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Vampires Encounters with the Undead
Enter the systerious and seductive world of the undead.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
20 people are currently reading
581 people want to read
About the author
David J. Skal
55 books180 followersDavid J. Skal became fascinated with monsters at the height of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, when indestructible monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein and the Wolf Man provided a "nuclear security blanket" for a whole generation of youngsters.
Active as an editor and reporter on his high school newspaper, he was granted a journalism scholarship to Ohio University, Athens, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1974. His work as film critic, arts reporter, arts editor and assistant managing editor of the Ohio University Post, one of the country's leading college papers,led to his three-season appointment as publicity director of the University-operated Monomoy Theatre on Cape Cod. Following his graduation, he served as a public affairs intern in the office of National Endowment for the Arts chairman Nancy Hanks, and went on to the position of Publicity Director at the Hartford Stage Company, where he oversaw all media relations while the regional company fund-raised, built and opened a major new facility in downtown Hartford. In 1978, he was staff writer for the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, with responsibility for the content of all printed materials. From 1979-1982 he was Publications Director of Theatre Communications Group, a national service organization in New York City. From 1982 to 1992 he was president and creative director of David J. Skal Associates, Inc. (later Visual Cortex Ltd.), a Manhattan-based, nationally oriented design and marketing consultancy with clients ranging from the Metroplitan Opera to regional theatre, dance and music organizations.
A published writer of short fiction since his early college years (he was one of the youngest students ever admitted to the celebrated Clarion Writers Workshop in fantasy and science fiction), he authored three well-received science fiction novels: SCAVENGERS (1980), WHEN WE WERE GOOD (1981) and ANTIBODIES (1987). His long-standing interest in Dracula and his extensive contacts in the theatre world led to his first nonfiction book, HOLLYWOOD GOTHIC: THE TANGLED WEB OF DRACULA FROM NOVEL TO STAGE TO SCREEN (1990), followed by THE MONSTER SHOW: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF HORROR (1993). Many other books followed, including V IS FOR VAMPIRE (1995); DARK CARNIVAL: THE SECRET WORLD OF TOD BROWNING (1995,with Elias Savada); the Norton Critical Edition of Bram Stoker's DRACULA (1996, co-edited with Nina Auerbach); SCREAMS OF REASON: MAD SCIENCE AND MODERN CULTURE(1997); and the monumental anthology VAMPIRES: ENCOUNTERS WITH THE UNDEAD (2001, the largest such illustrated/annotated compendium ever published.
Skal began his work as a documentary filmmaker writing and co-producing segments for the A&E Network's award-winning series "Biography," and contributed scripts chronicling the lives and careers of Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, Jr. and Angela Lansbury (with whom he had worked during his theatre career). In 1999, he wrote, co-produced and co-directed a behind-the-scenes chronicle of the Academy Award-winning film GODS AND MONSTERS. The same year, he was tapped by Universal Studios Home Video for a series of twelve original DVD documentaries exploring the legacies of the studio's classic horror and science fiction films. His DVD work has continued with Disney Home Video's "Jules Verne and Walt Disney: Explorers of the Imagination" (2003) and the feature commentary for Warner Home Video's special-edition release of Tod Browning's FREAKS (2004).
His current projects include CITIZEN CLONE: THE MORPHING OF AMERICA (Faber and Faber, 2005)and CLAUDE RAINS: AN ACTOR'S VOICE, a biography based on the acclaimed character actor's never-published reminiscences, written in collaboration with the actor's daughter, Jessica Rains.
David Skal is a member of the Authors Guild. He lives and writes in Glendale, California.
Active as an editor and reporter on his high school newspaper, he was granted a journalism scholarship to Ohio University, Athens, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1974. His work as film critic, arts reporter, arts editor and assistant managing editor of the Ohio University Post, one of the country's leading college papers,led to his three-season appointment as publicity director of the University-operated Monomoy Theatre on Cape Cod. Following his graduation, he served as a public affairs intern in the office of National Endowment for the Arts chairman Nancy Hanks, and went on to the position of Publicity Director at the Hartford Stage Company, where he oversaw all media relations while the regional company fund-raised, built and opened a major new facility in downtown Hartford. In 1978, he was staff writer for the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, with responsibility for the content of all printed materials. From 1979-1982 he was Publications Director of Theatre Communications Group, a national service organization in New York City. From 1982 to 1992 he was president and creative director of David J. Skal Associates, Inc. (later Visual Cortex Ltd.), a Manhattan-based, nationally oriented design and marketing consultancy with clients ranging from the Metroplitan Opera to regional theatre, dance and music organizations.
A published writer of short fiction since his early college years (he was one of the youngest students ever admitted to the celebrated Clarion Writers Workshop in fantasy and science fiction), he authored three well-received science fiction novels: SCAVENGERS (1980), WHEN WE WERE GOOD (1981) and ANTIBODIES (1987). His long-standing interest in Dracula and his extensive contacts in the theatre world led to his first nonfiction book, HOLLYWOOD GOTHIC: THE TANGLED WEB OF DRACULA FROM NOVEL TO STAGE TO SCREEN (1990), followed by THE MONSTER SHOW: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF HORROR (1993). Many other books followed, including V IS FOR VAMPIRE (1995); DARK CARNIVAL: THE SECRET WORLD OF TOD BROWNING (1995,with Elias Savada); the Norton Critical Edition of Bram Stoker's DRACULA (1996, co-edited with Nina Auerbach); SCREAMS OF REASON: MAD SCIENCE AND MODERN CULTURE(1997); and the monumental anthology VAMPIRES: ENCOUNTERS WITH THE UNDEAD (2001, the largest such illustrated/annotated compendium ever published.
Skal began his work as a documentary filmmaker writing and co-producing segments for the A&E Network's award-winning series "Biography," and contributed scripts chronicling the lives and careers of Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, Jr. and Angela Lansbury (with whom he had worked during his theatre career). In 1999, he wrote, co-produced and co-directed a behind-the-scenes chronicle of the Academy Award-winning film GODS AND MONSTERS. The same year, he was tapped by Universal Studios Home Video for a series of twelve original DVD documentaries exploring the legacies of the studio's classic horror and science fiction films. His DVD work has continued with Disney Home Video's "Jules Verne and Walt Disney: Explorers of the Imagination" (2003) and the feature commentary for Warner Home Video's special-edition release of Tod Browning's FREAKS (2004).
His current projects include CITIZEN CLONE: THE MORPHING OF AMERICA (Faber and Faber, 2005)and CLAUDE RAINS: AN ACTOR'S VOICE, a biography based on the acclaimed character actor's never-published reminiscences, written in collaboration with the actor's daughter, Jessica Rains.
David Skal is a member of the Authors Guild. He lives and writes in Glendale, California.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 14, 2012
Everytime I wanted to get this from the library, someone else already had it. I sometimes forget I'm not the only avid user of libraries :P Anyway, it was well worth the agonising wait. An eclectic collection of short stories with a dash of articles and non-fiction here and there, also including a fascinating "historical evidence" -section. I'm personally more interested in 19th century vampires, so I was pleasantly surprised that the emphasis is on pre-1950s. Someone else may however consider it a bit disappointing. I also liked the idea of commentary, which expanded the topics and helped in putting the stories into context.
December 9, 2012
A wide-ranging, comprehensive anthology. Good chronology to its formatting, with inclusion of important vampire lit "standards". I much preferred the earlier entries myself, as they were more excerpts from novels rather than short stories. Also, they had that old-world Gothic romance macabre that, I as a reader, tend to gravitate towards. Some of the more modern, later entries were more metaphorical, conceptual pieces, that while important to add to give the anthology a fair and complete scope, I feel lend themselves more towards the science fiction category rather than strictly landing in the vampire genre.
It's a little too lengthy. A real commitment, especially with the copious marginal anecdotes being as long as the stories themselves at times. Can feel like you're reading 1000 pages worth of material rather than just under 600. Wouldn't recommend for leisure purposes unless you're a buff like myself, but it is a great pick up for someone studying the genre a/o looking to write a paper on it.
It's a little too lengthy. A real commitment, especially with the copious marginal anecdotes being as long as the stories themselves at times. Can feel like you're reading 1000 pages worth of material rather than just under 600. Wouldn't recommend for leisure purposes unless you're a buff like myself, but it is a great pick up for someone studying the genre a/o looking to write a paper on it.
February 12, 2017
This is a gem of a book. Skal has compiled a vast array of vampire lore from historical evidence to post modern fiction. The author presents the information in a chronological fashion, which keeps the information neat and tidy. From actual historical accounts to fictional books and film, one thing is certain, our fascination with vampires has endured throughout the centuries. This is a good addition to any library of darkness ;)
August 1, 2025
༻𝐇𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐝 𝐝𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫༺
Me encantó , casi todas las historias que se incluyen en este libro son geniales , además de las imágenes y comentarios del autor
Me encantó , casi todas las historias que se incluyen en este libro son geniales , además de las imágenes y comentarios del autor
June 28, 2015
Una gran recopilación de historias de vampiros.
Algunas te producen un estremecimiento y sientes como te va envolviendo la paranoia de los personajes principales.
Es un ejemplar "anotado" ya que David J. Skall hizo una gran recopilación de datos en donde incluye obras de arte, la biografía de los autores, el mundo cinematográfico de los vampiros.
Hay microhistorias que a pesar de ser demasiado oscuras y terroríficas, te invitan a conocer países, ciudades y culturas, así que sientes que viajas por todo el mundo. Es excepcional.
Sin duda, una recopilación que todo fanático de vampiros debe tener.
Algunas te producen un estremecimiento y sientes como te va envolviendo la paranoia de los personajes principales.
Es un ejemplar "anotado" ya que David J. Skall hizo una gran recopilación de datos en donde incluye obras de arte, la biografía de los autores, el mundo cinematográfico de los vampiros.
Hay microhistorias que a pesar de ser demasiado oscuras y terroríficas, te invitan a conocer países, ciudades y culturas, así que sientes que viajas por todo el mundo. Es excepcional.
Sin duda, una recopilación que todo fanático de vampiros debe tener.
June 23, 2020
A fun, educational time. Some stories are obviously better than others but only a couple real stinkers. I absolutely love The Family of the Vourdalak and have no idea why it hasn't been optioned for a movie. That said, this book took me like 3 months to read for some reason, and I'm ECSTATIC to be done and move onto something non-vampire.
June 17, 2022
BETTER RED THAN DEAD - - Sleeplessness must have pursued David J. Skal as he researched and annotated his tombstone-heavy tome. Amazing notes crammed into the margins.
Though I enjoyed many of his selections and the varied writing styles /eras, there were a few oddities.
In Mary Baddon's "Good Lady Ducayne," the elderly lady is being kept alive by fresh blood (as in traditional lore) but it's her physician who is doing the blood-letting; when she learns of it, she disapproves and engineers an uncharacteristically happy ending and a wedding.
Curiously, in footnotes, Skal makes much of "A Mystery of the Campagna" by Anne Crawford, whose clever vampire tale was set in Italy -- but it is not in his book.
[You can find her story in "Dracula's Guest: Victorian Vampire Stories" instead.]
I did not read the stories one after another, preferring to take my time and re-read some of the more interesting pieces such as Fritz Leiber's "Girl with the Hungry Eyes" and Edith Wharton's "Bewitched" and only browse through some.
Uneven compilation -- but totally fascinating and informative.
Though I enjoyed many of his selections and the varied writing styles /eras, there were a few oddities.
In Mary Baddon's "Good Lady Ducayne," the elderly lady is being kept alive by fresh blood (as in traditional lore) but it's her physician who is doing the blood-letting; when she learns of it, she disapproves and engineers an uncharacteristically happy ending and a wedding.
Curiously, in footnotes, Skal makes much of "A Mystery of the Campagna" by Anne Crawford, whose clever vampire tale was set in Italy -- but it is not in his book.
[You can find her story in "Dracula's Guest: Victorian Vampire Stories" instead.]
I did not read the stories one after another, preferring to take my time and re-read some of the more interesting pieces such as Fritz Leiber's "Girl with the Hungry Eyes" and Edith Wharton's "Bewitched" and only browse through some.
Uneven compilation -- but totally fascinating and informative.
April 17, 2024
A collection of both classic and modern vampire tales, or parts of the tales. I didn't read all of them, but the following:
The Vampyre: A Tale (J. Polidori)
Loving Lady Death dvs La Morte Amoureuse (T. Gautier)
Varney the Vampyre or, the Feast of Blood (M. Rymer)
Carmilla (J Sheridan Le Fanu)
Fatal Image: The Actress, and the Vampire (D. J Skal)
From American Vampires (N Dresser)
An interview with a ‘vampire’ (Skal)
Last call for the sons of shock (Schow)
Coppola’s Dracula (Newman)
Bela’s plot (Kiernan)
The Vampyre: A Tale (J. Polidori)
Loving Lady Death dvs La Morte Amoureuse (T. Gautier)
Varney the Vampyre or, the Feast of Blood (M. Rymer)
Carmilla (J Sheridan Le Fanu)
Fatal Image: The Actress, and the Vampire (D. J Skal)
From American Vampires (N Dresser)
An interview with a ‘vampire’ (Skal)
Last call for the sons of shock (Schow)
Coppola’s Dracula (Newman)
Bela’s plot (Kiernan)
August 27, 2025
A veritable treasure trove of all things vampire! Skal's insights and analyses alongside each work of fiction are fascinating. I kept a local library's copy of this book for far too long and then ultimately snagged it from thrift books because I wanted to highlight and annotate so many things :3
August 20, 2025
"La revelación lleva a la destrucción, pero solo si la conciencia está velada"
April 4, 2016
John Polidori's "The Vampyre"; Tolstoy's "The Family of the Vourdalak"; Sheridan Le Fanu's "Carmilla"; Mary Baddon's "Good Lady Ducayne"'; Bram Stoker's "Dracula's Guest" and Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire" are just a few of the gems in this anthology. Not only that but some interesting facts about films and other works of the genre sprinkle the margins of this grand collection. It is fair to say that the Victorians fetishized death and this fixation can be found in much of the literature of their day. Given the horrors of bloodletting, used as a purgative "cure" since the Middle Ages, it is no wonder that blood horror fills so many Gothic tales and romances.
November 27, 2009
What a delightful collection of research, stories, and vampire thing lists. This was an enjoyable read all throughout -- the seletions made were top-notch, and the time-line approach to the presentation added a fascinating historical context to vampire literature. I highly recommend this compilation!
October 21, 2015
un magnífico libro para los amantes del género gótico, ya que los relatos seleccionados nos van dando una idea de como ha ido cambiando la figura del vampiro a lo largo de los siglos. Además las notas en los márgenes ayudan mucho a comprender mejor tanto el texto como el momento histórico en qué fue escrito.
February 20, 2015
Some interesting stories. The notes don't add much. Many of them are just chronological lists of movie and book titles, or excerpts from other stories. (Why not just include those in the general book . . .?) I've read better anthologies with better intros and notes to the stories.
February 2, 2014
AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME....these Black Dog Press books on Zombies, Werewolves & Shapeshifters, and Vampires are really comprehensive!
December 4, 2024
A great flesh piercing anthology on the vampire.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews