed him.
Stoker’s richly detailed and multi-
layered novel also provided plenty of
fodder for a whole genre of stories. It
ȒǹƺΡǓǏƺǿǩǿȠǓǠȖƺǹȖȅǹǓǩǿǏǓЙǿǩǿǠȠǦǓ
concept of the modern vampire with
shape-shifting powers.
As J.A. Hernandez, novelist and
author of the weekly newsletter Into
Horror History, explains: “Stoker
set some hard and fast rules for
vampires in Dracula that can be
found everywhere today: a vampire
rests in its lair (earthen or otherwise)
during the day, a vampire has trouble
crossing water, a vampire bite creates
another vampire, garlic repels
vampires, a wooden stake through
the heart can kill a vampire and a
vampire drinks the blood of the
living to survive. Oh, and of course,
a vampire must be invited inside,
per Dracula: ‘He may not enter
ƺǿΡΛǦǓȖǓƺȠȠǦǓЙȖșȠॹȣǿǹǓșșȠǦǓȖǓLjǓ
some one of the household who bid
him to come; though afterwards he
can come as he please.’”
Yet for all of Draculaঢ়șǩǿМȣǓǿljǓॹ
there are many vamp fans who’ve
never actually read it.
And they should. “It’s an
interesting book and it’s exotic to
today’s readers,” says Kilpatrick.
“Over the 125 years that type of
novel—written in the style it is
with chapters as segments, varying
points of view, newspaper clippings
and [diary entries and letters]—has
become more fashionable again,
reigning over the straightforward
story. People [who are] into vampires
want to read the source of the
western ideas and that’s Dracula.
Hopefully they will read some of the
other original works that preceded
Dracula to get a feel for how the
vampire developed.”
Left: Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989)
gives a comedic update to Dracula and
Van Helsing’s story. Above: Lifeforce sends
vampires into orbit.
Oddly enough, after 125
years of existence, the densely
detailed and eerie Dracula has
ΡǓȠȠȅȖǓljǓǩΚǓƺǏǓЙǿǩȠǩΚǓॹǟƺǩȠǦǟȣǹ
screen adaptation—not even from
ȠǦȅșǓЙǹǾǾƺǷǓȖșॹǹǩǷǓ'Ȗƺǿljǩș
Ford Coppola, who invoked the
author in their title or marketing.
Oftentimes they added in new
material of their own.
But when one reads the novel, it’s
easy to see why making a full-on
screen version could be tricky.
eǦǓЙȖșȠǟȅȣȖljǦƺȒȠǓȖșljȅǾǓǟȖȅǾ
Harker’s journal entries when he’s
held captive at Dracula’s castle in
eȖƺǿșΡǹΚƺǿǩƺƺǿǏΛǦǩljǦȅАǓȖǠȖǓƺȠǓȖ
details about the count and his
strange behavior. So much is packed
ǩǿȠȅȠǦǩșЙȖșȠșǓljȠǩȅǿȠǦƺȠǩȠljȅȣǹǏ
ǓƺșǩǹΡЙǹǹƺǟǓƺȠȣȖǓЙǹǾȣǿȠȅǩȠșǓǹǟঀ
In his YouTube video essay,
“Which Dracula Film Is Most
Faithful to the Book?,” James
Rolfe quips, “There is no Dracula
ЙǹǾƺǏƺȒȠƺȠǩȅǿȠǦƺȠljȅȒǩǓșȠǦǓ
book exactly. If there was, it would
probably be 20 hours long.” But
it’s precisely that level of detail that
made Bram Stoker’s Dracula such a
sensation and overhauled old-world
notions of nocturnal bloodsuckers
by making them feel more human.
ǿǏLjΡǏȅǩǿǠșȅॹǾȅȖǓǦȅȖȖǩЙljঀ
B O O K B IT E S
13 Novels to
SINK
YOUR
TEETH
INTO
DRACULA IS HARDLY THE ONLY GREAT
VAMPIRE TOME ON THE SHELF.
CHECK OUT THESE OTHER KILLER
STORIES. BY JULES WILKINSON
CARMILL A (1872)
Sheridan Le Fanu
eΛǓǿȠΡেЙΚǓΡǓƺȖșLjǓǟȅȖǓȖƺǾ
^ȠȅǷǓȖǩǿȠȖȅǏȣljǓǏȠǦǓǩljȅǿǩlj
DraculaȠȅȠǦǓΛȅȖǹǏॹ2ȖǩșǦ
ǦȅȖȖȅȖΛȖǩȠǓȖ@Ǔ'ƺǿȣȒȣLjǹǩșǦǓǏ
ȠǦǓȠƺǹǓȅǟ@ƺȣȖƺॹƺΡȅȣǿǠ
ǿǠǹǩșǦΛȅǾƺǿǓǿȠǦȖƺǹǹǓǏLjΡ
ƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓǿƺǾǓǏƺȖǾǩǹǹƺঀ
^ǦǓǹǩΚǓșΛǩȠǦǦǓȖǟƺȠǦǓȖǩǿॹƺș
LjǓЙȠșȠǦǓljǦƺȖƺljȠǓȖǩǿƺǠȅȠǦǩlj
ǿȅΚǓǹॹƺljƺșȠǹǓǩǿȠǦǓȣșȠȖǩƺǿ
ljȅȣǿȠȖΡșǩǏǓঀeǦǓǓǿǩǠǾƺȠǩlj
ƺȖǾǩǹǹƺljȅǾǓșȠȅǹǩΚǓΛǩȠǦȠǦǓǾॹ
ƺǿǏșȅȅǿƺǟȠǓȖΛȅǾǓǿǩǿȠǦǓ
șȣȖȖȅȣǿǏǩǿǠΚǩǹǹƺǠǓșșȠƺȖȠǏΡǩǿǠঀ
ǿǩǿȠǓǿșǓljȅǿǿǓljȠǩȅǿǏǓΚǓǹȅȒș
LjǓȠΛǓǓǿ@ƺȣȖƺƺǿǏƺȖǾǩǹǹƺॹ
ƺǿǏșȅȅǿ@ƺȣȖƺǏȖǓƺǾșȅǟƺ
ǹƺȖǠǓॹLjǹƺljǷljƺȠǓǿȠǓȖǩǿǠǦǓȖ
LjǓǏȖȅȅǾƺȠǿǩǠǦȠƺǿǏLjǩȠǩǿǠǦǓȖঀ
eǦǓǹǓșLjǩƺǿǩșǾǩǿȠǦǓǿȅΚǓǹǹƺǩș
ǿǓΚǓȖljƺǹǹǓǏȅȣȠॹǦȅΛǓΚǓȖ@ƺȣȖƺঢ়ș
ȖǓljȅȣǿȠǩǿǠȅǟȅǿǓǩǿȠǓȖƺljȠǩȅǿ
ΛǩȠǦƺȖǾǩǹǹƺǹǓƺΚǓșǿȅǏȅȣLjȠॸ
৚/ǓȖǦȅȠǹǩȒșȠȖƺΚǓǹǓǏƺǹȅǿǠǾΡ
ljǦǓǓǷǩǿǷǩșșǓșঀ৛
2Ƞঢ়șƺǿȅΚǓǹǹƺΛȅȖȠǦȖǓƺǏǩǿǠ
ȠȅƺȒȒȖǓljǩƺȠǓȠǦǓǩǿșȒǩȖƺȠǩȅǿ
ǟȅȖǾƺǿΡΚƺǾȒǩȖǓȠƺǹǓșॹΛȖǩȠǓș
EƺȖǷȅǹǹǩǿș=ǓǿǷǩǿșǩǿVampire
Forensicsঀ৚^ȠȅǷǓȖॺǦǓǹǏCarmilla
ǩǿșȣljǦǦǩǠǦȖǓǠƺȖǏȠǦƺȠǦǓǩǿǩȠǩƺǹǹΡ
ȒǹƺǿǿǓǏȠȅșǓȠǦǩșǿȅΚǓǹॹȠȅȅॹǩǿȠǦǓ
ǟȅȖǓșȠșȅǟ^ȠΡȖǩƺৄƺǿǦȅǾƺǠǓȠȅǦǩș
ǟǓǹǹȅΛljȅȣǿȠȖΡǾƺǿঀ৛
INTERVIEW WITH
THE VAMPIRE (1976)
Anne Rice
[ǩljǓঢ়șЙȖșȠǿȅΚǓǹșǦǩǟȠǓǏȠǦǓǠǓǿȖǓ
LjΡȠƺǷǩǿǠΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșǟȖȅǾljȖǓƺȠȣȖǓș
ljȖǓǓȒǩǿǠǩǿȠǦǓșǦƺǏȅΛșȠȅljǓǿȠǓȖ
șȠƺǠǓঀeǦǓȠȅǾǓǩșǿƺȖȖƺȠǓǏLjΡ@ȅȣǩșॹ
ΛǦȅॹǏȣȖǩǿǠƺȒǓȖǩȅǏȅǟǏǓșȒƺǩȖॹ
ǾǓǓȠșȠǦǓΚƺǾȒǩȖǓ@ǓșȠƺȠঀeƺǷǓǿΛǩȠǦ
LjȅȠǦ@ȅȣǩșঢ়ǹȅȅǷșƺǿǏΚȣǹǿǓȖƺLjǩǹǩȠΡॹ
@ǓșȠƺȠȠȣȖǿșǦǩǾǩǿȠȅƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓƺǿǏ
ȠǦǓȠΛȅǟȅȖǾƺǿǩǿȠǓǿșǓLjȅǿǏȠǦƺȠঢ়ș
ǏΡșǟȣǿljȠǩȅǿƺǹȠȅșƺΡȠǦǓǹǓƺșȠঀ@ǓșȠƺȠ
ƺǹșȅȠȣȖǿșࢶেΡǓƺȖেȅǹǏȅȖȒǦƺǿǹƺȣǏǩƺ
ǩǿȠȅƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓॹƺǿǏȠǦǓȠǦȖǓǓǟȅȖǾƺ
ǟƺǾǩǹΡȅǟșȅȖȠșঀ
șǩǿCarmillaॹȠǦǓȕȣǓǓȖǿǓșș
șȠȅȒșșǦȅȖȠȅǟLjǓǩǿǠǓΠȒǹǩljǩȠॹLjȣȠ
ȠǦǓȖǓঢ়șǿȅǾǩșȠƺǷǩǿǠȠǦǓǏƺȖǷȒƺșșǩȅǿ
LjǓȠΛǓǓǿ@ȅȣǩșƺǿǏ@ǓșȠƺȠঀǿǏǩǿƺ
ࢳࢱࢲࢳǩǿȠǓȖΚǩǓΛΛǩȠǦ(ǩΦǾȅǏȅॹ[ǩljǓ
ljȅǿЙȖǾǓǏȠǦƺȠ৚ȠǦǓΡΛǓȖǓȠǦǓЙȖșȠ
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșƺǾǓেșǓΠȒƺȖǓǿȠșঀ৛
2ǿǩȠǩƺǹljȖǩȠǩljƺǹȖǓΚǩǓΛșΛǓȖǓǾǓǦॹ
ΛǩȠǦThe Washington PostljƺǹǹǩǿǠ
ǩȠॹ৚^ȅǾǓȠǩǾǓșǦȅȖȖǩLjǹǓॹșȅǾǓȠǩǾǓș
LjǓƺȣȠǩǟȣǹॹƺǹΛƺΡșȣǿǟȅȖǠǓȠȠƺLjǹǓঀ৛
hǿǟȅȖǠǓȠȠƺLjǹǓǩǿǏǓǓǏॸࢵࢶেȒǹȣșΡǓƺȖș
ǹƺȠǓȖॹǩȠঢ়șșȠǩǹǹǩǿȒȖǩǿȠৄƺșƺȖǓǩȠșșǩΠ
șǓȕȣǓǹșঀ2ȠΛƺșƺǏƺȒȠǓǏǩǿȠȅƺǿƺΛƺȖǏে
ΛǩǿǿǩǿǠЙǹǾșȠƺȖȖǩǿǠeȅǾȖȣǩșǓ
ƺǿǏȖƺǏXǩȠȠǩǿࢲࢺࢺࢵॹƺǿǏƺࢳࢱࢳࢳ
EșǓȖǩǓșΛƺșƺǾȅǿșȠǓȖǦǩȠॹΛǩȠǦ
^ǓƺșȅǿࢳȅǿȠǦǓΛƺΡশșǓǓȒƺǠǓࢸࢷষঀ
THE GILDA
STORIES (1991)
Jewelle Gomez
eǦǓǹȅǿǠǓΚǩȠΡȅǟȠǦǓȣǿǏǓƺǏǩș
ȣșǓǏȠȅȒȖȅǟȅȣǿǏǓАǓljȠǩǿȠǦǩș
ǿȅΚǓǹॹΛǦǩljǦǟȅǹǹȅΛșƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓ
ȠǦȖȅȣǠǦΚǩǠǿǓȠȠǓșƺljȖȅșșljǓǿȠȣȖǩǓșঀ
(ǩǹǏƺΛƺșȅȖǩǠǩǿƺǹǹΡƺǿǓǿșǹƺΚǓǏ
ΛȅǾƺǿǩǿ@ȅȣǩșǩƺǿƺǩǿࢲࢹࢶࢱƺǿǏ
ΛǓƺljljȅǾȒƺǿΡǦǓȖȠȅƺǹǩǟȅȖǿǩƺ
ǩǿࢲࢹࢺࢱॹEǩșșȅȣȖǩǩǿࢲࢺࢳࢲॹ
EƺșșƺljǦȣșǓȠȠșǩǿࢲࢺࢶࢶॹFǓΛ
|ȅȖǷǩǿࢲࢺࢹࢲॹFǓΛ/ƺǾȒșǦǩȖǓ
“A COMPELLING
IMAGINING OF
VAMPIRISM.”
ӲӥԒ ӲԡԖ ԒӒ ԭ ӥӒ ԮԖ
ǩǿࢳࢱࢳࢱƺǿǏȠǦǓ৚@ƺǿǏȅǟ
ǿljǦƺǿȠǾǓǿȠ৛ǩǿࢳࢱࢶࢱঀ
eǦǩșșȠȖȣljȠȣȖǓƺǹǹȅΛș(ȅǾǓΦȠȅ
ǓΠƺǾǩǿǓȠǦǓǩǿȠǓȖșǓljȠǩȅǿșȅǟLjǓǩǿǠ
ǹƺljǷॹLjǩșǓΠȣƺǹƺǿǏƺΛȅǾƺǿƺljȖȅșș
ǏǩАǓȖǓǿȠșȅljǩƺǹljȅǿȠǓΠȠșঀ
KǿȠǦǓȖǓǹǓƺșǓȅǟȠǦǓࢳࢶȠǦ
ƺǿǿǩΚǓȖșƺȖΡǓǏǩȠǩȅǿǩǿࢳࢱࢲࢷॹ
Publisher’s WeeklyȒȖȅljǹƺǩǾǓǏॹ৚2Ƞș
ljȅǾǾǓǿȠƺȖΡȅǿǠǓǿǏǓȖƺǿǏȖƺljǓ
ȖǓǾƺǩǿșǩǠǿǩЙljƺǿȠƺǿǏȒȅΛǓȖǟȣǹঀ৛
CARPE JUGULUM (1998)
Terry Pratchett
XȖȅΚǩǿǠȠǦƺȠƺǠȖǓƺȠΚƺǾȒǩȖǓ
LjȅȅǷǏȅǓșǿঢ়ȠǿǓǓǏȠȅLjǓǏƺȖǷƺǿǏ
LjȖȅȅǏΡॹCarpe Jugulumৄ৚șǓǩΦǓ
ȠǦǓȠǦȖȅƺȠ৛ৄǩșƺǠȖǓƺȠȖȅǾȒșǓȠǩǿ
XȖƺȠljǦǓȠȠঢ়șǩșljΛȅȖǹǏȣǿǩΚǓȖșǓঀ
eǦǓșȠȅȖΡșǓǓșƺǟƺǾǩǹΡȅǟ
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșljƺǹǹǓǏȠǦǓEƺǠȒΡȖșȠȖΡǩǿǠ
ȠȅȠƺǷǓȅΚǓȖȠǦǓǷǩǿǠǏȅǾȅǟ@ƺǿljȖǓঀ
eǦǩșǾȅǏǓȖǿǟƺǾǩǹΡǓșljǦǓΛșȠǦǓ
ȅǹǏΛƺΡșৄΛǓƺȖǩǿǠLjȖǩǠǦȠljǹȅȠǦǓșॹ
ǓƺȠǩǿǠǠƺȖǹǩljƺǿǏșȠƺΡǩǿǠȣȒȣǿȠǩǹ
ǿȅȅǿৄǾȣljǦȠȅȠǦǓljǦƺǠȖǩǿȅǟȠǦǓǩȖ
ǏǩșǠȖȣǿȠǹǓǏșǓȖΚƺǿȠ2ǠȅȖঀ@ȣljǷǩǹΡǟȅȖ
ȠǦǓǠȅȅǏǟȅǹǷȅǟ@ƺǿljȖǓॹǦǓǹȒƺȖȖǩΚǓș
ǩǿȠǦǓǟȅȖǾȅǟǟȅȣȖΛǩȠljǦǓșǹǓǏLjΡ
ȠǦǓǩǿǩǾǩȠƺLjǹǓ(ȖƺǿǿΡvǓƺȠǦǓȖΛƺΠ
ƺǿǏșȅǾǓǏȖȣǿǷǓǿ^ljȅȠȠǩșǦXǩljȠșǩǓș
ǷǿȅΛǿƺșȠǦǓFƺljEƺlj'ǓǓǠǹǓșঀ
hLjǓȖেLjǓșȠșǓǹǹǩǿǠȒƺȖȅǏǩșȠ
XȖƺȠljǦǓȠȠȠƺǷǓșǠȖǓƺȠǏǓǹǩǠǦȠǩǿ
ȒȅǷǩǿǠǟȣǿƺȠǟƺǾǩǹǩƺȖȠȖȅȒǓș
ǟȅȣǿǏǩǿΚƺǾȒǩȖǓǹȅȖǓƺǿǏșȠȅȖǩǓșॹ
ƺǹȅǿǠΛǩȠǦǏȖȅȒȒǩǿǠȒȅȒljȣǹȠȣȖǓ
ȖǓǟǓȖǓǿljǓșȠȅǓΚǓȖΡȠǦǩǿǠǟȖȅǾ
Tomb RaiderȠȅSouth Parkঀ2Ƞঢ়șƺ
৚ǾƺȖΚǓǹȅȣșșǓǿǏেȣȒȅǟȅǹǏǦȅȖȖȅȖ
ǾȅΚǩǓșॹǟȖȅǾȠǦǓșǦƺǾLjǹǩǿǠॹ
ȒǩǓljǓǏেȠȅǠǓȠǦǓȖॹǹǩșȒǩǿǠșǓȖΚƺǿȠ2ǠȅȖ
ȠȅȠǦǓȠȅȖljǦেΛǩǓǹǏǩǿǠǾȅLjșॹ৛ȖƺΚǓș
School Library JournalঀǿǏȠǦǓȖǓ
ƺȖǓࢵࢱǾȅȖǓLjȅȅǷșǩǿȠǦǓǩșljΛȅȖǹǏ
șǓȖǩǓșȠȅǓǿǴȅΡॻ
B O O K B IT E S
DEAD UNTIL DARK (2001)
Charlaine Harris
Sookie Stackhouse is your typical
small-town diner waitress—who
just happens to be telepathic.
Meanwhile, the development of
a synthetic substitute for human
blood has allowed vampires to live
openly, and when Civil War-era
vampire Bill Compton moves into
the area, Sookie falls for him. It’s all
going swimmingly until a series of
murders occurs and both Bill and
Sookie’s brother, Jason, are prime
suspects. As Sookie begins exploring
who’s really behind the killings, she
“DEAD UNTIL DARK
IS VAMPIRE FICTION
FOR THE COZY
MYSTERY SET.”
ԒӒ Һӎ ӥ ӼҺԖ ӥ Ӽ ӝӵ Ӓ Ԗӥ ԝ ԝ ӥӼ ӝ ৺ӈԃӻ
comes into contact with the
ǹȅljƺǹtƺǾȒǩȖǓ^ǦǓȖǩАΛǦȅȖȣǿș
the club “Fangtasia.”
Part murder-mystery, part love
triangle, Dead Until Dark grew
into a series known as The Southern
Vampire Mysteries, or sometimes
the True Blood series after the hugely
popular HBO TV adaptation
starring Anna Paquin. The books are
widely credited with helping launch
ȠǦǓȣȖLjƺǿǟƺǿȠƺșΡǠǓǿȖǓȅǟЙljȠǩȅǿঀ
TWILIGHT (2005)
Stephenie Meyer
Even if you’ve never cracked open
ȅǿǓȅǟEǓΡǓȖঢ়șLjȅȅǷșȅȖșǓǓǿȠǦǓЙǹǾ
adaptations with Robert Pattinson
and Kristen Stewart, you probably
know all about Team Jacob versus
Team Edward: The Twilight saga is
that big of a global phenomenon.
eǦǓǟȅȣȖেǿȅΚǓǹșǓȖǩǓșৄȠǦƺȠЙȖșȠ
book came to Meyer in a dream
and has sold more than 100 million
copies—is told mainly from the point
of view of Bella Swan, a relatable
everygirl who feels she doesn’t quite
ЙȠǩǿΛǦǓǿșǦǓȠȖƺǿșǟǓȖșȠȅƺǿǓΛ
school in small-town Washington.
She becomes intrigued by the Cullen
kids, particularly the handsome
Edward, who uses seemingly
supernatural powers to save her from
a car accident. Turns out, they’re
sparkly, “vegetarian” vamps.
The story is a slow-burn romance
between Bella and Edward,
complicated by her desire to become
a vampire and his resistance to the FLEDGLING (2005)
idea. They also have to deal with Octavia Butler
killer vampires and a rival for her 2ǿȠǦǩșǹƺșȠǿȅΚǓǹȅǟǟƺǾǓǏșljǩেЙ
ƺАǓljȠǩȅǿǩǿȠǦǓșǦƺȒǓেșǦǩǟȠǩǿǠǟȅȖǾ scribe Butler, the protagonist,
of her friend Jacob. Shori, wakes up with amnesia, a
Meyer’s books are chaste for vamp
fare, and she’s said her Mormon faith
thirst for blood and nonhuman
abilities. As she discovers the truth
ǩșƺǿǩǿМȣǓǿljǓॹƺǏǏǩǿǠȠǦƺȠȒǓȅȒǹǓǩǿ about herself, Shori reconnects
her books “think more about where
they came from, and where they are
with her people, the Ina, who
are a race of vampires living in
going, than might be typical.” symbiotic relationships with
humans. Ina feed on their blood
and in return the humans receive
a health boost and can live up to
200 years.
But Shori faces prejudice when
she discovers her dark skin color
is a result of an Ina experiment to
ЙǿǏΛƺΡșȅǟǓΠǩșȠǩǿǠǩǿșȣǿǹǩǠǦȠ
that resulted in the murder of her
family. The novel examines power
relationships in both intimate
and community dynamics, and
as a review in The Atlantic put it,
“envisioning a universe in which
the powerful and the vulnerable
can coexist.”
B O O K B IT E S
SALTWATER
VAMPIRES (2010)
Kirsty Eagar
Surf’s up in this Australian
YA thriller in which a group of
teenagers on their summer holidays
have more to worry about than
sunburn and sharks when they
encounter a society of vampires in a
small coastal town.
The bloodthirsty monsters in the
book trace their origins to Dutch
trading ship the Batavia, which
ȖǓƺǹǹΡǏǩǏΛȖǓljǷȅАȠǦǓvǓșȠǓȖǿ
Australian coast in 1629.
While the summer setting might
suggest a sunny and light story,
the tale instead delivers nail-biting
thrills and chills. Eagar creates
ǓǿǠƺǠǩǿǠljǦƺȖƺljȠǓȖșƺǿǏȅАǓȖșșȅǾǓ
great original vampire lore that will
ǏǓЙǿǩȠǓǹΡƺȒȒǓƺǹȠȅǟƺǿșȅǟȠǦǓljȣǹȠ
’80s movie The Lost Boys.
“This is not your run-of-the-
mill teen vampire book,” raves the
website We Love YA. “Eagar has
mixed Australian history, vampires
ƺǿǏșȣȖЙǿǠƺǿǏȖȅǹǹǓǏȅȣȠƺǟƺșȠে
paced thriller that I could not
put down.”
NOS4A2 (2013)
Joe Hill
Enthralling and terrifying in
equal parts, this novel by Hill—
son of horror master Stephen
King, whose Salem’s Lot is another
vampire classic not to be missed—
is one to read with the lights on!
Charlie Manx is a vampire, just
not of the bloodsucking variety.
He drives around in his vintage
Rolls Royce kidnapping children
and draining their energy to
extend his life. He then takes the
soulless children to live in the
ironically named Christmasland,
a fantasy realm he has created. CERTAIN DARK
Special people known as THINGS (2016)
“creatives” can also fashion these Silvia Moreno-Garcia
realms known as “inscapes,” From Mexican-Canadian best-selling
including young Victoria “Vic” author Moreno-Garcia comes a
McQueen. Vic has a knack for neo-noir tale that sees the world of
ЙǿǏǩǿǠǹȅșȠȠǦǩǿǠșƺǿǏॹȖǩǏǩǿǠƺ vampires and drug cartels go head-
[ƺǹǓǩǠǦeȣАȣȖǿǓȖLjǩljΡljǹǓॹljƺǿ to-head in Mexico, where the undead
travel across physical space via her have taken over the crime networks.
inscape. When she encounters
Manx, she nearly ends up as
another victim but manages to
escape…for now. The book was
“BEAUTIFULLY…
made into a series for Amazon SMART, TENDER AND
Prime starring Zachary Quinto as
Charlie Manx.
INSIGHTFUL.”
In case you’re still trying to NPR
ЙǠȣȖǓȅȣȠȠǦǓȠǩȠǹǓॹǩȠঢ়șƺȒǹƺΡȅА
Nosferatu, F.W. Murnau’s classic
vampire movie. Domingo, a young street kid, falls
in with Atl, a Mexican vamp whose
species dates back to Aztec times,
ƺǿǏȠȅǠǓȠǦǓȖȠǦǓΡЙǿǏȠǦǓǾșǓǹΚǓșȅǿ
the run from local crime lords and
the police.
Moreno-Garcia creates a detailed
world that draws on vampiric
lore from around the globe, with
added attention given to themes
of colonialism when the arrival
of European vampires threatens
the Indigenous bloodsuckers. She
ljȖǓƺȠǓșМƺΛǓǏॹljȅǾȒǹǓΠljǦƺȖƺljȠǓȖș
who often make bad choices, but
are also intriguing and empathetic.
It’s no surprise that The New
York Journal of Books called it,
“Arguably the vampire novel for
the 21st century.”
 EYE KILLERS (2021)
A.A. Carr
Navajo Laguna documentary
ЙǹǾǾƺǷǓȖƺȖȖǦƺșljȖƺǟȠǓǏƺȠƺȣȠॹ
șǓΠΡȠǦȖǩǹǹǓȖȠǦƺȠljǹǓΚǓȖǹΡǩǿȠǓȖΛǓƺΚǓș
ȣȖȅȒǓƺǿǹǓǠǓǿǏșΛǩȠǦFƺȠǩΚǓ
ǾǓȖǩljƺǿǹȅȖǓঀ
ǿƺǿljǩǓǿȠΚƺǾȒǩȖǓƺΛƺǷǓǿșǩǿ
ǹLjȣȕȣǓȖȕȣǓॹFǓΛEǓΠǩljȅॹƺǿǏ
ǷǩǏǿƺȒșƺȠǓǓǿƺǠǓȖȠȅLjǓǦǩșLjȖǩǏǓঀ

“COMBINES NATIVE
AMERICAN MYTH,
GOTHIC HORROR
AND MYSTERY.”
Ӳ ӥԒӲ ԡ Ԗ Ԓ Ӓԭ ӥӒԮԖ

vǩȠǦȠǦǓǦǓǹȒȅǟȠǦǓǠǩȖǹঢ়șǿǠǹǩșǦ
ȠǓƺljǦǓȖॹǦǓȖǠȖƺǿǏǟƺȠǦǓȖEǩljǦƺǓǹ
A DOWRY OF BLOOD (2021) [ȅƺǿǦȅȖșǓșǓȠșȅȣȠȠȅȖǓșljȣǓǦǓȖঀeǦǓ
S.T. Gibson ƺǿșΛǓȖǾƺΡǹǩǓǩǿȠǦǓFƺΚƺǴȅljȣǹȠȣȖǓ
vǦƺȠǩșǩȠȠȅLjǓǩǿƺǿǓȠǓȖǿƺǹ șȠȅȖǩǓșȅǟȠǦǓǦƺǿǠǩǿǠvȅǾƺǿ
ȖǓǹƺȠǩȅǿșǦǩȒΛǩȠǦƺǿƺLjȣșǓȖॹƺǿǏ ƺǿǏǦǓȖȠΛǩǿșॹEȅǿșȠǓȖ^ǹƺΡǓȖƺǿǏ
ǦȅΛǏȅΡȅȣǓșljƺȒǓঁA Dowry of ǦǩǹǏȅǟȠǦǓvƺȠǓȖॹΛǦȅșǓȒȣȖȒȅșǓ
Blood ǩșƺȒȅǹΡƺǾȅȖȅȣșșȠȅȖΡȅǟ ǩșȠȅȒȖȅȠǓljȠǦȣǾƺǿǩȠΡৄƺǹǹȅǟΛǦǩljǦ
VAMPIRE KNIGHT Ȗƺljȣǹƺঢ়șljȅǿșȅȖȠșॹLjȣȠȠǦǩșǩșǿȅ EǩljǦƺǓǹǦƺșȠȣȖǿǓǏǦǩșLjƺljǷȅǿঀ
(2005–2013) șǓΠΡǓȖȅȠǩljƺȣȖLjƺǿǟƺǿȠƺșΡঀ eǦǓǿȅΚǓǹǓΠƺǾǩǿǓșǿȅȠȅǿǹΡ
Matsuri Hino eǦȖȅȣǠǦȠǦǓșȠȅȖΡȠȅǹǏLjΡ ȠǦǓΚƺǹȣǓƺǿǏȒȅΛǓȖȅǟljȅǿǿǓljȠǩǿǠ
ȣȠǦȅȖƺǿǏƺȖȠǩșȠ/ǩǿȅǩșLjǓșȠ ȅǿșȠƺǿȠƺॹȖƺljȣǹƺঢ়șЙȖșȠΛǩǟǓॹ ΛǩȠǦljȣǹȠȣȖǓॹLjȣȠƺǹșȅǩǿǹǓƺȖǿǩǿǠ
ǷǿȅΛǿǟȅȖȠǦǩșǏƺȖǷǟƺǿȠƺșΡǾƺǿǠƺॹ ΛǓǠƺǩǿǩǿșǩǠǦȠǩǿȠȅΛǦƺȠƺ ǦȅΛȠȅΛȅȖǷƺǹȅǿǠșǩǏǓȠǦȅșǓǟȖȅǾ
ΛǩǏǓǹΡȖǓǠƺȖǏǓǏƺșȅǿǓȅǟȠǦǓǠǓǿȖǓঢ়ș ȖǓǹƺȠǩȅǿșǦǩȒΛǩȠǦƺljǦƺȖǩșǾƺȠǩlj ǏǩАǓȖǓǿȠȠȖƺǏǩȠǩȅǿșঀKirkusljƺǹǹǓǏ
LjǓșȠঀVampire KnightǩșșǓȠǩǿȠǦǓ ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓǾǩǠǦȠLjǓǹǩǷǓॹǓșȒǓljǩƺǹǹΡ ǩȠॹ৚ǿǓǿȠǓȖȠƺǩǿǩǿǠƺǿǏǓȖȅȠǩljЙȖșȠ
ȖȅșșljƺǏǓǾΡॹΛǦǩljǦǦƺșȠΛȅ ΛǦǓǿ৚LjǹȅȅǏșȣljǷǓȖ৛ǾƺΡLjǓƺǿ ǿȅΚǓǹȠǦƺȠljȅȣǹǏƺȒȒǓƺǹȠȅǟƺǿșȅǟ
șǓȒƺȖƺȠǓǠȖȅȣȒșȅǟșȠȣǏǓǿȠșৄȠǦǓ ƺljȠȣƺǹȒǓȖșȅǿƺǹǩȠΡȠȖƺǩȠঀȅǿșȠƺǿȠƺ ǿǿǓ[ǩljǓঀ৛
ƺΡǹƺșșƺǿǏȠǦǓFǩǠǦȠǹƺșșঀ|ǓȒॹ ƺǿǏșȣLjșǓȕȣǓǿȠljȅǿșȅȖȠșEƺǠǏƺǹǓǿƺ
ΡȅȣǠȣǓșșǓǏǩȠॹȠǦǓƺȠȠǓǿǏǓǓșȅǟȠǦǓ ƺǿǏǹǓΠǩƺȖǓǏǓǓȒǹΡǩǿǹȅΚǓΛǩȠǦ
FǩǠǦȠșljǦȅȅǹƺȖǓΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșॻ ȖƺljȣǹƺঀȣȠȅΚǓȖȠǩǾǓॹǦǓȣșǓșǦǩș
(ȣƺȖǏǩƺǿșȅǟȠǦǓșljǦȅȅǹঢ়șșǓljȖǓȠ ȒȅΛǓȖƺǿǏljǦƺȖǩșǾƺȠȅǾƺǿǩȒȣǹƺȠǓ
ƺȖǓ|ȣǷǩȖȅșșƺǿǏǦǓȖLjǓșȠǟȖǩǓǿǏॹ ƺǿǏǠƺșǹǩǠǦȠȠǦǓǾॹǾƺșȕȣǓȖƺǏǩǿǠǦǩș
ǓȖȅ?ǩȖΡȣঀeǓǿΡǓƺȖșƺǠȅॹ|ȣǷǩΛƺș ƺLjȣșǓƺșǹȅΚǓঀ
șƺΚǓǏLjΡΚƺǾȒǩȖǓ?ƺǿƺǾǓ?ȣȖƺǿ 2Ƞঢ়șƺșȠȅȖΡȅǟǦȅΛƺȒƺșșǩȅǿƺȠǓ
ǟȖȅǾLjǓǩǿǠǷǩǹǹǓǏॹƺǿǏLjǓǹǩǓΚǓș ȖǓǹƺȠǩȅǿșǦǩȒljƺǿLjǓljȅǾǓƺLjȣșǩΚǓॹ
ȠǦƺȠȣǿǏǓƺǏƺǿǏǦȣǾƺǿșljƺǿǹǩΚǓ ƺǿǏǦȅΛǏǩГ ljȣǹȠǩȠljƺǿLjǓǟȅȖȠǦǓ
ȒǓƺljǓǟȣǹǹΡȠȅǠǓȠǦǓȖঀ/ȅΛǓΚǓȖॹǓȖȅঢ়ș ΚǩljȠǩǾȠȅȖǓƺǹǩΦǓȠǦǩșঀșȅǿșȠƺǿȠƺ
ȠȖƺȣǾƺȠǩljȒƺșȠǾƺǷǓșǦǩǾǾȣljǦ ȖǓМǓljȠșॹ৚2șȠǩǹǹΛƺǿȠǓǏȠȅLjǓǹǩǓΚǓ2
ǾȅȖǓǏǩșȠȖȣșȠǟȣǹঀ ΛƺșǹǩΚǩǿǠǩǿƺǟƺǩȖΡȠƺǹǓॹȠǦƺȠ2ǹƺǩǏ
eǦǓșǓȖǩǓșǹǓǏȠȅƺȠΛȅেșǓƺșȅǿ ǏȅΛǿǓΚǓȖΡǿǩǠǦȠΛǩȠǦƺȒȖǩǿljǓ
ƺǿǩǾǓƺǏƺȒȠƺȠǩȅǿॹƺǾȣșǩljƺǹ ǩǿșȠǓƺǏȅǟƺΛȅǹǟঀ৛
ƺǏƺȒȠƺȠǩȅǿॹșǓΚǓȖƺǹǏȖƺǾƺșॹǹǩǠǦȠ ǓƺȣȠǩǟȣǹƺǿǏǦƺȣǿȠǩǿǠॹȠǦǓșȠȅȖΡ
ǿȅΚǓǹșƺǿǏƺΚǩǏǓȅǠƺǾǓঀ ȖǓǾƺǩǿșȣǹȠǩǾƺȠǓǹΡǦȅȒǓǟȣǹঀ
 Interview With the
SHOWRUNNERCREATOR ROLIN JONES TALKS ALL ABOUT AMC’S MONSTER HIT.
w
hen AMC’s Interview With
the Vampire series dropped in
October, critics and fans alike
were smitten with the latest
adaptation of Anne Rice’s
1976 novel. The gorgeous
șǓȖǩǓșЙǹǾǓǏǩǿFǓΛKȖǹǓƺǿșǟȅǹǹȅΛș
the eternal lives of vampires Louis
de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson),
@ǓșȠƺȠǏǓ@ǩȅǿljȅȣȖȠੈশ^ƺǾ[ǓǩǏষ
ƺǿǏੈǹƺȣǏǩƺੈশƺǩǹǓΡƺșșষআǩȠΛƺș
ȕȣǩljǷǹΡȖǓǿǓΛǓǏǟȅȖƺșǓljȅǿǏșǓƺșȅǿঀ
We got a chance to discuss it all
with creator and showrunner
Rolin Jones.
Why do you think the vampire
remains such a compelling
figure in fiction?
Is there a more intimidating question
from a publication called Vampires?
2Ƞঢ়șȠǦǓǾȅșȠǓǹǓǠƺǿȠǾȅǿșȠǓȖঀੈ2Ƞঢ়ș
ǿȅȠǦǓȖǓȠȅȖǩȒΡȅȣȖǟƺljǓȅАঀeǦǓ
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓΛƺǿȠșȠȅȒǹƺΡΛǩȠǦǩȠșǟȅȅǏ
LjǓǟȅȖǓǩȠǾȅΚǓșȅǿঀੈeǦǓȖǓঢ়șƺǷǿǩǟǓঢ়ș
edge balancing act of sexual conquest
ƺǿǏșǓǹǟেȒȖǓșǓȖΚƺȠǩȅǿঀeǦǓΡƺȖǓ
ƺȠȠȖƺljȠǩΚǓȅȖƺȠǹǓƺșȠȅȠǦǓȖΛȅȖǹǏǹΡ
in appearance, but possessing
minds that have accumulated an
old person’s wisdom. Add time,
ȠǦǓǾȅǿȅȠȅǿΡȅǟǓΠǩșȠǓǿljǓƺǿǏȠǦǓ
challenge of collaboration with other
ƺȒǓΠȒȖǓǏƺȠȅȖșॹƺǿǏǩȠঢ়șƺǟƺǩȖǹΡljȅȅǹ
recipe for some messed up, baggage-
ǦǓƺΚΡǾȅǿșȠǓȖșঀ
BY JENNIFER VINEYARD
How do you feel this show
brings fresh blood to the
vampire genre?
vǓƺȖǓljǦǩǓМΡǩǿȠǓȖǓșȠǓǏǩǿȠǦǓ
emotional highs and lows of vampire
ǓΠǩșȠǓǿljǓঀੈvǓঢ়ΚǓǠȅȠǷǩǹǹșƺǿǏȠǦȖǩǹǹșॹ
LjȣȠΛǓƺȖǓǹǓƺǏǩǿǠЙȖșȠƺǿǏǟȅȖǓǾȅșȠ
with feelsঀੈvǓঢ়ΚǓȒȣȠȅǿǓȅǟȠǦǓǾȅșȠ
infamous vampire relationships of all
ȠǩǾǓȠǦȖȅȣǠǦƺǿƺșȠΡǹǩȠȠǹǓǓǾȅȠǩȅǿƺǹ
ǴȅȣȖǿǓΡঀ2Ƞঢ়șȠǦǓ'ǩȅǿƺȒȒǹǓই=ȅǦǿ
ƺșșƺΚǓȠǓșই'ȖƺǿljǩșƺljȅǿtƺǾȒǩȖǓে
“OUR VAMPIRES
DON’T GROW MORE
DETACHED AS THEY
AGE, THEY GROW
MORE UNRELIABLE,
UNSTABLE, MORE
VULNERABLE. ”
ӈԒӒҺԝԃԒԒԃӵӥӼӰԃӼӒԖ
ǦȅȣȖǦǓȖǓঀੈǓȒȖǓȒƺȖǓǏȠȅljƺǹǹȣȒΡȅȣȖ
ǓΠȠȅƺȒȅǹȅǠǩΦǓƺǿǏইȅȖƺșǷȠȅǠǓȠLjƺljǷ
ȠȅǠǓȠǦǓȖǓΚǓȖΡȅȠǦǓȖΛǓǓǷঀੈ
How is seduction an essential
theme for Season 1?
2ǟΡȅȣljȅǾȒƺȖǓǩȠȠȅȠǦǓǿȅΚǓǹॹǓΚǓȖΡ
ǓȒǩșȅǏǓǩșǹǩǷǓࢲࢶȠȅࢳࢱȒƺǠǓșঀੈǿǿǓ
[ǩljǓঢ়șǿȅΚǓǹȖǓƺǹǹΡǾƺǷǓșΡȅȣǟǓǓǹ
ǹǩǷǓΡȅȣƺȖǓȠǦǓΚƺǾȒǩȖǓঀvǓșȠȖǩΚǓ
to do a similar thing. We watch
Lestat seduce Louis. We watch
@ȅȣǩșșǓǏȣljǓƺǿǩǓǹEȅǹǹȅΡশȖǩlj
ȅǠȅșǩƺǿষǩǿȠȅȠǦǓȖǓȠǓǹǹǩǿǠȅǟ
ȠǦǓșȠȅȖΡঀǿǏΛǓȠȖΡȠȅșǓǏȣljǓƺ
vampire-loving audience into taking
ȠǦǩșǴȅȣȖǿǓΡΛǩȠǦȣșঀ
At what point did you start
thinking of changing elements
of Louis’ backstory and time
period?
KǿǓȅǟȠǦǓЙȖșȠȖǓƺșȅǿșΛǓ
considered making some strong
choices for Louis was asking some
ȕȣǓșȠǩȅǿșƺLjȅȣȠ@ǓșȠƺȠশȠǦǓȖƺȠ
XȖǩǿljǓষঀੈșșǓǿȠǩƺǹǹΡॹΛǓȣșǓǏȠǦǓǠǩΚǓǿ
ljǩȖljȣǾșȠƺǿljǓșȅǟȠǦǓtƺǾȒǩȖǓ@ǓșȠƺȠ
ƺșǟƺljȠঀੈ/ǓǦƺǏLjǓǓǿΛǩȠǦFǩljǷΡঀ/Ǔ
had been with Gabrielle. What kind
of human would Lestat consider for
his third attempt at a companion?
We made Louis a bit of a challenge
for Lestat, someone who had a little
ǾȅȖǓLjƺljǷLjȅǿǓঀ[ƺljǓǩșǾǓȖǓǹΡȅǿǓ
more obstacle for Louis and Lestat to
ǦƺΚǓȠȅǾƺljǦǓȠǓȠǦǓǩȖΛƺΡȠǦȖȅȣǠǦঀ
ǿǏǩǟΡȅȣΛǓȖǓǿঢ়ȠǠȅǩǿǠȠȅǏȅȠǦǓ
ȒǹƺǿȠƺȠǩȅǿǠȅȠǦॹΡȅȣȖǓƺǹǹΡȅΛǓǏ
ǿǿǓ[ǩljǓঢ়șȣǿǩΚǓȖșǓƺǿǓȕȣƺǹǹΡ
ΛǩǹǏƺǿǏșȠǓƺǾΡșǓȠȠǩǿǠঀeǦǓȖǓǩșǿঢ়Ƞ
ƺșǓΠǩǓȖȒǓȖǩȅǏǟȅȖFǓΛKȖǹǓƺǿșȠǦƺǿ
ȠǦǓǓƺȖǹΡࢳࢱȠǦljǓǿȠȣȖΡঀੈੈ
What so-called rules of
vampire mythology did you
enjoy playing with the most?
I had a chance to read other vampire
LjȅȅǷșƺǿǏΛƺȠljǦƺLjȣǿljǦȅǟЙǹǾș
ƺǿǏΛƺșȕȣǩȠǓȠǦȖǩǹǹǓǏȠȅșǓǓȠǦǓȅǿǓে
upmanship—every author added
ȠǦǓǩȖȅΛǿǹǩȠȠǹǓȠǦǩǿǠȠȅȠǦǓΚƺǾȒǩȖǓ
ȠȅȅǹLjǓǹȠঀvǦƺȠΛǓǓǿǴȅΡǓǏǾȅșȠΛƺș
ȠǦǩǿǷǩǿǠƺLjȅȣȠǦȅΛȠǦǓȒǩǹǩǿǠȣȒ
ȅǟΡǓƺȖșॹȅǟǟƺǩǹǓǏljȅǾȒƺǿǩȅǿșǦǩȒșॹ
ȅǟLjǓǩǿǠǟȅȖljǓǏȠȅșǓȒƺȖƺȠǓΡȅȣȖșǓǹǟ
from the dominant species of the
ȒǹƺǿǓȠॹǦȅΛȠǦǩșƺǹǹLjȣǩǹȠȣȒǩǿȠȅƺ
ȖƺȠǦǓȖȣǿșȠƺLjǹǓșȠǓΛঀੈ

What put you in total frothing

geek mode?
eǦǓȒȖȅǏȣljȠǩȅǿǏǓșǩǠǿǩșƺȠȖǩȣǾȒǦঀ
vǓȖǓLjȣǩǹȠƺLjǩȠȅǟFǓΛKȖǹǓƺǿș
that hasn’t existed for some time
ǩǿȠǦǓȒƺȖǷǩǿǠǹȅȠȅǟƺǿȅǹǏ@ȅΛǓঢ়ș
ǩǿLjǓȠΛǓǓǿƺeƺljȅǓǹǹƺǿǏƺ
EljȅǿƺǹǏঢ়șॻeǦǓЙȖșȠȠǩǾǓ2ΛƺǹǷǓǏ
ȠǦǓLjƺljǷǹȅȠȅǟ^ȠȅȖΡΚǩǹǹǓॹȅȖΛƺǹǷǓǏ
ǩǿȠȅȠǦǓljȅГ ǿȖȅȅǾॹΛƺșȒȖǓȠȠΡljȅȅǹঀ
eǦǓȖǓǩșǠȖǓƺȠșȣșȒǩljǩȅǿƺLjȅȣȠȠǦǓ
ȒǓȖǩȅǏǴȣǾȒॹLjȣȠȠǦǓЙȖșȠȠǩǾǓ2ǠȅȠ
ȠȅșǓǓ@ȅȣǩșǩǿǦǩșljȖǓƺǾেljȅǹȅȖǓǏ
șȣǩȠॹȅȖ@ǓșȠƺȠƺǿǏ@ȅȣǩșǩǿȠȣΠǓǏȅșॹ Clockwise from above left:
2ǷǿǓΛΛǓΛǓȖǓǠȅǩǿǠȠȅLjǓK?ঀ Louis and Lestat cut fine
figures in 1920s New Orleans;
2ǟǟƺǿșȅǟȠǦǓǿȅΚǓǹljȅǾǓΛǩȠǦȣș Louis at the gaming table;
ȠȅȒǩșȅǏǓࢷॹȠǦǓΡΛǩǹǹȣǿǏǓȖșȠƺǿǏ Claudia was aged up from 5
ΛǦΡΛǓǏǩǏȠǦǓȠǦǩǿǠșΛǓǏǩǏঀXȅȅȖ to 11 for the show; the trio are
a family of sorts; Sam Reid
@ȅȣǩșঀੈ/Ǔঢ়șȅǿǓljǹǩǿǩljƺǹǹΡǏǓȒȖǓșșǓǏ has said he enjoys playing up
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓLjΡȒǩșȅǏǓࢷॻ Lestat’s volatile emotions.
T HI R ST TRAP

Why Is Being
COLD-BLOODED
SO HOT? THE IDEA OF THE PERFECT VAMPIRE
BOYFRIEND REFUSES TO DIE. BY JENNIFER VINEYARD

The Vampire Diaries’ Damon

Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder)
is very, very pretty, but he
also kills a lot of people…
yet fans still wanted him and
Elena (Nina Dobrev) to be
together, which shocked
the showrunners. “Women
loved him, and we couldn’t
understand it at all,” Julie
Plec has said.
m
ost addicts—of alcohol,
drugs—are poor prospects
for boyfriends. But if the
substance being abused is
blood…well, who knows?
You can blame Anne Rice
for this romantic subgenre, but
even she would credit Joss Whedon,
Stephenie Meyer and L.J. Smith
for domesticating the tormented
vamps and plunking them in high
schools, where they’d be accessible
to every girl who wanted a sexy and
dangerous bad boy to date. A man
with many things to wonder about.
Like, can there ever be any beach
vacations with a guy who hates the
sun? And, more importantly, what
are the chances, if you pursue this
relationship, of one day becoming
dinner? Are we really just being
primed to prize problematic and
celibate vegans?
MEAT IS MURDER?
Do vampire boyfriends really love
us—or is it just the promise of our
blood that keeps them coming
back? (You’ll recall that Edward
thinks of Bella’s blood as his own
personal heroin in Twilight; Bill
tries—but fails—to resist Sookie’s
fae-blood on True Blood; and on
a Discovery of Witches, Matthew
ЙǿǏșǩƺǿƺঢ়șΛǩȠljǦেvǓƺΚǓȖLjǹȅȅǏ
intoxicating.) Some vamps try to
ЙǠǦȠȠǦǓǩȖƺǏǏǩljȠǩȅǿȠȅǦȣǾƺǿLjǹȅȅǏ
by expanding their appetites into
the animal kingdom. Interview with
the Vampire’s Louis tries living on
rats, chickens, cats and dogs. Angel,
Edward and Stefan dine on factory-
farmed and hunted animal blood.
On True Blood, some of the vamps
get by on cruelty-free synthetic
blood. The problem: It can taste
vile. “Are you willing to pass up all
your favorite foods and spend your
life drinking SlimFast?” Sam asks
in a metaphorical moment. The
restricted diet is impossible to keep
up for long.
As Damon on The Vampire
Diaries tells Elena of his brother,
“The Stefan you know is good-
behavior Stefan, rein-it-in-Stefan,
ЙǠǦȠেƺǠƺǩǿșȠেǦǩșেǿƺȠȣȖǓ^ȠǓǟƺǿঀ৛eǦǓ
likable-fellow side will disappear
when the blood runs out.
Who eats whom in the real
world —the politics of meat—is
usually just subtext. OnɂωͧȿȅDz
Vampire SlayerॹȣА ΡǦƺșƺ^ȅΡǹǓǿȠ
Green moment while working at
the fast-food joint Doublemeat
Palace, when she suspects there’s
something wrong with the “meat”
On True Blood, Sookie
found it hard to resist
Bill’s appeal. IRL, co-
stars Anna Paquin and
Stephen Moyer fell in love
on the set and have been
married since 2010.
A Discovery of Witches’ Matthew Clairmont
(Matthew Goode) is an old soul, and just really
old. The character was born in AD 500. His
witchy wife Diana Bishop was born in 1976.
on the menu. But it turns out,
it’s not even meat: It’s processed
vegetable protein. (Strangely, this
episode was considered one of
the most controversial—as far as
advertisers were concerned—because
it called into question the ethics of
ǾǓƺȠljȅǿșȣǾȒȠǩȅǿॹȣА ΡljȖǓƺȠȅȖ
Whedon told The New York Times.)
The only vamp who can dine
out in public without making a
gory scene is Matthew Clairmont
in A Discovery of Witches. He can
supplement his diet with raw meats,
nuts and berries. Oh, and wine—
don’t forget the wine.
NO SEX PLEASE,
WE’RE VAMPISH
Not only do some vamps try to
abstain from drinking human
blood, they occasionally also attempt
to deny their carnal desires. Well,
depending on which mythology you
consult. Anne Rice’s bloodsuckers,
for instance, don’t usually get
sexually aroused as they make their
messy rounds. And Angel might
83
 “WHEN YOU
KISS ME
I WANT TO DIE.”
ӅԡӜӜԱԖԡӻӻӒԒԖԝԃ
ҺӼӝӒ ӵԃ Ӽ Ѹ Ӕ ҏҏ Ӥ Ӑҕ ҅
ӠѭҮӂ ҘӅ ҅ ӉҨ ѭӤ ҅Ӆ 
Stefan (Paul Wesley) looks
right at home at a ’20s-themed
dance on Season 3 of The
Vampire Diaries…probably
because he’d actually lived
through the decade.
not be the best choice of an intimate
partner, given that he can lose his
soul after intercourse (thus ruling
it out for the rest of his relationship
ΛǩȠǦȣА ΡষঀǿǏΛǦȅΛȅȣǹǏΛƺǿȠ
ȠȅȠƺǷǓȣȒΛǩȠǦǏΛƺȖǏॹΛǦȅȖǓǴǓljȠș
ƺǹǹȒȖǓǾƺȖǩȠƺǹșǓΠশȒǓȖǦƺȒșƺșǩǏǓ
ǓАǓljȠȅǟLjǓǩǿǠΛȖǩȠȠǓǿLjΡƺǏǓΚȅȣȠ
EȅȖǾȅǿষঁKȖEƺȠȠǦǓΛॹΛǦȅ
ΛȅȖȖǩǓșȠǦƺȠȅǿǓȅǟǦǩșLjǹȅȅǏȖƺǠǓș
ǾǩǠǦȠǷǩǹǹǦǩșǹȅΚǓȖঁ2ǿTwilightƺǿǏ
A Discovery of Witches, both of these
ljǦƺȖƺljȠǓȖșǏǓǹƺΡॹΛǩȠǦǦȅǹǏȅȖƺLjșȠƺǩǿ
ǟȖȅǾȠǦǓǏǓǓǏȣǿȠǩǹȠǦǓΛǓǏǏǩǿǠ
ǿǩǠǦȠȅȖLjǓΡȅǿǏঀ^ǓΠΛǩȠǦƺΚƺǾȒ
ljȅȣǹǏǷǩǹǹȠǦǓΛǓƺǷǓȖǦȣǾƺǿॹȠǦǓǩȖ
ljȅǿȠȖȅǹǹǩǿǠΚƺǾȒǩȖǓLjȅΡǟȖǩǓǿǏșই
ǦȣșLjƺǿǏșΛƺȖǿৄƺǿǏǩǿǏǓǓǏॹǓǹǹƺ
ǩșljȅΚǓȖǓǏǩǿLjȖȣǩșǓșƺǟȠǓȖΛƺȖǏঀ
ǿȅȠǦǓȖȒȅșșǩLjǹǓȒȖȅLjǹǓǾॸtƺǾȒǩȖǓ
ǾƺȠǩǿǠljƺǿLjǓǟȅȖǹǩǟǓঀFȅǏǩΚȅȖljǓș
ƺȖǓƺǹǹȅΛǓǏॺǟȅȖe[F2e|ॻ
2ǟΛǓঢ়ȖǓLjǓǩǿǠǦȅǿǓșȠॹȠǦȅȣǠǦॹ
șȅǾǓǦȣǾƺǿșЙǿǏΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșঢ়ǾǩΠǓǏ
Angel (David Boreanaz) and
Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar)
had a complicated relationship
on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Namely, he was a vampire and
it was her job to kill vampires…
ǾǓșșƺǠǓșৄșǓǏȣljǩǿǠLjȣȠƺǹșȅ
ȖǓǴǓljȠǩǿǠৄǷǩǿǏȅǟǦȅȠঀশƺǹǹǩȠƺ
ǷǩǿǏȅǟ৚ƺLjșȠǩǿǓǿljǓȒȅȖǿঀ৛ষȣȠǩș
ǩȠljǦǩΚƺǹȖǩljǹȅΚǓॹȅȖǴȣșȠȒȖǓǏƺȠȅȖΡ
ǾƺǿǩȒȣǹƺȠǩȅǿঁ2ȠǾƺǷǓșȠǦǓ
ǦȣǾƺǿΛȅȖȖΡƺLjȅȣȠȖǓȠƺǩǿǩǿǠȠǦǓǩȖ
ƺАǓljȠǩȅǿșঀFǓǠǠǩǿǠࢲࢱࢲॹǟȅǹǷșঀ2șǩȠ
ƺǿΡΛȅǿǏǓȖȠǦƺȠǓȖȅȠǩljTwilight fan
ЙljȠǩȅǿৄΛǦǩljǦȒȣȠȠǦǓșǓΠLjƺljǷǩǿȠȅ
ȠǦǓșȠȅȖΡৄșȒƺΛǿǓǏ50 Shades of
GreyॹΛǩȠǦȖǩǷƺEǩȠljǦǓǹǹশƺǷƺঀ@ঀ
=ƺǾǓșষȠȣȖǿǩǿǠǏΛƺȖǏȣǹǹǓǿǩǿȠȅ
șƺǏǩșȠLjǩǹǹǩȅǿƺǩȖǓǦȖǩșȠǩƺǿ(ȖǓΡॹ
unpacking the vamp metaphor as
ȖƺȒǓǟƺǿȠƺșǩǓșƺǿǏșǓΠȣƺǹșȣLjǾǩșșǩȅǿঁ
SLAVE 4 U
Despite all the fang-wringing of
ȠǦǓșǓșȣȒȒȅșǓǏǹΡ৚ǠȅȅǏ৛ΚƺǾȒș
ƺLjȅȣȠǏȖƺǩǿǩǿǠǦȣǾƺǿșॹȠǦǓΡǏȅǿঢ়Ƞ
șǓǓǾLjȅȠǦǓȖǓǏǾȣljǦLjΡȅΛǿǩǿǠ
ȠǦǓǾঀTrue Bloodঢ়șeƺȖƺƺșǷșǩǹǹ
ȅȣȠȖǩǠǦȠॹ৚ǩǏΡȅȣȅΛǿșǹƺΚǓșঁ৛
Many of the vamps presented to As a love interest, these guys’ might complain, “You know, being
us as perfect Southern gentlemen vampiric age will always surpass stalked isn’t really a big turn-on
come with a catch—either they were your mere mortal one. He will for girls.” And Sookie might just
once slave owners or they found always be “the older man.” There is say, “Creepy.” It wouldn’t stop the
themselves on the Confederate side a certain power imbalance in that, stalking, though.
in the Civil War. especially if the vamp dates a high- The problem with older vampire
Louis de Pointe du Lac, in șljǦȅȅǹΚǩȖǠǩǿǹǩǷǓȣА ΡȅȖǓǹǹƺৄ suitors is that they tend to feel
LjȅȠǦȠǦǓLjȅȅǷƺǿǏЙǹǾΚǓȖșǩȅǿȅǟ who might be too inexperienced to like they’re the “adults” in the
Interview with the Vampire, was ȖǓljȅǠǿǩΦǓȒȖǓǏƺȠȅȖΡȖǓǏМƺǠșশƺȒƺȖȠ relationship, and they may want
a slave master who ran an indigo from the obvious fang thing). to make all your decisions for
plantation. (The 2022 AMC series Another serious concern is you—for your own good, of course.
revises this history.) True Blood’s Bill stalking, which for vamps functions These behaviors—direct guarding,
Compton didn’t own slaves himself, as both hunting and foreplay. love-bombing—are more than
but his father did. And while he did ǿǠǓǹȅLjșǓȖΚǓșȣА ΡΛǩȠǦȅȣȠǦǓȖ a little icky, of course. As is the
șǓȖΚǓƺșЙȖșȠǹǩǓȣȠǓǿƺǿȠǩǿȠǦǓࢳࢹȠǦ knowledge, long before she knows possessiveness, codependency,
Louisiana infantry, it’s revealed in of his existence. Edward breaks and isolation. If he weren’t a
Season 7 that he was considered a into Bella’s room for months to vampire, you’d call it like it is:
Yankee sympathizer and tried to watch her sleep; Matthew sneaks abusive. And what’s so attractive
escape conscription. Naturally, ǩǿȠȅǩƺǿƺঢ়șȖȅȅǾॹȠȅȅঀȣА Ρ about that?
he doesn’t mention this when
Gran invites him to address the
Descendents of the Glorious Dead,
the Bon Temps group that celebrates
the old antebellum South.
In The Vampire Diaries, the
residents of Mystic Falls, Virginia,
celebrate their Civil War history
with Founder’s Day. Damon
Salvatore was also a Confederate
soldier (although in later seasons,
it’s revealed that he fell away from
the Confederate cause), and so was
Twilight’s Jasper Hale, who’s proud
to have been the youngest major in
the Texas cavalry (a willing warrior,
in other words). Bella doesn’t
dwell on Jasper’s political or racial
attitudes—if she did, she might
begin to wonder why everyone
adopted into the Cullen clan has
been white.

BAD ROMANCE
If your vampire beau was around to
have to pick a side in the Civil War,
ΛǓǹǹȠǦƺȠǾǓƺǿșǦǓঢ়șǏǓЙǿǩȠǓǹΡƺǿ
older man. But just how old? And
how old did he get to be before he
was turned? Edward and Stefan are Edward Cullen (Robert
Pattinson) may sparkle, but
trapped in their teenage years forever he also withholds sex and
(despite actually being hundreds abandons Bella (Kristen
of years old) because they lack a Stewart), claiming it’s for her
own good, but completely
fully developed prefrontal cortex. A ignoring what she plainly
moment of sadness for them: Imagine says she wants.
spending eternity in high school.
 B IG - SCR EEN BI T ES

GHOULS
ON FILM WE RANK THE BEST 25 VAMPIRE
FLICKS OF ALL TIME.

UNDERWORLD (2003)
ljȠǩȅǿМǩljǷǾǓǓȠșΚƺǾȒǩȖǓǾȅΚǩǓॸ
eǦǓΡঢ়ΚǓLjǓǓǿǏȅǿǓLjǓǟȅȖǓॹLjȣȠ
ȠǦȖȅΛǩǿǠǩǿΛǓȖǓΛȅǹΚǓșঁeǦƺȠ
ΛƺșșȅǾǓȠǦǩǿǠǿǓΛঀǩȖǓljȠȅȖ@Ǔǿ
vǩșǓǾƺǿঢ়șȠƺǷǓȅǿȠǦǓǠǓǿȖǓƺǹșȅ
THERE’S NO
ǾƺǏǓȖǩȠǩșǦƺljȠȖǓșș?ƺȠǓǓljǷǩǿșƺǹǓ
SHORTAGE OF ǩǿȠȅƺǿƺljȠǩȅǿșȠƺȖॹΛǦǩǹǓǏǓljǷǩǿǠǦǓȖ
FILMS ABOUT ȅȣȠǩǿǹƺȠǓΠƺȠȠǩȖǓȠǦƺȠƺljljǓǿȠȣƺȠǓǏ
THE UNDEAD ǦǓȖǩǾǾȅȖȠƺǹǟȅȖǾǩǿȠǦǓȒȖȅljǓșșঀ
OUT THERE. 'ȅȖǓljǷǩǿșƺǹǓॹȒǹƺΡǩǿǠȠǦǓΚƺǾȒǩȖǓ
AND WHILE ^ǓǹǓǿǓΛƺșƺljǦƺǿljǓȠȅǟȅǹǹȅΛ
ǩǿǩǾȒȖǓșșǩΚǓǟȅȅȠșȠǓȒșঀ৚eǦǓȖǓ
THEY DON’T
ǦƺΚǓƺǹΛƺΡșLjǓǓǿșȠȖȅǿǠǟǓǾƺǹǓ
ALWAYS ȖǓȒȖǓșǓǿȠƺȠǩΚǓșǩǿ/ȅǹǹΡΛȅȅǏॹΡȅȣ
GET MUCH ǷǿȅΛॹƺșǟƺȖLjƺljǷƺș=ȅƺǿȖƺΛǟȅȖǏ
RESPECT, ƺǿǏǓȠȠǓƺΚǩșॹLjȣȠǩǿȠǦǩșǠǓǿȖǓॹ
SOME OF ȠǦǓȖǓΛƺșȅǿǹΡȖǓƺǹǹΡ@ǩǿǏƺ/ƺǾǩǹȠȅǿ
THEM ARE ƺǿǏ^ǩǠȅȣȖǿǓΡvǓƺΚǓȖॹ৛șǦǓȠȅǹǏ
Time Out Abu Dhabiǩǿࢳࢱࢲࢷঀ৚ǿǏ
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GOOD. HERE ǿǓǓǏǹǓǟȅȖΛƺȖǏǟǓǓǹșȖǓƺǹǹΡǠȖǓƺȠঀ2
ARE OUR ǦƺΚǓƺǏƺȣǠǦȠǓȖॺƺǿǏǩȠঢ়șΚǓȖΡǿȅȖǾƺǹ
TOP PICKS. ǟȅȖǦǓȖȠǦƺȠƺǟǓǾƺǹǓেǹǓǏǟȖƺǿljǦǩșǓ
ȠȅȒșȠǦǓLjȅΠȅГ ljǓঀ৛

86 VAMPIRES
 BLACULA (1972)
With the rise of
Blaxploitation
movies in the 1970s,
it makes sense that
Roger Corman’s
American International Pictures would get in
the game with a take on Dracula. William Crain
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN had directed one episode of TV’s Mod Squad when he was tapped to helm
(1996) this version of the classic vampire story. Star William Marshall came up with
Quentin Tarantino was fresh the idea to make the protagonist an African prince, something the company
ȅАǦǩșKșljƺȖেΛǩǿǿǩǿǠPulp initially thought would border on parody. That’s not what they got. As Crain
Fiction when he wrote this recalled in a 2021 interview with WBBM, “The original concept was: Count
ǠǓǿȖǓেLjȣșȠǩǿǠМǩljǷǩǿΛǦǩljǦǦǓ Brown’s in town. It was this shuckin’ and jivin’, and I didn’t want to do it.
also starred alongside George But they hired me…. William Marshall said, ‘Let’s just make this straight….’
Clooney. Just as he had jolted Instead of shuckin’ and jivin’, he had this wonderful presence and this baritone
audiences with his previous ΚȅǩljǓॺঀম^ȠȣǏǩȅLjȅșșǓșযȖǓƺǹǩΦǓǏȠǦǓΡǦƺǏƺǏǩАǓȖǓǿȠǾȅΚǩǓॹLjȣȠȠǦǓΡǹǩǷǓǏǩȠঀ৛
outing, he did so again with
ȠǦǩșǾƺșǦেȣȒȅǟȠȖȅȒǓșঀeǦǓ
movie starts out as one kind
of thing, and suddenly turns
into something else entirely.
șȠǦǓЙǹǾঢ়șǏǩȖǓljȠȅȖॹ[ȅLjǓȖȠ
Rodriguez, told Entertainment
Weekly in 2016, “You’d be
turning the page and suddenly
there were vampires. You
ΛǓȖǓǹǩǷǓॹড়vƺǩȠƺǾǩǿȣȠǓঀঢ়৛
He continued, “We were
ΡȅȣǿǠЙǹǾǾƺǷǓȖșॹΛǓΛǓȖǓ
really testing the boundaries.
People were going, ‘This
is all wrong; it’s two movies
ǩǿȅǿǓॻঢ়৛

TWILIGHT (2008)
The movie that made stars of both Kristen
Stewart and Robert Pattinson was an adaptation
of Stephenie Meyer’s mega bestseller. While
ȠǦǓМǩljǷșȒƺΛǿǓǏƺǟȅȣȖেЙǹǾșǓȖǩǓșȠǦƺȠΛȅȣǹǏ
earn more than $1 billion worldwide, there were
initially very limited expectations. Director Catherine Hardwicke was known
for helming indie fare, which was part of why she was hired. As she told The
Hollywood Reporter in 2018, “No one thought it was going to be successful.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was a successful girls’ book turned into
a movie, and it made $29 million, and I was told that Twilight would make
about the same amount of money, making our budget really tight. But it was a
ȒǓȖǟǓljȠșȠȅȖǾॹLjǓljƺȣșǓEǓΡǓȖǷǓȒȠȖǓǹǓƺșǩǿǠLjȅȅǷșƺșΛǓΛǓȖǓǾƺǷǩǿǠȠǦǓЙȖșȠ
movie. So that fan base really started building. We made $69 million opening
ΛǓǓǷǓǿǏॹƺǿǏ੢ࢵࢱࢱǾǩǹǹǩȅǿȅΚǓȖƺǹǹঀXǓȅȒǹǓΛǓȖǓǿȅȠǓΠȒǓljȠǩǿǠǩȠঀ৛
B IG - SCR EEN BI T ES
FRIGHT NIGHT (1985)
eǦǓࢲࢺࢹࢱșΛǓȖǓǿঢ়ȠƺǹΛƺΡș
ǠȖǓƺȠǟȅȖΚƺǾȒșॹLjȣȠȅǿǓȅǟ
ȠǦǓǟǓΛМǩljǷșȠǦƺȠLjȖȅǷǓȅȣȠ
ΛƺșȠǦǩșșȠȅȖΡƺLjȅȣȠƺȠǓǓǿƺǠǓȖ
ΛǦȅǹǓƺȖǿșȠǦƺȠƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓǦƺș
ǾȅΚǓǏǩǿǿǓΠȠǏȅȅȖঀljȣǹȠǦǩȠ
ǟȅȖ(Ǔǿ{ॹȠǦǓࢳࢱࢲࢲȖǓǾƺǷǓ
ΛƺșƺǹșȅƺșȣljljǓșșঀvȖǩȠǓȖে
ǏǩȖǓljȠȅȖeȅǾ/ȅǹǹƺǿǏΛȅȣǹǏ
ǹƺȠǓȖLjǓljȅǾǓƺǦȅȖȖȅȖǹǓǠǓǿǏ
ΛǩȠǦࢲࢺࢹࢹঢ়șChild’s Playঀ৚2Λƺș
ǹȣljǷΡǓǿȅȣǠǦȠȅȒȣǹǹȅАFright
NightॺLjǓljƺȣșǓǿȅȅǿǓΛƺǿȠǓǏ
ƺǿΡȠǦǩǿǠȠȅǏȅΛǩȠǦΚƺǾȒǩȖǓș
ƺȠȠǦǓȠǩǾǓॹ৛ǦǓȠȅǹǏ^ΡǟΡ
vǩȖǓǩǿࢳࢱࢳࢱঀ/ǓȖǓǟǓȖǓǿljǓǏ
ȠǦǓ৚ǦȣǠǓǟƺǩǹȣȖǓ৛ȅǟࢲࢺࢸࢺঢ়ș
Dracula starring Frank
@ƺǿǠǓǹǹƺƺǿǏ@ƺȣȖǓǿljǓKǹǩΚǩǓȖঀ
৚eǦǓǿ(ǓȅȖǠǓ/ƺǾǩǹȠȅǿ
șȒȅȅǟǓǏমȠǦǓǠǓǿȖǓযǩǿLove at
First Bite, and if you go into
ǟƺȖljǓॹǩȠǾǓƺǿșȠǦǓǠǓǿȖǓǩș
ǏǓƺǏॺƺǿǏȠǦƺȠঢ়șΛǦǓȖǓΛǓΛǓȖǓ
ȠǦǓǾȅǾǓǿȠȠǦƺȠ2ǏǩǏFrightঀ৛
SHADOW OF
THE VAMPIRE (2000)
vǦƺȠǩǟȠǦǓșȠƺȖȅǟȠǦǓЙȖșȠΚƺǾȒǩȖǓ
feature, Nosferatu (see No. 2), Max
^ljǦȖǓljǷॹǦƺǏLjǓǓǿƺȖǓƺǹΚƺǾȒǩȖǓঁ
That’s the central conceit of this
ǩǿȠǓȖǓșȠǩǿǠॹȅА LjǓƺȠƺǿǏȠǦȅȣǠǦȠǟȣǹ
ȠƺǷǓȅǿƺǿƺȖȠǩǟƺljȠȅǟljǩǿǓǾƺȠǩlj
ǦǩșȠȅȖΡঀXǹƺΡǓǏLjΡvǩǹǹǓǾƺǟȅǓǩǿ
ƺМƺșǦȅǟȠǓǓȠǦেșȣljǷǩǿǠǠǹȅȖΡॹȠǦǓ
ȖȅǹǓǿƺLjLjǓǏǦǩǾƺǿljƺǏǓǾΡΛƺȖǏ
ǿȅǾǩǿƺȠǩȅǿঀeǦǓƺljȠȅȖȣșǓǏƺș
ǾȣljǦȅǟȠǦǓȅǹǏЙǹǾƺșǦǓljȅȣǹǏǟȅȖ
ǩǿșȒǩȖƺȠǩȅǿॹȠǓǹǹǩǿǠǦȅǹǹΡΛȅȅǏঀljȅǾ
ǩǿࢳࢱࢱࢲॹ৚eǦǓȖǓΛƺșƺǾȅǏǓǹȅǟȠǦǓ
ȅȖǩǠǩǿƺǹॹșȅȠǦƺȠǠƺΚǓǾǓșȅǾǓȠǦǩǿǠঀ
ǿǏ2ǷǿǓΛ2মΛƺșযǠȅǩǿǠȠȅLjǓ
ΛǓƺȖǩǿǠǾƺǷǓȣȒȠǦƺȠΛǩǹǹǾƺǷǓǾǓ
ǹȅȅǷǹǩǷǓEƺΠ^ljǦȖǓljǷǩǿȠǦǓЙǹǾƺș
ǾȣljǦƺșȒȅșșǩLjǹǓঀǿǏ2ǷǿǓΛΛǦƺȠ
ǾΡljȅșȠȣǾǓΛƺșǠȅǩǿǠȠȅLjǓঀ2ǦƺǏ
ǹȅȠșȅǟǩǿǟȅȖǾƺȠǩȅǿঀ৛
THE ADDICTION (1995)
LjǓǹ'ǓȖȖƺȖƺǦƺșƺǹΛƺΡșLjǓǓǿșǓǓǿƺș
șȅǾǓȠǦǩǿǠȅǟƺǾƺǏǠǓǿǩȣșॹȠǦȅȣǠǦ
ǿȅȠǓΚǓȖΡȅǿǓƺǠȖǓǓșȅǿȠǦǓǠǓǿǩȣș
ȒƺȖȠঀ^ȠǩǹǹॹȠƺǷǩǿǠƺǿǓΠǩșȠǓǿȠǩƺǹ
ǹȅȅǷƺȠΛǦƺȠLjǓǩǿǠƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓǩșঁ
eǦƺȠঢ়șȒȖǓȠȠΡȖǓΚȅǹȣȠǩȅǿƺȖΡॹƺǿǏ
ǿȅȠƺșȠȅȖΡȠǓǹǹǩǿǠȠƺljǷȠǦƺȠǾƺǿΡ
LjǓǟȅȖǓǦǩǾǏƺȖǓǏȠȅȠƺǷǓঀ2ǿǏǩǓЙǹǾ
queen Lili Taylor starred as a grad
șȠȣǏǓǿȠΛǦȅȠȣȖǿșǩǿȠȅƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓ
ƺǟȠǓȖǦƺΚǩǿǠLjǓǓǿLjǩȠȠǓǿLjΡȅǿǓॹ
ȠǦǓǿǦƺșȠȅljȅǾǓȠȅȠǓȖǾșΛǩȠǦ
ΛǦƺȠǩȠƺǹǹǾǓƺǿșঀ'ǓȖȖƺȖƺǦƺǏșǓȠ
ȅȣȠȠȅǾƺǷǓșȅǾǓȠǦǩǿǠǏǩАǓȖǓǿȠॹ
ƺșǦǓȠȅǹǏȠǦǓΛǓLjșǩȠǓ/ǓΡh(ȣΡș
in 2018, saying, “The Addiction
ǩșƺljǦƺȖƺljȠǓȖЙǹǾঀeǦǓșȠȅȖΡȅǟ
ƺșȠȣǏǓǿȠǠȅǩǿǠȠǦȖȅȣǠǦƺΛǦȅǹǓ
șȒǩȖǩȠȣƺǹȖǓǟȅȖǾƺȠǩȅǿঀeǦǓǟƺljȠȠǦƺȠ
șǦǓঢ়șƺǹșȅƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓǴȣșȠljȅǾǓșΛǩȠǦ
ȠǦǓȠǓȖȖǩȠȅȖΡॹǩȠঢ়șǴȣșȠȒƺȖȠȅǟȠǦǓ
ΛǦȅǹǓǾȅΚǩǓঀ৛

VAMPIRE’S KISS (1988)
Nicolas Cage famously ate a live
ljȅljǷȖȅƺljǦΛǦǩǹǓЙǹǾǩǿǠȠǦǩșǏƺȖǷ
ljȅǾǓǏΡƺLjȅȣȠƺǿƺǏΚǓȖȠǩșǩǿǠǓΠǓlj
ΛǦȅঢ়șljȅǿΚǩǿljǓǏǦǓঢ়șȠȣȖǿǩǿǠǩǿȠȅƺ
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓঀeǦǓǾȅΚǩǓǩșƺǿƺljȕȣǩȖǓǏ
ȠƺșȠǓॹLjȣȠǩȠƺǹșȅǦƺșƺǟǓΛȠǦǩǿǠș
ȠȅșƺΡƺLjȅȣȠǦȣǾƺǿǩȠΡƺǿǏȅǿǓঢ়ș
ǴȅȣȖǿǓΡȠǦȖȅȣǠǦǩȠঀƺǠǓǦƺǏƺ
ȖȅȣǠǦȠǩǾǓǾƺǷǩǿǠȠǦǓЙǹǾॹƺșǦǓ
ǏǓșljȖǩLjǓǏȅǿȠǦǓtljȅǾǾǓǿȠƺȖΡॹ
LjȣȠǦǓǹȅȅǷșLjƺljǷȅǿȠǦǓǓΠȒǓȖǩǓǿljǓ
ǟȅǿǏǹΡঀ৚2ȖǓșȒȅǿǏǓǏȠȅȠǦǓȒȖǓșșȣȖǓ
ƺǿǏ2LjȖȅǷǓॹ৛ǦǓșƺǩǏॹ৚LjȣȠȠǦǓǿ
2ȖǓƺǹǩΦǓǏǩȠΛƺșƺǾǩșȠƺǷǓƺǿǏ2
ljƺǹǹǓǏƺǿǏƺșǷǓǏǩǟমȠǦǓǏǩȖǓljȠȅȖয
ΛȅȣǹǏǦƺΚǓǾǓLjƺljǷঀ2ঢ়ǾǠǹƺǏ2
ǏǩǏǩȠॹƺǿǏǩȠǓǾǓȖǠǓșƺșȅǿǓȅǟ
ǾΡǟƺΚȅȖǩȠǓȒǓȖǟȅȖǾƺǿljǓșঀ৛eǦǓ
ƺljȠȅȖƺǹșȅȠƺǹǷǓǏƺLjȅȣȠȠǦǓǾȅΚǩǓঢ়ș
ǾǓƺǿǩǿǠॹșƺΡǩǿǠǦǓঢ়șƺǹΛƺΡșLjǓǓǿƺ
৚LjǩǠLjǓǹǩǓΚǓȖǩǿȠǦǓƺǾLjǩǠȣȅȣșƺǿǏ
ǹǓȠȠǩǿǠǩȠLjǓƺLjȅȣȠΛǦƺȠǓΚǓȖȒǓȅȒǹǓ
ΛƺǿȠǩȠȠȅLjǓƺLjȅȣȠঀ৛/ǩșȅΛǿȠƺǷǓ
ȅǿȠǦǓЙǹǾঁ2Ƞঢ়șƺȠƺǹǓȅǟǹȅǿǓǹǩǿǓșș
ǏȖǩΚǩǿǠƺǾƺǿǩǿșƺǿǓঀ
HORROR OF
DRACUL A (1958)
eǦǓȖǩȠǩșǦljȅǾȒƺǿΡ
/ƺǾǾǓȖ'ǩǹǾșΛƺșǷǿȅΛǿ
for its horror work, so it was
ȅǿǹΡƺǾƺȠȠǓȖȅǟȠǩǾǓLjǓǟȅȖǓǩȠ
ǾƺǏǓƺȖƺljȣǹƺǾȅΚǩǓঀeǦǩș
ЙȖșȠȅǿǓॹșȠƺȖȖǩǿǠǦȖǩșȠȅȒǦǓȖ
@ǓǓǩǿȠǦǓȖȅǹǓȠǦƺȠΛȅȣǹǏ
ǦǓǹȒȠȅǏǓЙǿǓǦǩǾॹΛƺșșȅ
șȣljljǓșșǟȣǹǩȠșȒƺΛǿǓǏƺΛǦȅǹǓ
șǓȖǩǓșঀ'ȅȖ@ǓǓॹȠǦǓǩǿșȒǩȖƺȠǩȅǿ
ǟȅȖǦǩșȒǓȖǟȅȖǾƺǿljǓljƺǾǓ
from the source material.
৚2ঢ়ΚǓƺǹΛƺΡșȠȖǩǓǏȠȅȒȅȖȠȖƺΡ
the character that Stoker
ǏǓЙǿǓǏǩǿǦǩșΛȖǩȠǩǿǠॹ৛ǦǓ
ȠȅǹǏNightmareǾƺǠƺΦǩǿǓǩǿ
ࢲࢺࢸࢵঀ৚ǹȅȅǟǾƺǴǓșȠΡॹǟǓȖȅljǩȠΡ
ȅǟǏǩǠǿǩȠΡॹƺǿǏȅǟșȅǾLjȖǓ
ǾΡșȠǓȖΡॹȅȖǩȖȖǓșǩșȠǩLjǩǹǩȠΡȠǦƺȠ
ȠǦǓΛȅǾǓǿЙǿǏǾƺȖΚǓǹȅȣș
ƺǿǏȠǦǓǾǓǿȣǿșȠȅȒȒƺLjǹǓঀ৛
VAMPIRES (1998)
=ȅǦǿƺȖȒǓǿȠǓȖǦƺǏLjǓǓǿƺșȠƺȖ
ǏǩȖǓljȠȅȖƺǿǏƺǹǓǠǓǿǏȅǟȠǦǓǦȅȖȖȅȖ
ǠǓǿȖǓǟȅȖȠΛȅǏǓljƺǏǓșৄǦǓঢ়ǏǏȅǿǓ
șǹƺșǦǓȖșॹǠǦȅșȠșॹƺǹǩǓǿǩǿΚƺșǩȅǿșॹ
LjȣȠǿǓΚǓȖLjǹȅȅǏșȣljǷǓȖșঀeǦǓǿǦǓ
șȠȣǾLjǹǓǏȅǿƺșljȖǩȒȠǟȅȖƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓ
ǾȅΚǩǓȠǦƺȠǿȅȅǿǓǓǹșǓΛƺǿȠǓǏ
ȠȅǾƺǷǓƺǿǏljƺșȠ=ƺǾǓșvȅȅǏș
ƺșƺǾƺǿǩƺljƺǹΚƺǾȒǩȖǓǦȣǿȠǓȖঀ
eǦǓǾȅΚǩǓǩșǿঢ়ȠƺljȅǾǓǏΡॹLjȣȠ
ǩȠঢ়șȅǟȠǓǿȣȒȖȅƺȖǩȅȣșǹΡǟȣǿǿΡॹ
ȠǦƺǿǷșȠȅȠǦǓΚǩljǩȅȣșȅǿǓেǹǩǿǓȖș
vȅȅǏșșȒȅȣȠșȠǦȖȅȣǠǦȅȣȠȠǦǓ
ǾȅΚǩǓঢ়șࢲࢱࢹেǾǩǿȣȠǓȖȣǿǿǩǿǠ
ȠǩǾǓঀƺȖȒǓǿȠǓȖȠƺǹǷǓǏƺLjȅȣȠȠǦǓ
project to FilmmakerǾƺǠƺΦǩǿǓǩǿ
ࢳࢱࢲࢶॹșƺΡǩǿǠॹ৚eǦǓșljȖǩȒȠΛƺșƺȠ
@ƺȖǠȅǿȠǓȖȠƺǩǿǾǓǿȠॺƺǿǏƺǹȅȠȅǟ
ЙǹǾǾƺǷǓȖșǦƺǏΛȅȖǷǓǏȅǿǩȠȅΚǓȖ
ȠǦǓΡǓƺȖșঀ'ȅȖΛǦƺȠǓΚǓȖȖǓƺșȅǿॹ
ǿȅȅǿǓljȅȣǹǏǓΚǓȖȕȣǩȠǓЙǠȣȖǓ
ȅȣȠǦȅΛȠȅǏȅǩȠঀ2ǦƺǏǴȣșȠǏȅǿǓ
Escape From L.A.ॹƺǿǏ2ΛǓǿȠǩǿ
ǟȅȖƺǾǓǓȠǩǿǠƺǿǏȠǦǓΡǠƺΚǓǾǓȠǦǓ
șljȖǩȒȠƺșΛǓǹǹƺșȠǦǓLjȅȅǷȅǿΛǦǩljǦ
ǩȠΛƺșLjƺșǓǏঀ2ȖǓƺǏȠǦǓǾLjȅȠǦƺǿǏ
ǹǩǷǓǏȠǦǓǾLjȅȠǦঀ2ȠǦȅȣǠǦȠॹড়2ljȅȣǹǏ
ȖǓƺǹǹΡǏȅșȅǾǓȠǦǩǿǠΛǩȠǦȠǦǩșঀঢ়৛
B IG - SCR EEN BI T ES

THE LOST BOYS (1987)

If you needed to choose one
movie to represent the 1980s,
you might not choose Joel
^ljǦȣǾƺljǦǓȖঢ়șThe Lost Boys, NEAR DARK (1987)
but it would at least be a part Kathryn Bigelow was two decades away from
of the conversation. Starring LjǓljȅǾǩǿǠȠǦǓЙȖșȠΛȅǾƺǿȠȅΛǩǿƺǿljƺǏǓǾΡΛƺȖǏ
ƺΛǦȅঢ়șΛǦȅȅǟȖǩșǩǿǠȠǓǓǿ for Best Director when she took on the vampire genre.
stars, including Corey Haim, 2ȠΛƺșǦǓȖЙȖșȠȠǩǾǓǏǩȖǓljȠǩǿǠƺǾȅΚǩǓȅǿǦǓȖȅΛǿশșǦǓ
Corey Feldman, Jason Patric, had co-directed the 1981 drama The LovelessষঀșșǦǓȖǓljƺǹǹǓǏȅǿȠǦǓЙǹǾঢ়ș
=ƺǾǩ(ǓȖȠΦॹǹǓΠvǩǿȠǓȖƺǿǏ DVD commentary, she and co-writer Eric Red “realized we needed to graft
Kiefer Sutherland, it follows it onto a more salable element at that time.” The key was putting their own
a family who moves to a new spin on the vampire movie, with their own rules. She said, “We eliminated
home in California, only to the crosses, the garlic, the stakes, the silver bullets, and tried to keep it
learn that the town is a haven understandable, as accessible as possible.” The metaphor they were chasing
for vampires. Schumacher was was “the consequence of love and attraction. Pretty grave consequences.”
ljȅǾǩǿǠȅАǦǩȠЙǹǾșǹǩǷǓD.C.
Cab and St. Elmo’s Fire when
he turned to the horror genre.
In one of his last interviews
before his 2020 death, he
recalled to Empire magazine,
৚2ǦƺǏȖǓƺǏǿǿǓ[ǩljǓঢ়ș
Interview with the Vampire,
and in that there was a
200-year-old vampire trapped
in the body of a 12-year-old
girl. Since Peter Pan had been
one of my all-time favorite
stories, I thought, ‘What if
the reason Peter Pan came out
at night and never grew up
ƺǿǏljȅȣǹǏМΡΛƺșLjǓljƺȣșǓǦǓ
ΛƺșƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓঁঢ়৛
WHAT WE DO IN THE
SHADOWS (2014)
There are better vampire movies,
but are there funnier ones? Taika
Waititi’s take on the genre is wholly
unique, unlike any other on this
list. Co-written and co-directed
by Waititi and Jemaine Clement,
ȠǦǓȠΛȅƺǹșȅșȠƺȖǩǿȠǦǓЙǹǾॹ
which shows the mundane lives
of vampire roommates in a small
New Zealand town. There’s little
actual bloodsucking, but it’s still
ȣǿȕȣǓșȠǩȅǿƺLjǹΡƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓМǩljǷঀeǦǓ
hapless characters would never show
up in more serious fare, and that’s
sort of the point. “It’s like if you
watch Interview with the Vampire
or The Lost Boys but what you get is
the scenes they’d cut out,” Waititi
told Den of Geek in 2014. Clement
added, “In Interview with the Vampire
we never see Lestat saying he would
never do the dishes,” and Waititi
ЙǿǩșǦǓǏȠǦǓȠǦȅȣǠǦȠॹșƺΡǩǿǠॹ৚ȣȠ
Lestat would never do the dishes.
There would be big arguments about
that. And one time, Lestat wore my
frilly shirt and gave it back and there
was blood on the collar. He didn’t
even wash it.”
THE HUNGER (1983)
Arguably the sexiest entry,
it’s also the only one that stars
both Catherine Deneuve and
ƺΚǩǏȅΛǩǓƺșΚƺǾȒǩȖǓș
in the go-go 1980s, who
engage in a love triangle with
a mortal woman played by
Susan Sarandon. Story-wise,
ȠǦǓЙǹǾǦƺșǩȠșǩșșȣǓșƺǿǏ
doesn’t always hold together,
LjȣȠȠǦǓșȠȣАȠǦƺȠΛȅȖǷșঁ2Ƞ
really works. Also, did we
ǾǓǿȠǩȅǿƺΚǩǏȅΛǩǓƺșƺ
vampire? The movie is also
incredibly stylish, thanks
to Tony Scott, making his
ǟǓƺȠȣȖǓЙǹǾǏǩȖǓljȠȅȖǩƺǹǏǓLjȣȠ
after a successful career in
commercials. “The movie
[is] very representative of a
ΚǓȖΡșȒǓljǩЙljȠǩǾǓƺǿǏΛƺș
important when it came out,”
Sarandon told Vulture in
2016. “I think, coming out
of commercials, Tony Scott
was interested in the style
of it, and I think he really
accomplished that.”
BL ADE (1998)
Comic book movies had not yet
become part of the zeitgeist when
director Stephen Norrington’s
adaptation of Marvel’s Blade hit the
big screen. So it wasn’t really touted
as that when it came out. It was
instead pitched as what it was: Wesley
Snipes playing a half-man/half-
vampire who hunts his bloodsucking
LjȖǓȠǦȖǓǿঀȠЙȖșȠFȅȖȖǩǿǠȠȅǿǏǩǏǿঢ়Ƞ
ǏǩǠȠǦǓЙǿǩșǦǓǏȒȖȅǏȣljȠॹǏǓșȒǩȠǓǩȠ
being a hit. “I didn’t think much
about it for decades until Black
Panther,” he told the Take a Look
Around podcast in 2021. “Suddenly
I was getting loads of requests for
comments on how Blade had been
LjȅȠǦȠǦǓЙȖșȠǹƺljǷșȣȒǓȖǦǓȖȅ
ǾȅΚǩǓƺǿǏȠǦǓЙȖșȠEƺȖΚǓǹǾȅΚǩǓঀ
It was cool that people rediscovered
the movie, and I was one of those
people!…. Blade was suddenly
remembered as prescient, notable and
ahead of its time.”
B IG - SCR EEN BI T ES

A GIRL WALKS HOME

ALONE AT NIGHT
(2014)
What do you get when you
take an Iranian movie, shot in
America, that doesn’t really
belong to either culture? This
little piece of fried gold is about
ƺЙljȠǩȅǿƺǹXǓȖșǩƺǿȠȅΛǿljƺǹǹǓǏ
Bad City, where the lonely
residents don’t realize they’re
being stalked, one by one, by a ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE (2013)
young female vampire (Sheila Indie legend Jim Jarmusch dipped his toe into the vampire
Vand). Writer-director Ana genre with this appropriately eclectic entry, about a depressed
Lily Amirpour told the website rock star who reunites with his long lost lover as they deal
Moveable Fest in 2014, “I think with her uncontrollable little sister. Tilda Swinton and Tom
it’s more like a John Hughes Hiddleston give Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie a run for
ЙǹǾȠǦƺǿǩȠǩșƺǦȅȖȖȅȖЙǹǾঀ৛ ȠǦǓǩȖǾȅǿǓΡƺșșǓΠǩǓșȠȅǿেșljȖǓǓǿΚƺǾȒǩȖǓljȅȣȒǹǓॹLjȣȠΛǦƺȠǓǹǓΚƺȠǓșȠǦǓМǩljǷ
A year later, she explained to ǩș=ƺȖǾȣșljǦঢ়șȅА LjǓƺȠȠȅǿǓॹƺǿǏǦȅΛȠǦǓșǾƺǹǹǾȅǾǓǿȠșLjǓljȅǾǓȠǦǓǾȅΚǩǓঢ়ș
the website The Skinny that, ljǓǿȠǓȖঀ৚2ȖǓƺǹǹΡǹǩǷǓȠǦǓΛǦȅǹǓǦǩșȠȅȖΡȅǟΚƺǾȒǩȖǓЙǹǾșȠǦƺȠƺȖǓǾȅȖǓǷǩǿǏȅǟ
“I wanted to make an Iranian marginal, the less conventional ones,” he told Indiewire in 2014. “I wanted
ΚƺǾȒǩȖǓЙǹǾॹLjȣȠ2ljȅȣǹǏǿঢ়Ƞ ȠȅǾƺǷǓƺǹȅΚǓșȠȅȖΡǟȅȖȕȣǩȠǓƺǹȅǿǠȠǩǾǓঀ2Ƞঢ়șǦƺǏǏǩАǓȖǓǿȠΚƺȖǩƺǿljǓșȠȅǩȠॹ
shoot it in Iran—obviously.” So LjȣȠșȅǾǓǦȅΛǩȠǠȅȠǾǓȖǠǓǏǾƺΡLjǓǓǩǠǦȠΡǓƺȖșƺǠȅǩǿȠȅǾΡΚƺǾȒǩȖǓЙǹǾঀ
she created her own comic-strip So, I wanted to make a love story that involved vampires.”
universe and the town of Bad
City. “I wanted this stylized,
archetypal place, like a Sergio
Leone Western or something.”

INTERVIEW WITH THE
VAMPIRE (1994)
vǦǓȠǦǓȖȅȖǿȅȠΡȅȣঢ়ȖǓƺǟƺǿȅǟ
ǿǿǓ[ǩljǓঢ়șǾƺșșǩΚǓLjǓșȠșǓǹǹǓȖ
that spawned the movie version of
Interview with the Vampire, it’s hard
ȠȅljƺǹǹȠǦǓƺǏƺȒȠƺȠǩȅǿƺǿΡȠǦǩǿǠǹǓșș
ȠǦƺǿƺǾƺǴȅȖșȣljljǓșșঀeǦǓǾȅΚǩǓ
ǦƺǏșȣljǦƺȒǓǏǩǠȖǓǓȠǦƺȠǩȠƺȠȠȖƺljȠǓǏ
ƺǿljƺǏǓǾΡΛƺȖǏেΛǩǿǿǩǿǠ
ЙǹǾǾƺǷǓȖȠȅLjȖǩǿǠǩȠȠȅȠǦǓLjǩǠ
șljȖǓǓǿॸFǓǩǹ=ȅȖǏƺǿΛƺșǟȖǓșǦȅАƺ
ǓșȠKȖǩǠǩǿƺǹ^ljȖǓǓǿȒǹƺΡKșljƺȖǟȅȖ
The Crying Game when he took
ȅǿȠǦǓljǦƺǹǹǓǿǠǓॹȠǓǹǹǩǿǠȠǦǓBelfast
Telegraphǩǿࢳࢱࢲࢵॹ৚2Ƞঢ়șǿȅȠΚǓȖΡ
ȅǟȠǓǿΡȅȣljƺǿǾƺǷǓƺljȅǾȒǹǩljƺȠǓǏॹ
ǏƺȖǷॹǏƺǿǠǓȖȅȣșǾȅΚǩǓƺǿǏǠǓȠƺ
LjǩǠLjȣǏǠǓȠǟȅȖǩȠঀtƺǾȒǩȖǓǾȅΚǩǓș
ΛǓȖǓȠȖƺǏǩȠǩȅǿƺǹǹΡǾƺǏǓƺȠȠǦǓǹȅΛǓȖ
ǓǿǏȅǟȠǦǓșljƺǹǓॹȅǿƺșǦȅǓșȠȖǩǿǠॹ
ȅǿȖȣǏǩǾǓǿȠƺȖΡșǓȠșঀ৛ȖƺǏXǩȠȠ
ǾƺǏǓƺΚǓȖΡȒȖǓȠȠΡLjǹȅȅǏșȣljǷǓȖॹƺǿǏ
ȠǦǓЙǹǾǩǿȠȖȅǏȣljǓǏȠǦǓƺǾƺΦǩǿǠ
?ǩȖșȠǓǿȣǿșȠȠȅȠǦǓΛȅȖǹǏॹLjȣȠ
ȠǦǓljƺșȠǩǿǠȅǟeȅǾȖȣǩșǓƺș@ǓșȠƺȠ
ΛƺșljȅǿȠȖȅΚǓȖșǩƺǹঀ=ȅȖǏƺǿȠȅǹǏȠǦǓ
Telegraphॹ৚2ƺǹΛƺΡșȠǦȅȣǠǦȠǦǓǦƺǏ
ǩǿljȖǓǏǩLjǹǓșȠȖǓǿǠȠǦƺșƺǿƺljȠȅȖॺঀ
eǦǓǿ2ǾǓȠǦǩǾƺǿǏșƺΛȠǦǩș
ljǦǩǹǹΡȕȣƺǹǩȠΡΛǦǩljǦΛƺșȒǓȖǟǓljȠ
ǟȅȖȠǦǓȖȅǹǓঀ৛
THIRST (2009)
KǿǓȅǟ?ȅȖǓƺঢ়șǾȅșȠǩǿМȣǓǿȠǩƺǹ
and revered directors, Park
ǦƺǿেΛȅȅǷǦƺǏǏǓǹΚǓǏ
ǩǿȠȅșǓΚǓȖƺǹǏǩАǓȖǓǿȠǠǓǿȖǓș
before he took on vampires.
His spin on the noir action
ȠǦȖǩǹǹǓȖॹOldboy, had been a
ǦȣǠǓșȣljljǓșșǩǿǾǓȖǩljƺॹƺǿǏ
after another hit with Lady
VengeanceॹǦǓȠȣȖǿǓǏȠȅǟȣǹǹ
horror with this story of a
ȒȖǩǓșȠশ^ȅǿǠ?ƺǿǠেǦȅষΛǦȅ
becomes a vampire after a
ǟƺǩǹǓǏǾǓǏǩljƺǹǓΠȒǓȖǩǾǓǿȠঀ2Ƞ
ΛƺșƺșȣLjǴǓljȠǾƺȠȠǓȖȣǿǟƺǾǩǹǩƺȖ
ǩǿǦǩșǦȅǾǓǹƺǿǏঀșǦǓȠȅǹǏ
Electric SheepǾƺǠƺΦǩǿǓǩǿ
ࢳࢱࢲࢱॹ৚2ঢ়ǾǿȅȠƺǿǓΠȒǓȖȠȅǿ
?ȅȖǓƺǿǟȅǹǷǹȅȖǓॹLjȣȠƺșǟƺȖƺș
2ঢ়ǾƺΛƺȖǓॹȠǦǓȖǓǩșǿȅΚƺǾȒǩȖǓ
myth in Korea. The Korean
ȠǩȠǹǓȅǟȠǦǓЙǹǾǩșড়LjƺȠॹঢ়ΛǦǩljǦ
șΡǾLjȅǹǩΦǓșΚƺǾȒǩȖǓșǩǿȠǦǓ
vǓșȠǓȖǿΛȅȖǹǏॺঀ2ΛƺǿȠǓǏ
ȠȅȠǓǹǹȠǦǓșȠȅȖΡȅǟƺljǦƺȖƺljȠǓȖ
ΛǦȅǏȅǓșǿঢ়ȠLjǓǹȅǿǠȠȅȅǿǓ
ΛȅȖǹǏLjȣȠΛǦȅǩșȠȅȖǿLjǓȠΛǓǓǿ
ȠǦǓșǓȠΛȅǏǩАǓȖǓǿȠΛȅȖǹǏșॹ
ƺǿǏƺLjȅȣȠȠǦǓǏǩǹǓǾǾƺș
that creates.”
CRONOS (1992)
'ǓΛЙǹǾǾƺǷǓȖșƺǿǿȅȣǿljǓȠǦǓǩȖ
ȒȖǓșǓǿljǓȕȣǩȠǓǹǩǷǓ(ȣǩǹǹǓȖǾȅǏǓǹ
eȅȖȅॹΛǦȅșǓЙȖșȠǟǓƺȠȣȖǓΛƺșȠǦǩș
ǠȅȖǠǓȅȣșМǩljǷșȠƺȖȖǩǿǠ'ǓǏǓȖǩljȅ
@ȣȒȒǩƺLjȅȣȠƺǾΡșȠǓȖǩȅȣșǏǓΚǩljǓ
ȠǦƺȠǠȖƺǿȠșǓȠǓȖǿƺǹǹǩǟǓঀ2Ƞঢ়șLjǓǓǿ
ǾǩșșǩǿǠǟȅȖǦȣǿǏȖǓǏșȅǟΡǓƺȖșƺǿǏ
ȅǿljǓǩȠঢ়șǟȅȣǿǏॹΛȖǓƺǷșljȅǿșǩǏǓȖƺLjǹǓ
ǦƺΚȅljঀȠǦȅȣǠǦȠǟȣǹǓΠƺǾǩǿƺȠǩȅǿ
ȅǟΛǦƺȠǠȅǓșǩǿȠȅLjǓǩǿǠǩǾǾȅȖȠƺǹॹ
CronosƺǹșȅǟȅȖǓșǦƺǏȅΛǓǏȠǦǓ
ǏǩȖǓljȠȅȖঢ়șǠȖǓƺȠǓșȠȒȖȅǟǓșșǩȅǿƺǹ
ȠȖǩȣǾȒǦॹǦǩșࢳࢱࢲࢹǓșȠXǩljȠȣȖǓ
winner, The Shape of Water.
৚2ΛƺǿȠǓǏCronosȠȅLjǓড়ljȅȣǿȠǓȖঢ়
ȠȅǓΚǓȖΡΚƺǾȒǩȖǓЙǹǾ2ǦƺǏǓΚǓȖ
șǓǓǿॹΛǩȠǦȠǦǓǓΠljǓȒȠǩȅǿȅǟMartin,”
ǦǓȠȅǹǏ^ƺǿǠȖǩƺǩǿࢳࢱࢲࢺঀ৚2ȠǦȅȣǠǦȠ
ম(ǓȅȖǠǓয[ȅǾǓȖȅঢ়șMartin was very
ljǹȅșǓȠȅΛǦƺȠ2ΛȅȣǹǏǹǩǷǓȠȅǏȅǩǿ
Cronos LjǓljƺȣșǓΡȅȣঢ়ȖǓǟǓǓǹǩǿǠȒǩȠΡ
for the vampire.”
B IG - SCR EEN BI T ES

NOSFERATU,
THE VAMPYR (1979)
Werner Herzog remade fellow
(ǓȖǾƺǿЙǹǾǾƺǷǓȖ'ঀvঀEȣȖǿƺȣঢ়ș
ࢲࢺࢳࢳȅȖǩǠǩǿƺǹΛǩȠǦǩǿǟƺǾȅȣșǹΡ
ȠǓǾȒǓȖƺǾǓǿȠƺǹƺljȠȅȖ?ǹƺȣș?ǩǿșǷǩ
ȠƺǷǩǿǠȅΚǓȖǟȅȖEƺΠ^ljǦȖǓljǷঀ
/ǓȖΦȅǠǓΠȒƺǿǏǓǏȅǿȠǦǓΛȅȖǹǏ
ȅǟȠǦǓЙȖșȠЙǹǾॹǏǓȒǩljȠǩǿǠȠǦǓ
ǩǿȠȖȅǏȣljȠǩȅǿȅǟȠǦǓȒǹƺǠȣǓȠȅ
ȣȖȅȒǓΛǩȠǦȠǦǓȖǓǹǓƺșǓȅǟࢲࢱॹࢱࢱࢱ
șȠƺǩǿǓǏȖƺȠșঀeǦǩșȒȖȅΚǓǏƺǿǩșșȣǓ
ǟȅȖȠǦǓȒȖȅǏȣljȠǩȅǿॹƺșǦǓȖǓljƺǹǹǓǏǩǿ
ƺࢳࢱࢲࢵǩǿǓǟƺǾǩǹΡǓΚǓǿȠঀ৚vǓǦƺǏ
ȠǦǓǾșȠȅȖǓǏǩǿƺǿǓƺȖLjΡǟƺȖǾǦȅȣșǓ
ȅȣȠșǩǏǓȅǟǓǹǟȠঀǿǏșȅǾǓǦȅΛ
ȠǦǓȒǓȅȒǹǓΛǦȅǠȅȠȠǦǓǾȅǿǓΡǟȅȖ
ǟǓǓǏǩǿǠȠǦǓǾȖƺǿƺΛƺΡΛǩȠǦȠǦǓ
ǾȅǿǓΡঀeǦǓȖǓΛƺșȠȖȅȣLjǹǓΛǩȠǦȠǦǓ
ǟƺȖǾǓȖșॺঀXȅǹǩljǓЙǿƺǹǹΡƺȖȖǩΚǓǏƺǿǏ
BRAM STOKER’S 2ȠȖǩljǷǓǏȠǦǓǾǩǿȠȅǠȅǩǿǠǩǿȠȅȠǦǓ
DRACUL A (1992) ΛȖȅǿǠLjƺȖǿঀeǦǓΡǦƺǏȒƺȖǷǓǏȠǦǓǩȖ
'Ȗƺǿljǩș'ȅȖǏȅȒȒȅǹƺǩșǿঢ়Ƞ ȠΛȅȒȅǹǩljǓljƺȖșǩǿșȅǾǓșȅȖȠȅǟƺ
ǿǓljǓșșƺȖǩǹΡȠǦǓȒǓȖșȅǿΡȅȣঢ়ǏȠǦǩǿǷ ljƺȣșǓΛƺΡșȅΛǓljȅȣǹǏǿঢ়ȠȒȣșǦȅǿǓ
ȅǟȠȅǾƺǷǓƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓǾȅΚǩǓॹLjȣȠ ljƺȖȠȅȠǦǓșǩǏǓঀȣȠȠǦǓȅȠǦǓȖΛƺș
the GodfatherƺȣȠǓȣȖঢ়șƺǏƺȒȠƺȠǩȅǿ șǩȠȠǩǿǠȠǦǓȖǓॹƺǿǏșȅΛǓȠȅȒȒǹǓǏǩȠ
ȅǟȠǦǓǠǓǿȖǓঢ়șșǓǾǩǿƺǹǹǩȠǓȖƺȖΡ ȅΚǓȖƺǿǏȖȅǹǹǓǏǩȠǩǿȠȅƺǏǩȠljǦঀ(ȅȠ
ΛȅȖǷǩșLjȅȠǦșǓΠΡƺǿǏșljƺȖΡॹΛǦǩǹǓ ȅȣȠΛǩȠǦȠǦǓȖƺȠșঀ৛
ƺǹșȅǏȅǩǿǠƺȒȖǓȠȠΡLjƺǿǠেȣȒǴȅLjȅǟ
LjȖǩǿǠǩǿǠȅȣǿȠȖƺljȣǹƺȠȅƺࢳࢱȠǦে
ljǓǿȠȣȖΡƺȣǏǩǓǿljǓঀ(ƺȖΡKǹǏǾƺǿ
LjȖȅȣǠǦȠȠǦǓeȖƺǿșΡǹΚƺǿǩƺǿȠȅljǦǩǹǹΡ
ǹǩǟǓǩǿƺΛƺΡȠǦƺȠǿȅȅǿǓǓǹșǓǓΚǓȖ
ǦƺǏঀKǹǏǾƺǿঢ়șȖƺljȣǹƺΛƺșǿঢ়ȠǴȣșȠ
șljƺȖΡॹǦǓΛƺșॺljȖǓǓȒΡঀǿǏșȅȖȠ
ȅǟǦȅȠॹȠȅȅঀ/Ǔঢ়șƺǹșȅǏǓȠƺljǦǓǏ
ǟȖȅǾǾȅȖȠƺǹșǩǿƺΛƺΡȠǦƺȠΛƺș
ǏǓșǩǠǿǓǏLjΡȠǦǓǏǩȖǓljȠȅȖΛǩȠǦșȅǾǓ
ȅАেșljȖǓǓǿǾƺǿǩȒȣǹƺȠǩȅǿঀ৚'Ȗƺǿljǩș
LjǓǹǩǓΚǓșȠǦƺȠȠǦǓǾȅȖǓȠǩǾǓȠǦǓljƺșȠ
șȒǓǿǏșȠȅǠǓȠǦǓȖȠǦƺȠΛǩǹǹȠȖƺǿșǹƺȠǓ
ȅǿেșljȖǓǓǿॹ৛KǹǏǾƺǿঢ়șljȅেșȠƺȖ
ƺȖΡǹΛǓșȠȅǹǏThe Hollywood
Reporter ǩǿࢳࢱࢳࢲঀ৚^ȅǦǓǦƺǏƺǹǹ
ȠǦǓΚƺǾȒǩȖǓǦȣǿȠǓȖșǹǩΚǓȅǿȅǿǓ
ȒȖȅȒǓȖȠΡƺǿǏȒȅȅȖ(ƺȖΡমKǹǏǾƺǿয
ǦƺǏȠȅǹǩΚǓLjΡǦǩǾșǓǹǟঀ৛KǹǏǾƺǿ
ȠȅȅǷǩȠƺǿȅȠǦǓȖșȠǓȒǟȣȖȠǦǓȖॹ
ƺșǹΛǓșǓΠȒǹƺǩǿǓǏॹ৚(ƺȖΡΛƺș
șǹǓǓȒǩǿǠǩǿƺljȅГǿǓΚǓȖΡǿǩǠǦȠॹȠǦƺȠ
ΛƺșǦȅΛșǓȖǩȅȣșǹΡǦǓȠȅȅǷǩȠঀ৛
LET THE RIGHT
ONE IN (2008)
^ȅǾǓȠǩǾǓșॹƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓǾȅΚǩǓ
ǩșǾȅȖǓȠǦƺǿƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓǾȅΚǩǓঀ
^ȣljǦǩșȠǦǓljƺșǓȅǟȠǦǓLjȖǩǹǹǩƺǿȠ
^ΛǓǏǩșǦЙǹǾLet the Right
One InॹΛǦǩljǦǏȅȣLjǹǓșƺșƺ
ljǦǩǹǏǦȅȅǏǹȅΚǓșȠȅȖΡƺǿǏƺǿ
ƺǿȠǩেLjȣǹǹΡǩǿǠljƺȣȠǩȅǿƺȖΡȠƺǹǓঀ
2ȠΛƺșȠǦǓșǓȠǦǓǾǓșȠǦƺȠǏȖǓΛ
ǏǩȖǓljȠȅȖeȅǾƺșǹǟȖǓǏșȅǿȠȅ
ȠǦǓȒȖȅǴǓljȠॹΛǦǩljǦǩșLjƺșǓǏȅǿ
ƺǿȅΚǓǹঀșǦǓȠȅǹǏȠǦǓΛǓLjșǩȠǓ
'ǩȖșȠ^ǦȅΛǩǿǠǩǿࢳࢱࢱࢹॹ৚2ǠȣǓșș
2ǦƺǏșȅǾǓȒǓȖǩȅǏșΛǦǓǿ2
ǠȖǓΛȣȒॹΛǦǓǿ2ΛƺșLjȣǹǹǩǓǏॹ
ƺǿǏ2ȠǦǩǿǷȠǦƺȠΛƺșȠǦǓȠǦǩǿǠ
ȠǦƺȠșȠȖȣljǷǾǓȠǦǓǦƺȖǏǓșȠȅȖ
ǦǩȠǾǓȠǦǓǦƺȖǏǓșȠঀ2ȖǓƺǏȠǦǓ
LjȅȅǷȠǦȖǓǓΡǓƺȖșƺǠȅॹƺǟȖǩǓǿǏ
ȅǟǾǩǿǓǠƺΚǓǩȠȠȅǾǓॹΛǦǩljǦ2
ȣșȣƺǹǹΡǦƺȠǓΛǦǓǿȒǓȅȒǹǓșȠǩljǷ
LjȅȅǷșǩǿȠȅΡȅȣȖǦƺǿǏșॺঀȣȠ
ȠǦǩșȅǿǓΛƺșƺǿǓΠljǓȒȠǩȅǿঀǿǏ
ȠǦǓΚƺǾȒǩȖǓȒƺȖȠȅǟǩȠΛƺșॹΛǓǹǹॹ
ǩȠljƺǾǓΛǩȠǦȠǦǓȅȠǦǓȖȠǦǩǿǠșঀ৛ NOSFERATU (1922)
ȅǿঢ়ȠǾǩșș@ǩǿƺ@ǓƺǿǏǓȖșșȅǿঢ়ș eǦǓЙȖșȠǩșșȠǩǹǹȅǿǓȅǟȠǦǓΚǓȖΡLjǓșȠঀ
ȖǓǾƺȖǷƺLjǹǓȒǓȖǟȅȖǾƺǿljǓƺșȠǦǓ ǩȖǓljȠȅȖ'ঀvঀEȣȖǿƺȣঢ়ș(ǓȖǾƺǿে
ȠΛǓǓǿΚƺǾȒঀ ǾƺǏǓǟǓƺȠȣȖǓǩșǏƺȖǷƺǿǏǿǓΚǓȖ
ǹǓȠșȠǦǓƺȣǏǩǓǿljǓǟȅȖǠǓȠǴȣșȠǦȅΛ
ǟȖǩǠǦȠǓǿǩǿǠƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓljƺǿLjǓঀEƺΠ
^ljǦȖǓljǷșǦƺΚǓǏǦǩșǦǓƺǏƺǿǏǏȅǿǿǓǏ
ǟƺǷǓȠǓǓȠǦƺǿǏЙǿǠǓȖǿƺǩǹșȠȅȒǹƺΡȠǦǓ
ǾȅǿșȠǓȖॹΛǦǩljǦǓșȠƺLjǹǩșǦǓǏǟȅȖǓΚǓȖ
ǦȅΛƺΚƺǾȒǩȖǓǹȅȅǷǓǏƺǿǏƺljȠǓǏঀ
ljǓǿȠȣȖΡƺǟȠǓȖǩȠșȖǓǹǓƺșǓॹǩȠșȠǩǹǹǦȅǹǏș
ȣȒॹƺǿǏΛǩǹǹljȖǓǓȒȅȣȠȒȖǓȠȠΡǾȣljǦ
ƺǿΡƺȣǏǩǓǿljǓঀeǦǓǾȅΚǩǓΛƺșƺǾƺǴȅȖ
ȅǿǓǟȅȖ^ljǦȖǓljǷॹΛǦȅȣǿǏǓȖșȠȅȅǏ
ΛǦǩǹǓЙǹǾǩǿǠǴȣșȠǦȅΛǩǿМȣǓǿȠǩƺǹ
ǩȠΛȅȣǹǏLjǓঀ2ǿƺǿǩǿȠǓȖΚǩǓΛΛǩȠǦ
ǴȅȣȖǿƺǹǩșȠ^ȠǓǟƺǿǩljǷǦȅАॹǦǓșƺǩǏॹ
৚vǓΛǓȖǓȖǓǦǓƺȖșǩǿǠॺƺǿǏ2șƺǩǏȠȅ
EȣȖǿƺȣȠǦƺȠ2ȠǦǩǿǷ2ঢ়ǹǹLjǓǠȅǩǿǠ
ȠȅǦǓǹǹǟȅȖȅǿǹΡȒȅȖȠȖƺΡǩǿǠǾȅǿșȠǓȖș
ƺǿǏȠǓȖȖǩLjǹǓǾǓǿঀ/ǓǹƺȣǠǦǓǏॹƺǿǏLjΡ
ȠǦǓǿǓΠȠΛǓǓǷƺǹǹȠǦǓLjǓșȠΛȖǩȠǓȖșƺǿǏ
ǏǩȖǓljȠȅȖșǷǿǓΛǾǓƺșড়eǦǓǓΚǩǹঀঢ়৛

95
B IG - SCR EEN BI T ES

DRACUL A (1931)
FȅȠȠǦǓЙȖșȠॹLjȣȠșȠǩǹǹॹǿǩǿǓǏǓljƺǏǓș
ǹƺȠǓȖॹȠǦǓΚǓȖΡLjǓșȠঀ^ȣȖǓॹȠǦǓ
șȠȅȖΡȠǓǹǹǩǿǠǩșǿঢ়ȠƺșșȅȒǦǩșȠǩljƺȠǓǏƺș
șȅǾǓǹƺȠǓȖǓАȅȖȠșॹLjȣȠȠǦǓȠǦǩǿǠƺLjȅȣȠ
DraculaǩșȠǦƺȠǩȠঢ়șȠǦǓLjƺȖȅǾǓȠǓȖ
LjΡΛǦǩljǦƺǹǹȅȠǦǓȖșƺȖǓǴȣǏǠǓǏঀǓǹƺ
@ȣǠȅșǩঢ়șȒȅȖȠȖƺΡƺǹȅǟȠǦǓljǦƺȖƺljȠǓȖǩș
ƺșȖǓǹǓΚƺǿȠǿȅΛƺșǩȠΛƺșΛǦǓǿǦǓЙȖșȠ
ȒǓȖǟȅȖǾǓǏȠǦǓȖȅǹǓȅǿșȠƺǠǓǩǿȠǦǓǹƺȠǓ
ࢲࢺࢳࢱșঀ/ȅΛǏȅΛǓǷǿȅΛঁǓljƺȣșǓ
ǓΚǓȖΡΚǓȖșǩȅǿȅǟȠǦǓeȖƺǿșΡǹΚƺǿǩƺǿ
ljȅȣǿȠȠǦƺȠǦƺșƺȒȒǓƺȖǓǏȅǿেșljȖǓǓǿ
șǩǿljǓǩșljȅǾȒƺȖǓǏȠȅǦǩǾঀeǦǩșॹ
ǏǓșȒǩȠǓȠǦǓǟƺljȠȠǦƺȠॹȣǿǹǩǷǓȅȠǦǓȖ
ΚǓȖșǩȅǿșॹ@ȣǠȅșǩঢ়șȖƺljȣǹƺॹȠǦǓ
ȒƺȖȠǟȅȖΛǦǩljǦǦǓΛȅȣǹǏLjǓLjǓșȠ
ǷǿȅΛǿॹǏȅǓșǿঢ়ȠȠƺǹǷƺΛǦȅǹǓǹȅȠঀ
2Ƞঢ়șșȅǾǓȠǦǩǿǠ@ȣǠȅșǩȣǿǏǓȖșȠȅȅǏ
ƺLjȅȣȠȠǦǓȖȅǹǓॹƺǿǏΛƺșșȅǾǓȠǦǩǿǠ
ȠǦƺȠȅАǓȖǓǏȅȠǦǓȖljǦƺǹǹǓǿǠǓșƺǿǏ
ȅȒȒȅȖȠȣǿǩȠǩǓșঀ৚2ǟȅȣǿȠȖƺljȣǹƺǩș
ǿȅȠȒƺȖȠǩljȣǹƺȖǹΡljǦƺȠȠΡॹǦǓȒȖǓșǓǿȠș
ȅȠǦǓȖǏǩГ ljȣǹȠǩǓșॹ৛ǦǓȠȅǹǏThe
Oakland Tribuneǩǿࢲࢺࢴࢱঀ৚2ЙǿǏȠǦƺȠ
ǩȠȖǓȕȣǩȖǓșȠǩǾǓƺǿǏǾǓǏǩȠƺȠǩȅǿȠȅ
ljƺȠljǦȠǦǓǾȅȅǏȅǟȠǦǓljǦƺȖƺljȠǓȖআǓƺljǦ
ȒǓȖǟȅȖǾƺǿljǓǾȣșȠLjǓƺȒȒȖȅƺljǦǓǏ
ΛǩȠǦșȅǾǓljƺȖǓঀeǦǓȖǓșȣǹȠǩșȠǦƺȠȅǿǓ
ǏȅǓșǿঢ়ȠΛǓƺȖΡȅǟȠǦǓȒƺȖȠঀ৛
 5 4

3 2

AND FIVE GREAT HUNTERS

5
Rayna Cruz
4
Abraham Lincoln
3
Sam and Dean
2
Buffy Summers
1
Abraham Van Helsing
The Vampire Diaries Abraham Lincoln: Winchester Buffy the Dracula
The series had its Vampire Hunter Supernatural Vampire Slayer If you’ve got a vampire
share of slayers for Who knew the 16th The brothers (Jared Buffy (Sarah problem, Professor
sure, but Leslie-Anne president—played by Padalecki and MIchelle Gellar) Van Helsing is still your
Huff’s Rayna was a Benjamin Walker in Jensen Ackles) have initially resists her go-to guy. He doesn’t
no-nonsense hunter the film based on taken down a goodly legacy, but becomes have superpowers, just
going all the way back Seth Grahame-Smith’s number of vampires so committed to major smarts. Dracula’s
to the 19th century. The novel—moonlighted in their family biz it that she dies nemesis (Edward Van
undead were no match as an enemy of of “saving people, twice doing Sloan in the 1931 film)
for her quick moves. the undead? hunting things.” her duty. gets the job done.
INSIDE THE MY THS & MYSTERY PHOTO CREDITS
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 In 1931, after filming wrapped
for the day on Dracula starring
Bela Lugosi, a different cast and
crew would arrive on the set to
reshoot the movie in Spanish.
Carlos Villarías played the titular
bloodsucking count and Lupita
Tovar his victim (pictured).
Though it was a financial flop, a
number of critics preferred the
Spanish version, and in 2015, the
Library of Congress selected it
for the National Film Registry.