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323rd out of 960 books
—
5,744 voters
Dracula's Guest and Other Victorian Vampire Stories
by
Michael Sims
Before "Twilight "and "True Blood," even before Buffy and Anne Rice and Bela Lugosi, vampires haunted the nineteenth century, when brilliant writers everywhere indulged their bloodthirsty imaginations, culminating in Bram Stoker's legendary 1897 novel, "Dracula."
Michael Sims brings together the very best vampire stories of the Victorian era--from England, America, France,...more
Michael Sims brings together the very best vampire stories of the Victorian era--from England, America, France,...more
Paperback, 467 pages
Published
June 22nd 2010
by Walker & Company
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130th out of 186 books
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313 voters
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Review from Badelynge.
Victorian Vampire Stories! Well I don't know about you, but I'm sold already. Michael Sims begins his collection by making excuses. Not all of the stories are Victorian, either by era, locality or the holder of the pen that spawned them. I'm still sold. And this is despite Sims' efforts to shake me from my purchase with a stumbling beginning to the collection. To get to the good stuff we have to climb over the scattered rough debris of several supposed true accounts precede...more
Victorian Vampire Stories! Well I don't know about you, but I'm sold already. Michael Sims begins his collection by making excuses. Not all of the stories are Victorian, either by era, locality or the holder of the pen that spawned them. I'm still sold. And this is despite Sims' efforts to shake me from my purchase with a stumbling beginning to the collection. To get to the good stuff we have to climb over the scattered rough debris of several supposed true accounts precede...more
Michael Sims' collection of vampire tales spans a wide range of authors and styles. He begins by setting the table, so to speak, with a helping of preVictorian tales and even some "factual" accounts of vampire activities reported by various individuals. The second section of the book contains tales from the Victorian era and the last section, tales from the years just following the Victorian era when the Victorian influence was still strong.
There were very few tales included in this collection t...more
There were very few tales included in this collection t...more
The very academic, 16-page introduction gives a detailed introduction
to the vampire subgenre, setting the knowledgeable tone for this
collection of Victorian era vampire themed essays, excerpts and
stories, including a previously unpublished (and cut) scene from Bram
Stroker's Dracula. Although complete in scope, with stories ranging
wide in style, content and country of origin, some of the impact is
lessened by the content that precedes each tale - sometimes as long as
the tale itself - that dissects...more
to the vampire subgenre, setting the knowledgeable tone for this
collection of Victorian era vampire themed essays, excerpts and
stories, including a previously unpublished (and cut) scene from Bram
Stroker's Dracula. Although complete in scope, with stories ranging
wide in style, content and country of origin, some of the impact is
lessened by the content that precedes each tale - sometimes as long as
the tale itself - that dissects...more
I've been a fan of vampire stories for a long time, ever since learning about my mother reading Anne Rice. Of course, I shy away from the more modern romantic vampire stories and find myself loving the old, We-Suck-Your-Blood-To-Kill-You vampires.
Michael Sims has created a magnificent collection of stories that Vampire Connoisseurs will know - and some that they might not! I applaud his leaving out of certain stories because of their already popular status (Le Fanu's "Carmilla" for one) in favo...more
Michael Sims has created a magnificent collection of stories that Vampire Connoisseurs will know - and some that they might not! I applaud his leaving out of certain stories because of their already popular status (Le Fanu's "Carmilla" for one) in favo...more
What a refreshing vampire book! I am so sick of all the vampire chick lit out there that I almost didn’t read it. However I was intrigued and did in fact read it very fast. Dracula’s Guest is a compilation of short stories that document the evolution of vampire literature beginning in the 1700's, and ending with a short story by Bram Stoker. Mr. Stoker is thought to be the father of vampires in literature, but people were writing about them long before his lifetime. I enjoyed reading the short...more
This collection is well executed, with a solid selection of stories that show the lineage of the modern stories that are currently so trendy. Sims clearly researched the genre within the Victorian period. I found several of his choices more sensuous and creepy than anything we see on film. The introductions to each story provide just enough context without breaking the flow. Some of the authors were well known for writing in this original fantasy genre, while others seem to have created one or t...more
Ahh, vampires! Seriously, who doesn't love them? They have this alluring sensuality to them. Either that or they're down-right vicious. Needless to say, that the vampire has undergone a transformation as of late. They are no longer that alluring (to me anyway) and definitely not vicious. Not only have the Twilight books skewed the vision of the brutal and vicious vampire, it has made them sparkle. This is atrocious. Vampires aren't supposed to sparkle! They're supposed to kill you or turn you. N...more
This is a collection of Victorian-era vampire stories, with some biographical information about each author by Sims before each one. They vary wildly in quality, from the jaw-dropping "Varney the Vampire" by James Malcolm Rymer (the first of apparently 101 chapters) to Stoker himself. I thought "Dracula's Guest" was okay. It's not quite as interesting to me as either "Dracula" itself or some of the other, earlier stories in the collection.
The collection deliberately excludes some of my favorite...more
The collection deliberately excludes some of my favorite...more
Dracula's Guest, edited by Michael Sims, contains a wonderful collection of vampire stories mostly from the Victorian Era. Dracula's Guest includes some well known stories as well as some not so well known stories. Historical information is included throughout the book on the various authors, the time periods and what led people to believe in vampires.
The book is broken down into 3 parts: The Roots, The Tree and The Fruit.
Beginning with The Roots, Sims includes authors such as Jean-Baptiste de...more
The book is broken down into 3 parts: The Roots, The Tree and The Fruit.
Beginning with The Roots, Sims includes authors such as Jean-Baptiste de...more
For vampire-lit lovers, this is probably a feast. Michael Sims compiles quite a span of literature referencing vampires and vampiric lore. Perhaps of most interest are the stories and writings of lesser known authors, some of whom have probably been rightfully forgotten and others who have merely been eclipsed by their flashier counterparts. What most interested me were the short introductions that Sims provides for each of his selections.
In general, though, reading this collection straight thro...more
In general, though, reading this collection straight thro...more
I'm very late getting back to this. Horror anthologies are usually mixed bags, but this one, while not cover to cover great, is definitely worth seeking out. To be honest, I'm kind of burned out on vampires, due to all the current Twilight crap. What caught my attention here, was the blurb from Maria Tartar praising editor Michael Sims for his effort. Tartar is a professor and noted author who specializes in folklore and fairy tales. That, to me, signaled something about Sims' approach. And I wa...more
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I have always loved reading about vampires. I have read a lot of the fictional stories, both young adult and adult, and I have read the non-fictional encyclopedias and history of vampire lore as well. This book combines a bit of both. With each story there is an introduction of the author and where each of these stories came from or how they were conceived. Some are based off of stories they had heard, newspaper articles, and some are purely from the imagination.
A few of the stories were stand-o...more
A few of the stories were stand-o...more
I thought that this was an excellent and well-put-together collection of (mostly) 19th century vampire stories. While some are quite familiar to readers (Polidori's and Byron's versions of The Vampyre, Varney the Vampire, the title story itself), others, like "Let Loose" by Mary Cholmondeley and "The Tomb of Sarah" by F.G. Loring are more obscure. The anthology is an interesting mix of travel writing and stories that range from being rather boring copycats to the overly melodramatic to the downr...more
Here's what I have learned about vampire stories of yesteryear:
1. Vampire stories have always been thinly veiled romance novels
2. Because I am not a teenage girl or a mysterious, gaunt gentleman with a deathly pallor and blood red lips, I don't have to worry about being a vampire, or a vampire victim.
3. Scary stories are difficult to write--the only moderately creepy story in the book was not a vampire story, but a vengeful ghost story.
My advice is watch Underworld (not the sequel or prequel) f...more
1. Vampire stories have always been thinly veiled romance novels
2. Because I am not a teenage girl or a mysterious, gaunt gentleman with a deathly pallor and blood red lips, I don't have to worry about being a vampire, or a vampire victim.
3. Scary stories are difficult to write--the only moderately creepy story in the book was not a vampire story, but a vengeful ghost story.
My advice is watch Underworld (not the sequel or prequel) f...more
This is an excellent introduction/compendium of victorian (as well as some pre-victorian and post-victorian) vampire stories.
Michael Sims does a superb job of not only gathering some of the most noteworthy and influential pieces of the genre, but he introduces the work as a whole and each piece with aplomb.
I typically do not read the introduction to a book until after I've read the book (and only then if I feel that it's "worth my time"). I know that this is counter-intuitive, but generally I wa...more
Michael Sims does a superb job of not only gathering some of the most noteworthy and influential pieces of the genre, but he introduces the work as a whole and each piece with aplomb.
I typically do not read the introduction to a book until after I've read the book (and only then if I feel that it's "worth my time"). I know that this is counter-intuitive, but generally I wa...more
It took me forever to read this book. I kept putting it down and not really wanting to pick it back up. I found almost all the stories entirely dull, owing much to the inordinate amount of time the various authors spent on exposition and description. One describes the house and grounds of the setting in minute detail, completely unnecessary as the action of the piece takes place in one mere room of the home. Another spends almost an entire page explaining why the narrator describes in English as...more
I received a copy of Dracula's Guest through Goodreads' First Reads. Dracula's Guest is a wonderful anthology that I am more than happy to add to my vampire book collection. The short stories that he has compiled show the varied history of writing focused on the vampire. The stories vary from "true" depictions of vampire encounters to the melodramatic Victorian romance. Many of the authors I was familiar with, but there were many that were new to me as well.
"The End of My Journey" by George Gord...more
"The End of My Journey" by George Gord...more
Nov 10, 2011
Elvira
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
shortstories,
fantasy
As collections go, this is an interesting collection of the earliest vampire stories for those who love Victorian writing and vampire stories. I enjoyed the insight by Michael Sims on the history of vampire stories and their popularity. I found the collection of stories of familiar favorites to newly obscure welcoming. I think the real strength to this collection are the introductions to each story about the author and the story. As a person who likes to research everything, from the actors and...more
This book really surprized me. I love vampire stories and have read a lot of them, but I hadn't read almost this entire book. The selections are interesting, showing the history of vampire mythology through lesser known stories and nonfiction histories. Michael Sims' introduction was a wonderful compliment and his explanations of why he chose the stories were almost as interesting as they were. I definately recommend it to vampire fans and Victorian literature fans.
This is a great collection of short stories that have contributed to the vampire canon. I'm not a fan of gory fiction, but I do love deliciously creepy stories, and that's definitely what I got with this book!
I really liked that there was a blurb with historical background and other interesting facts about each author before I read their particular story.
I really liked that there was a blurb with historical background and other interesting facts about each author before I read their particular story.
Reading this collection of vampire stories back-to-back has the slight disadvantage of wanting to shake all the characters by the shoulders saying "don't you understand why so-and-so is wasting away; their blood is being sucked out of them!" Aside from that consistent element in every story (and really, it wouldn't be a vampire story without it) the stories themselves were varied, interesting and largely well-written. A great Halloween read!
I won this book on FirstReads. At first, the book seemed rather boring. Since it's an anthology of vampire works of circa 1800s, it was written in the formal, flowery writing of the Victorian era that makes classics so difficult to read. But, several months after I won the book and it was just lying on my shelf, I decided to give the book a second chance. I sat down for nearly 3 hours and read about 200 pages of the headache-inducing writing, and I found that I actually liked it. I even went bac...more
This was honestly a huge relief....After the whole Twilight phenomenon, I'd been pretty sick of vampires. This collection of stories went right back to the heart of classical vampire stories. Highly recommended if you're into the old-school, folklore vampire. And guys...These vampires? They don't sparkle.
1 like · like · see review
I received this book/anthology through first reads.
I thought this was a very interesting look at the history of vampires, told in both real & fictitious accounts throughout history. This book was divided into three sections - The Root: pre-Victorian, The Tree: Victorian, & The Fruit: post-Victorian. I liked seeing how eye-witness accounts of "vampires" morphed into the vampire stories that have become so popular again today. Michael Sims did a great job with his brief histories & exp...more
I thought this was a very interesting look at the history of vampires, told in both real & fictitious accounts throughout history. This book was divided into three sections - The Root: pre-Victorian, The Tree: Victorian, & The Fruit: post-Victorian. I liked seeing how eye-witness accounts of "vampires" morphed into the vampire stories that have become so popular again today. Michael Sims did a great job with his brief histories & exp...more
Vampire stories aren't just for angst-ridden teenagers who fantasize about guys breaking into the bedrooms to watch them sleep. They are - consistently, from Polidori to Twilight - about sex: more specifically, our weird sexual hangups. This collection makes that clear, shedding a light on the 19th century's obsession with women and their increasing (and, clearly, terrifying) insistence on owning their sexuality. Oh, and loads of repressed homosexuality. My favorite, though, is Mary Elizabeth Br...more
I won this on Goodreads First Reads. This is a good book for anyone who enjoys vampire stories and is interested in seeing where modern day vampire tales evolved from. The only story which I felt should have been included and wasn't was Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.
Dec 09, 2010
Rebecca
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Mom
Recommended to Rebecca by:
Goodreads
Shelves:
horror
For anyone who enjoyed Bram Stoker's Dracula I highly recommend this book. These are stories about real vampires: the undead that only care about sucking people's blood. There is romance, but there is no such thing as a noble vampire in the Victorian era. Some of these stories were a little cheesy while others are supposed to be truthful accounts of vampire activity, but most are just super creative stories of the bloodlusters. Some of the pieces were most likely read by Bram Stoker and served a...more
22 classic vampire short stories/novellas. A quick but dry read - like most classics. Most of these I've already read at one time or another. I'm glad to see that they have all found a home together but I was disappointed by the editor's approach to the reader. Bringing in references about Twilight, Anne Rice's vampires and Buffy the Vampire Slayer isn't going to encourage or help the modern reader come to terms with these classic stories. The classics and modern vampire reads have nothing in co...more
Solid, unsurprising anthology of Victorian -- and Romantic and Edwardian -- vampire tales. Solid, because most of them are good, representative of the period, and sometimes scary. Unsurprising because many of them appear in other anthologies of the sort. Well worth having, if you're interested in Victorian popular culture and/or in vampires who aren't so much angsty and tortured as they are bloodthirsty.
This is a must for anyone who loves vampire lore. An extremely well-written anthology that doesn't just trace the evolution of the vampire tale. It also puts each tale in historical context and gives some information about each author. If Stoker was the father of the vampire tale, this book introduces you to the Great-Great-Grandfather, Great-Grandfather and Grandfather!
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