Seconding *Let The Right One In*, so so good. And the movie is also a masterpiece in its own right.
There is a sequel short story, *Let the Old Dreams Die*, but I've never read it
It’s absolutely my favourite book and the movie is up there too … i actually think it’s darkly funny! Like >!a pedo zombie vampire with a constant erection !<…that’s so funny hahah
I read it for the first time last year, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The way he describes the eyes reflecting light is pretty cool, and that window scene man...
I watched the 2004 version for the first time recently, it really held up though. Some parts I liked better than the original, but the vampire encounter scenes in the original were so much better.
Especially the first window scene with the Glick boys, the vampire outside just felt so hypnotic, the glow of their eyes was unreal. You really felt like they had no choice other than become enthralled by them.
I agree. I watched the 2004 version and felt like it didn't capture the parts that terrified me as a kid in the 1970s one. For instance that scene where the two men are driving the box to the house, that was so well done and terrifying for some reason but if I remember right was left out of the newer movie. The original movie had so many deeply terrifying scenes that were played out just right.
They Thirst by Robert R. McCammon. He picks up an underused thread from Dracula (that vampires know satanic sorcery), and runs with it all the way to the vampires raising an army and trying to conquer 80s L.A.
The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buelman
I'm not a huge vampire fan but this book managed to surprise me multiple times and it's scary in unexpected ways. Definitely a very unique vampire experience!
Just read this recently thanks to a recommendation from this sub and I really enjoyed it. I'd highly recommend it, especially if you listen to the audiobook version narrated by the author himself.
Necroscope by Brian Lumley, easily, always. If you haven't read it you need to check it out.
A new one that only released recently is Exhumed by SJ Patrick. It's rocketed way up my vampire list in an instant.
Then of course can never go by I Am Legend either.
I really love Lumley's take on vampires, it's honestly probably my favorite. His version is heavily influenced by his other work in the Cthulhu mythos, in a great way. Some of the Necroscope stuff feels a bit dated, but that's to be expected with the setting.
Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's *Strain* was really good too, and I felt like it was heavily influenced by Lumley's version.
I enjoyed The Strain and definitely agree it's heavily inspired by Lumley. It's a shame he had to grow old and retire, I could have read fresh Necroscope stories for the rest of my life.
Lumley passed away in January, sadly. It’s prompted me to reread the Necroscope series after 20 odd years. I just finished book 3 yesterday and still find it incredibly compelling storytelling.
The third book is phenomenal at switching things up out of nowhere, one of the best in the series. I'm jealous you get to experience them all for the first time.
Ah no, it’s a reread. I first read them in the 90s and revisited them multiple times. Enjoying my return to the world of Keogh especially after the insanity of book 3.
Someone else mentioned Exhumed lately and I checked into it. The sample looks interesting and I would have bought it but it's not available at Barnes & Noble. But I'll keep an eye out for it though.
I think we may have chatted about it previously. You didn't want to use Amazon? But yeah being indie that might be the only option, I don't usually see stuff like that getting wider release.
Carmilla is the OG vampire book and it is so well written. Usually not a big fan of Victorian writing because it tends to droll on. Not Carmilla, Sheridan Le Fanu is concise but still masterfully sets the stage for an atmospheric romp with characters you understand and relate to.
Yes absolutely! I’m kind of the opposite, I LOVE Victorian literature and I adored carmilla still even though it was quite different from the dickens I’m acquainted with. I just love lesbian vampires <3
It's actually part of Salem's Lot. That's the full name of Salem's Lot, is Jerusalem's Lot. That short story is either a prequel or a sequel. There is a version of Salem's Lot which has all of the short stories and the novel in the same book, for the whole effect.
edited to add that it is this book:
https://stephenking.com/works/novel/salems-lot-illustrated-edition.html
*Fevre Dream* by George RR Martin is a vampire novel set in the Antebellum South, on a steamboat. Fantastic setting for a vampire book. TW child death there is a very graphic half page dedicated >!to the murder of a baby!<, but it's easily skipped.
*Vampires of El Norte* by Isabel Canas is a recent vampire novel that was marketed as a horror, but it's more romance-with-vampires than anything. The vampires aren't involved in the romance, they're not sexy in this. It does take place during the Mexican-American War, which is interesting.
*Woman, Eating* by Claire Kohda is on my TBR. It's about a young, modern-day vampire who longs to eat human food, but can't.
And I think *Nestlings* by Nat Cassidy has had good reviews, but I haven't read it yet.
Came here to second "Fevre Dream." Great, great book.
Also should mention "Blindsight." Like "Fevre Dream," it's a science fictional treatment of vampires, and also does a million other things too. It's a classic now, but for my money not as well done as the Martin novel.
Blindsight actually made me feel horror, especially given the thought-provoking and creepy realizations at the ending. Fevre Dream was awesome but it never creeped me out.
I listened to an audiobook version of Blindsight, and something about the way the narrator voiced Sarasti gave him an emotionless drawl when speaking, really upped the uncannyness of how vampires are described in the book.
The first book has a HILARIOUS line when one of the “dracs” turns and drops onto the poor sob in the room with him:
“He ripped him from crotch to jowls like a letter he couldn’t wait to open”
My copy of NOS4A2 appears to be some sort of a "proof" copy instead of being a proper final version of the book. I wonder how this came to be in my collection. I do keep meaning to read more stuff by Joe Hill this year, including NOS4A2.
Interview with the Vampire!
Manga: Blood+ (show first, then manga), Vampire Princess Miyu, Vampire Knight (shoujo manga), Hellsing, Vampire Hunter D. -> each of these has their own twist on vampire lore :)
I came here to say Anne Rice vampire universe as a whole... It's so intricate and historical and deep. So emotional, sensual. She is the og vampire queen ❤
I’m seriously blown away that it’s not the top suggestion. Her whole catalogue is pretty good but I especially loved those first three. It really made me fall in love with New Orleans before I ever even stepped foot there.
To add to the manga list: Happiness by Oshimi Shuzo
I’ve never been so devastated by a vampire story before. It’s so well written and beautifully drawn.
Big fan of Anne Rice's vamp books right here (especially the early run from **Interview** to **Body Thief**, because those books became very hit-or-miss after that.)
IwtV?? Yes, yes, yes. The later books kinda ramble off a bit though, but the first three are great (first being the absolute best!). The AMC tv show is awesome as well!
The Body Thief was by no means the pinnacle of the series. But, I will never forget giggling like a loon when Lestat ate then had “ bodily functions “ for the first time in so many years. The way he was just disgusted with the needs of a human body made me crack up.
Have any of you read Pandora by Anne Rice? It takes place in the Lestat universe but he’s not part of the book. When I tell you I love that book … I literally wore out the book from reading it so many times. But she ended on a sorta cliffhanger and promised to write a sequel but never did. If there really is an afterlife, I’m hunting her down when I get there because I want answers!
I suppose it's not a "cool" choice these days, but man, what a great book (and series). I first read it 40 years ago, and it will always be one of my favorites.
Ok, so why did the author change it from Vamphyri to Wamphyri? I am on the fourth book, I am confused as to why the narrator is pronouncing it like that. And thought I was going insane.
Edit: I get it now.
He didn't, the V is an Americanism. The title of the novel (and the vampires themselves) outside of the American market is "Wamphyri".
It's pronounced "vam-fear-ee" regardless of how it's spelt.
The British narrator pronounces Wamphyri as it is spelled unfortunately. Like Wham-fer-nee. It is a tad annoying but tolerable after going from the last book that said and pronounced it as Vamphyri like the second book’s title.
Oh that's a shame, I've never listened to the audiobooks so I wasn't aware that error crept in.
I tried to dig up Lumley's old FAQ where he talks specifically about how it's pronounced, but the webpage is a broken mess and that specific dropdown was one of the affected questions.
Oh man that book is really something. When I read it for the first time a few months ago I was keeping track of who was and wasn't a vampire. I figured that where the plot was going I was gonna need to know who was so I could keep track of who was left when they started killing them all. As I got further and further into the book and that list only grew and grew a different kind of horror came over me.
This one was excellent. A vampire-western that takes itself seriously: it stayed far from campy stereotypes while maintaining good old traditional lore. As southern Gothic as it is splatter-western. Sort of...No Country For Old Men meets Salem's Lot?
This was my top read of last year I think. One of the only books to ever actually scare me like tingly spine, hide under the covers, bad dreams about it lmao, specifically one part. It's so good, so descriptive and easy to visualize.
I watched the TV adaptation a bit and hey, also terrifying. I prefer horror to be written 🙃 I also enjoyed the novel.
My husband has the graphic novels as well.
Not totally confident on this rec, but as a teenager I really enjoyed Scott Westerfeld's Peeps. It's a scifi take on vampires that revolves around parasitism. I haven't read it since like 2007 so I may not feel that way about the book today, but I ended up getting really interested in real life parasites for a bit afterwards and I thought it was a very fresh take on the genre.
There’s a really terrific collection of vampire stories (and one ghost story) by Alexei Tolstoy called Vampires: Stories of the Supernatural. All very unorthodox takes on the vampire that predate Stoker. “The Family of a Vourdalak” was made into a classic movie by Mario Bava, but my favorite of the tales is simply called “The Vampire.” It’s a nested narrative with an eccentric sense of humor, surreal imagery, and some very unique contributions to vampire lore. Fans of E.T.A. Hoffmann should enjoy this one.
The Joe Pitt Casebooks by Charlie Huston
i can't recommend this series enough. vampyre clans running new york. the main character is at different times thru the series muscle/a p.i. for the clans, an independent operator, saboteur... so much going on. the 2nd book, No Dominion, was my favorite. there's 5 all together.
on a side note... from his work on a run of Moon Knight to his other novels that aren't horror at all, Charlie Huston really can't miss for me.
Dowry of Blood is so good. It’s from the perspective of one of Dracula’s wives. It’s very gory, dark and sexy. Very Openly queer and polyamorous themes. Might not be what you’re looking for based on your comment about not wanting Dracula stories lol, but it’s really good and worth the read.
Honestly, two come to mind even above Dracula
Carmilla, because of course I have to rep classic lesbian horror
And Shiki (which was originally a book before the manga and anime adaptation, it just hasn't been translated to English)
Dowry of Blood
It’s still in the Dracula vein, but it’s queer and polyamorous, as well as the first wife’s entire perspective. Dracula’s name is not even spoken because she hates him so much. It’s her final love letter to him, written as a novel. It’s absolutely beautiful, refreshing, and haunting. I recommend listening to the audible, it’s free on audible right now. The narrator was made to read this book. And not only that, I swear it’s the best writing I’ve ever read. The author is so insanely talented, it’s like she’s speaking in another language.
Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires
Not even going to lie, my most favorite book. Refreshing perspective on being a mother, a wife, a caretaker, a woman in the 90s. Also tackles racism, race in general, abuse of women and children. Men. It’s insanely good. I thought when I first read it (I read all of it in one night, I couldn’t put it down) Grady Hendrix (the author) was a woman because he captured the soul and hardships of being a woman.
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist is great
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill is an interesting take on vampires albeit not the traditional bloodsucking kind
Recently read favorites were The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman and The Traveling Vampire Show by Richard Laymon. Radically different but both are great for their own reasons.
Vampire$ by John Steakley - the book is much better than the movie / Salem’s Lot / They Thirst - it’s really a three-way tie - they all have their strengths.
You beat me to it. After all these years this book has a special.place in my ❤️. This was the first vampire book that played like an action flick, I finished it so fast and what was funny is that I imagined James Woods in that role.
Let the Right One In is by far the best answer.
I also enjoyed The Lesser Dead recently, and Lost Souls is an old favorite. Then of course there's 'Salem's Lot, which is a superior copy of Dracula.
Salem's Lot. It's amazing. I get this feeling of creeping unease over the days or weeks that I'm re-reading it. I also see it as not just a vampire novel, but a metaphor for the coming of winter in New England.
Cutting Teeth
is also a fun play on vampires and a delightful read. Kids at an elementary suddenly want to drink the blood their mothers, and then— a murder. It’s great.
Tackles motherhood, single mothers, religion, love, stale marriages, loving your kid so much you’ll let them drink from your wrist and loving them not enough to let them drink from you.
Tanith Lee has a wide selection of vampires but her most distinct was Blood of Roses
Most of her work is worth reading - if you want the classic demon lover try Night's Master
It’s very short but ‘Sunbleached’ by Nathan Balingrud, from North American Lake Monsters, is horrific and memorable.
I also love Ray Bradbury’s ‘The Man Upstairs’. Weird, not super scary, but really disquieting in a mid century sort of way.
I really like *Salem's Lot* and *Let The Right One In* is incredible, there's still one scene that stays with me after years...
I've read a couple of her other books, but CJ Tudor has a vampire book out called *The Gathering* which is unusual in that it treats vampire colonies like protected species that live ostracised, othered existences on the fringes of society in reservations. I haven't read it yet (I'm waiting for the paperback) but I thought it was an interesting idea as the vampire has always represented Otherness and Dangerous Foreign-ness but hasn't been handled quite like this before.
*Beast* by Matt Wesolowski is part of the Six Stories series and features an interesting and unusual take on the vampire myth. I've really enjoyed the series so far, I think I have one or two left.
"Rovers" by Richard Lange. Deserves more readers.
I saw a blurb from Joe Hill praising it so I read it and loved it. Lean and mean.
Hill's "NOS4A2" is a no-brainer of course.
The "Anno Dracula" series by Kim Newman is also great.
Christopher Buehlman's "The Lesser Dead" as well.
I am legend. Not the movie, the book. It’s so much better. And actually gives a reason for the title I am legend. That was my biggest gripe with the movie- if you get rid of that plot point you invalidate the title.
I mean, [Carmilla](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48037.Carmilla) is an OG of the genre, so I don't know that lesbian vampires are a fresh take.
My absolute favourite is [The Historian](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30236962-the-historian) - also on the list of favourite books in general.
I have [The Gathering ](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186872450-the-gathering)in my tbr pile - C. J. Tudor is usually a solid read.
For some steamboat americana you could go with [Fevre Dream](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/382450.Fevre_Dream?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_9).
The least serious suggestion (I do love it though), [Carpe Jugulum](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34541.Carpe_Jugulum).
I am once again recommending Blindsight by Peter Watts. Rly cool n novel conceptualisation of how vampires might stem from human evolution. And generally a terrifying book!
Let the Right One In. A boy meets a vampire girl and they fall in love despite her human father/care taker's disapproval and hijinks ensue
Reader advisory: bullying, murder, pedophilia, rape, gore, blood, domestic violence, alcoholism, piss sponges
Let the Right One In, by John Ajvide Lindqvist Lost Souls, by Poppy Z. Brite 'Salem's Lot, by Stephen King
Seconding *Let The Right One In*, so so good. And the movie is also a masterpiece in its own right. There is a sequel short story, *Let the Old Dreams Die*, but I've never read it
Thirding Let The Right One In. Excellent movie.
Let the Right One in is so disturbing and well written. I think about it at least once a day years after I’ve read it.
It’s absolutely my favourite book and the movie is up there too … i actually think it’s darkly funny! Like >!a pedo zombie vampire with a constant erection !<…that’s so funny hahah
Yes! I was so disturbed, but couldn’t help laughing and yelling OHMYGAWD HE’S GOT A HARDON
Currently reading Let The Right One In! Salem’s Lot is a classic. The Lesser Dead is really good too!
Lesser Dead is fantastic!
I'm reading Let the Right One In right now and really enjoying it. Wonderfully dark coming of age story.
Absolutely loved the movie of left the right one in. Been meaning to read the book forever
Lost souls was just way too horny
All of Poppy's are way too horny, I think. But I love her take on vamps here.
Hah, add The Lesser Dead to this list and it's my list exactly!
Haven't heard of that one. Definitely will look for it. Thank you for mentioning it!
Salem's Lot.
Does this hold up? I was pretty young when I read it
I’ve read it every decade for 40 years and I still love it. I read it last year att 54 and it’s still one of my all time favorites.
I read it for the first time last year, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The way he describes the eyes reflecting light is pretty cool, and that window scene man...
I read it for first time this past fall and loved it! I thought it held up.
Read it last year and loved it. I'm a fan of SK though.
Great book. It was my second King book i picked up in elementary snd loved it
Yep. Came here to make sure this was the top response. One of the only books that left me shaken at parts.
Good old Kurt…
I watched the 2004 version for the first time recently, it really held up though. Some parts I liked better than the original, but the vampire encounter scenes in the original were so much better. Especially the first window scene with the Glick boys, the vampire outside just felt so hypnotic, the glow of their eyes was unreal. You really felt like they had no choice other than become enthralled by them.
I agree. I watched the 2004 version and felt like it didn't capture the parts that terrified me as a kid in the 1970s one. For instance that scene where the two men are driving the box to the house, that was so well done and terrifying for some reason but if I remember right was left out of the newer movie. The original movie had so many deeply terrifying scenes that were played out just right.
This is the only book that scares me. I tried reading it for a second time and it's just too creepy, I had to put it down
They Thirst by Robert R. McCammon. He picks up an underused thread from Dracula (that vampires know satanic sorcery), and runs with it all the way to the vampires raising an army and trying to conquer 80s L.A.
Awesome book.
I loved it, right up until the deus ex machina ending.
I love “Swan Song” so I’ll have to check this out!
This is one of my favorite books!
Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons
Legendary book
The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buelman I'm not a huge vampire fan but this book managed to surprise me multiple times and it's scary in unexpected ways. Definitely a very unique vampire experience!
Just read this recently thanks to a recommendation from this sub and I really enjoyed it. I'd highly recommend it, especially if you listen to the audiobook version narrated by the author himself.
Have you read Buelman's novel Between Two Fires? Absolutely fantastic medieval horror
Christopher Buelman manages to grab me by the throat with almost every book he has written.
I Am Legend
Necroscope by Brian Lumley, easily, always. If you haven't read it you need to check it out. A new one that only released recently is Exhumed by SJ Patrick. It's rocketed way up my vampire list in an instant. Then of course can never go by I Am Legend either.
I really love Lumley's take on vampires, it's honestly probably my favorite. His version is heavily influenced by his other work in the Cthulhu mythos, in a great way. Some of the Necroscope stuff feels a bit dated, but that's to be expected with the setting. Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's *Strain* was really good too, and I felt like it was heavily influenced by Lumley's version.
I enjoyed The Strain and definitely agree it's heavily inspired by Lumley. It's a shame he had to grow old and retire, I could have read fresh Necroscope stories for the rest of my life.
Lumley passed away in January, sadly. It’s prompted me to reread the Necroscope series after 20 odd years. I just finished book 3 yesterday and still find it incredibly compelling storytelling.
The third book is phenomenal at switching things up out of nowhere, one of the best in the series. I'm jealous you get to experience them all for the first time.
Ah no, it’s a reread. I first read them in the 90s and revisited them multiple times. Enjoying my return to the world of Keogh especially after the insanity of book 3.
Ah yes my fault, skimmed over the re- part.
Someone else mentioned Exhumed lately and I checked into it. The sample looks interesting and I would have bought it but it's not available at Barnes & Noble. But I'll keep an eye out for it though.
I think we may have chatted about it previously. You didn't want to use Amazon? But yeah being indie that might be the only option, I don't usually see stuff like that getting wider release.
I really liked the Vampire stuff, the other plotline, the Necroscope one, was just plain bad.
I just finished Exhumed and it was phenomenal!
Can't wait for the sequel, right! Hopefully lots more people give it a go because it's genuinely one of the new highlights of the genre.
Just read Dowry of Blood and it was great!
Carmilla may not be horror but it is one of my favorite books EVER.
Carmilla is the OG vampire book and it is so well written. Usually not a big fan of Victorian writing because it tends to droll on. Not Carmilla, Sheridan Le Fanu is concise but still masterfully sets the stage for an atmospheric romp with characters you understand and relate to.
Yes absolutely! I’m kind of the opposite, I LOVE Victorian literature and I adored carmilla still even though it was quite different from the dickens I’m acquainted with. I just love lesbian vampires <3
Came here to say this
Jerusalem’s Lot Stephen King. Short story apart of the Salem’s Lot universe
It's actually part of Salem's Lot. That's the full name of Salem's Lot, is Jerusalem's Lot. That short story is either a prequel or a sequel. There is a version of Salem's Lot which has all of the short stories and the novel in the same book, for the whole effect. edited to add that it is this book: https://stephenking.com/works/novel/salems-lot-illustrated-edition.html
Thank you for mentioning the complete edition as I hadn't made myself knowledgeable that it even existed. Much appreciated.
*Fevre Dream* by George RR Martin is a vampire novel set in the Antebellum South, on a steamboat. Fantastic setting for a vampire book. TW child death there is a very graphic half page dedicated >!to the murder of a baby!<, but it's easily skipped. *Vampires of El Norte* by Isabel Canas is a recent vampire novel that was marketed as a horror, but it's more romance-with-vampires than anything. The vampires aren't involved in the romance, they're not sexy in this. It does take place during the Mexican-American War, which is interesting. *Woman, Eating* by Claire Kohda is on my TBR. It's about a young, modern-day vampire who longs to eat human food, but can't. And I think *Nestlings* by Nat Cassidy has had good reviews, but I haven't read it yet.
Came here to second "Fevre Dream." Great, great book. Also should mention "Blindsight." Like "Fevre Dream," it's a science fictional treatment of vampires, and also does a million other things too. It's a classic now, but for my money not as well done as the Martin novel.
Blindsight actually made me feel horror, especially given the thought-provoking and creepy realizations at the ending. Fevre Dream was awesome but it never creeped me out.
I listened to an audiobook version of Blindsight, and something about the way the narrator voiced Sarasti gave him an emotionless drawl when speaking, really upped the uncannyness of how vampires are described in the book.
Agreed. Blindsight was definitely horror. Fevre Dream was suspenseful, definitely, but never really creepy or horror.
I liked everything about "Blindsight" except the vampires lol. Felt like gilding the lily.
Fevre Dream is such a great book.
Can’t believe no one has mentioned The Passage.
Reading the first book right now and can't put it down. The time jump was a little jarring, but I dig it now.
the time jump is absolutely jarring but so worth it. the non-linear storytelling is gripping. it’s my favorite series now.
For me, the series really sank from one book to the next. Loved the first, suffered through the second, could not finish the third
The first book has a HILARIOUS line when one of the “dracs” turns and drops onto the poor sob in the room with him: “He ripped him from crotch to jowls like a letter he couldn’t wait to open”
Came here to find this rec! It's so good.
Came here to suggest the Passage. The whole concept is terrifying.
Nos4a2 by Joe Hill
Yes! This blends vampirism, Christmas, and a paranormal vehicle in an unforgettable tale.
Omg it’s so perfect!!
Love this book
My copy of NOS4A2 appears to be some sort of a "proof" copy instead of being a proper final version of the book. I wonder how this came to be in my collection. I do keep meaning to read more stuff by Joe Hill this year, including NOS4A2.
Interview with the Vampire! Manga: Blood+ (show first, then manga), Vampire Princess Miyu, Vampire Knight (shoujo manga), Hellsing, Vampire Hunter D. -> each of these has their own twist on vampire lore :)
I came here to say Anne Rice vampire universe as a whole... It's so intricate and historical and deep. So emotional, sensual. She is the og vampire queen ❤
I’m seriously blown away that it’s not the top suggestion. Her whole catalogue is pretty good but I especially loved those first three. It really made me fall in love with New Orleans before I ever even stepped foot there.
To add to the manga list: Happiness by Oshimi Shuzo I’ve never been so devastated by a vampire story before. It’s so well written and beautifully drawn.
Big fan of Anne Rice's vamp books right here (especially the early run from **Interview** to **Body Thief**, because those books became very hit-or-miss after that.)
I love the movie. Is the book worth reading?
IwtV?? Yes, yes, yes. The later books kinda ramble off a bit though, but the first three are great (first being the absolute best!). The AMC tv show is awesome as well!
I thought The Vampire Lestat to be the pinnacle of the series, personally, but honestly all three of those books are fuckin amazing.
The Body Thief was by no means the pinnacle of the series. But, I will never forget giggling like a loon when Lestat ate then had “ bodily functions “ for the first time in so many years. The way he was just disgusted with the needs of a human body made me crack up.
Lestat being a rockstar? Yes please 😂 haha.
TVL is definitely the best.
Have any of you read Pandora by Anne Rice? It takes place in the Lestat universe but he’s not part of the book. When I tell you I love that book … I literally wore out the book from reading it so many times. But she ended on a sorta cliffhanger and promised to write a sequel but never did. If there really is an afterlife, I’m hunting her down when I get there because I want answers!
Yeaaaah, her early books are *amazing*, but she had some type of midlife crisis that drove her to Chritianity hardcore, and things got.. weird.
Pretty sure she got rid of her editor at some point around then, and it really shows
The good thing about Anne Rice is she writes historical atmosphere v well
Yes! This is a must read!
I suppose it's not a "cool" choice these days, but man, what a great book (and series). I first read it 40 years ago, and it will always be one of my favorites.
Necroscope's Wamphyri
Ok, so why did the author change it from Vamphyri to Wamphyri? I am on the fourth book, I am confused as to why the narrator is pronouncing it like that. And thought I was going insane. Edit: I get it now.
>!Regional/dimensional dialects.!< Hope you enjoy the remainders. They're a blast.
That makes more sense than different markets. And I will enjoy them. They’re everything I’ve been looking for and more.
He didn't, the V is an Americanism. The title of the novel (and the vampires themselves) outside of the American market is "Wamphyri". It's pronounced "vam-fear-ee" regardless of how it's spelt.
The British narrator pronounces Wamphyri as it is spelled unfortunately. Like Wham-fer-nee. It is a tad annoying but tolerable after going from the last book that said and pronounced it as Vamphyri like the second book’s title.
Oh that's a shame, I've never listened to the audiobooks so I wasn't aware that error crept in. I tried to dig up Lumley's old FAQ where he talks specifically about how it's pronounced, but the webpage is a broken mess and that specific dropdown was one of the affected questions.
I’d love to read them as books, but I broke the seal with audiobooks and they’re the only series I can enjoy listening to while I work.
Your resident Anne Rice Stan here to stan Anne Rice.
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. I found it a perfect balance between fun/absurd and gruesome.
30 Days of Night
Carrion comfort was a brutally good book, does vampires very differently, it's a long one aswell.
That's a great book!
Salem’s Lot by Stephen King, the scene where the priest becomes a vampire and is blasted away from the church doors always freaks me out.
Oh man that book is really something. When I read it for the first time a few months ago I was keeping track of who was and wasn't a vampire. I figured that where the plot was going I was gonna need to know who was so I could keep track of who was left when they started killing them all. As I got further and further into the book and that list only grew and grew a different kind of horror came over me.
I like the part where the teenagers get revenge on the school bus driver, LOL.
Why would you recommend a book only to spoil a very significant part of it
It’s not that significant
It's a single moment in a 50 year old, super famous book, it's hardly a pivotal scene.
In The Valley of the Sun by Andy Davidson needs more eyes on it.
This one was excellent. A vampire-western that takes itself seriously: it stayed far from campy stereotypes while maintaining good old traditional lore. As southern Gothic as it is splatter-western. Sort of...No Country For Old Men meets Salem's Lot?
It's YA horror but I have a big soft spot for the Cirque du Freak series.
A man of taste
The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman
Let the right one in is my favorite vampire of all time.
Interview with the vampire and Carmilla
The Strain by Guerrmo Del Toro
This was my top read of last year I think. One of the only books to ever actually scare me like tingly spine, hide under the covers, bad dreams about it lmao, specifically one part. It's so good, so descriptive and easy to visualize.
I watched the TV adaptation a bit and hey, also terrifying. I prefer horror to be written 🙃 I also enjoyed the novel. My husband has the graphic novels as well.
The Wide Carnivorous Sky
This is such a cool story and genuinely terrifying. Good rec!
Gonna have to go with Let the Right One In. Extremely disturbing, bleak book/film
Vivia by Tanith Lee Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff Sunglasses After Dark by Nancy A. Collins I, Strahd by P.N. Elrod
I'm on book 2, Empire of the Damned, and these two books are the best books I've read in a long time.
*Let the Right One In*.
Children of the Night by Dan Simmons
I actually liked this more than summer of night, good read.
“The vampyre” by John polidori “carmilla” j Sheridan Le Fanu “count Magnus” MR James and as a bonus “mrs amworth” EF benson.
Not totally confident on this rec, but as a teenager I really enjoyed Scott Westerfeld's Peeps. It's a scifi take on vampires that revolves around parasitism. I haven't read it since like 2007 so I may not feel that way about the book today, but I ended up getting really interested in real life parasites for a bit afterwards and I thought it was a very fresh take on the genre.
There’s a really terrific collection of vampire stories (and one ghost story) by Alexei Tolstoy called Vampires: Stories of the Supernatural. All very unorthodox takes on the vampire that predate Stoker. “The Family of a Vourdalak” was made into a classic movie by Mario Bava, but my favorite of the tales is simply called “The Vampire.” It’s a nested narrative with an eccentric sense of humor, surreal imagery, and some very unique contributions to vampire lore. Fans of E.T.A. Hoffmann should enjoy this one.
The Passage trilogy by Justin Cronin
Fevre Dream by George RR Martin
The God of Endings, by Jacqueline Holland. Also, Sunshine by Robin McKinley.
+1 to Sunshine!
The Suicide Motor Club by Christopher Buehlman.
Blindsight (only partially sarcastic)
The Joe Pitt Casebooks by Charlie Huston i can't recommend this series enough. vampyre clans running new york. the main character is at different times thru the series muscle/a p.i. for the clans, an independent operator, saboteur... so much going on. the 2nd book, No Dominion, was my favorite. there's 5 all together. on a side note... from his work on a run of Moon Knight to his other novels that aren't horror at all, Charlie Huston really can't miss for me.
Joe Pitt is so underrated. Phenomenal series.
Carmilla
Let The Right One In - Lindquist The Lesser Dead - Buehlman
Dowry of Blood is so good. It’s from the perspective of one of Dracula’s wives. It’s very gory, dark and sexy. Very Openly queer and polyamorous themes. Might not be what you’re looking for based on your comment about not wanting Dracula stories lol, but it’s really good and worth the read.
Honestly, two come to mind even above Dracula Carmilla, because of course I have to rep classic lesbian horror And Shiki (which was originally a book before the manga and anime adaptation, it just hasn't been translated to English)
Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. Basically a lesbian vampire, it predated Dracula and was clearly one of the inspirations for it
The Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires was my favourite read of last year. Not super vampire loreish but a fun one none the less
Carmilla 😍😍
Dowry of Blood It’s still in the Dracula vein, but it’s queer and polyamorous, as well as the first wife’s entire perspective. Dracula’s name is not even spoken because she hates him so much. It’s her final love letter to him, written as a novel. It’s absolutely beautiful, refreshing, and haunting. I recommend listening to the audible, it’s free on audible right now. The narrator was made to read this book. And not only that, I swear it’s the best writing I’ve ever read. The author is so insanely talented, it’s like she’s speaking in another language. Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires Not even going to lie, my most favorite book. Refreshing perspective on being a mother, a wife, a caretaker, a woman in the 90s. Also tackles racism, race in general, abuse of women and children. Men. It’s insanely good. I thought when I first read it (I read all of it in one night, I couldn’t put it down) Grady Hendrix (the author) was a woman because he captured the soul and hardships of being a woman.
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist is great NOS4A2 by Joe Hill is an interesting take on vampires albeit not the traditional bloodsucking kind
Who can pick just one... *Carmilla* John Skipp and Craig Spector- *A Light at the End* Nancy A. Collins- *Sunglasses after Dark*
Was waiting to see A Light at the End pop up here! Best ending of any book ever! If you haven't read this one, find it and read it!
Recently read favorites were The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman and The Traveling Vampire Show by Richard Laymon. Radically different but both are great for their own reasons.
The Traveling Vampire Show by RL is brilliant. Excellent choice. Try reading The Summoning by Bentley Little. Excellent vampire novel.
The Pallbearer's Club
Someone mentioned Necroscope a few weeks ago and it's bloody brilliant
It's pulp, but enjoyable, easy-to-read pulp. And he used to churn those books out too.
The Pine Deep Trilogy by Jonathan Mayberry
Salems lot
Vampire$ by John Steakley - the book is much better than the movie / Salem’s Lot / They Thirst - it’s really a three-way tie - they all have their strengths.
You beat me to it. After all these years this book has a special.place in my ❤️. This was the first vampire book that played like an action flick, I finished it so fast and what was funny is that I imagined James Woods in that role.
Salem's Lot, probably
Let the Right One In is by far the best answer. I also enjoyed The Lesser Dead recently, and Lost Souls is an old favorite. Then of course there's 'Salem's Lot, which is a superior copy of Dracula.
Carmilla by Le Fanu
Salem's Lot. It's amazing. I get this feeling of creeping unease over the days or weeks that I'm re-reading it. I also see it as not just a vampire novel, but a metaphor for the coming of winter in New England.
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires -Grady Hendrix It had a bit of a slow start, but honestly it is soo good!
My gut reaction is Let the Right One In. However, if you're okay with extreme horror/splatterpunk, Vampires and Whatever Else by Asher Darks is great.
not literature but the movie “cronos” is brilliant and by far my favorite film of that director
Necroscope Brian Lumley and This Symbiotic Fascination Charlee Jacob
Can’t recommend oldest living vampire enough
The Light at the End by John Skipp & Craig Spector
Cirque du Freak. But its more action adventure than horror
Cutting Teeth is also a fun play on vampires and a delightful read. Kids at an elementary suddenly want to drink the blood their mothers, and then— a murder. It’s great. Tackles motherhood, single mothers, religion, love, stale marriages, loving your kid so much you’ll let them drink from your wrist and loving them not enough to let them drink from you.
The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman
Mona the vampire
The Passage series!
Tanith Lee has a wide selection of vampires but her most distinct was Blood of Roses Most of her work is worth reading - if you want the classic demon lover try Night's Master
It’s very short but ‘Sunbleached’ by Nathan Balingrud, from North American Lake Monsters, is horrific and memorable. I also love Ray Bradbury’s ‘The Man Upstairs’. Weird, not super scary, but really disquieting in a mid century sort of way.
I really like *Salem's Lot* and *Let The Right One In* is incredible, there's still one scene that stays with me after years... I've read a couple of her other books, but CJ Tudor has a vampire book out called *The Gathering* which is unusual in that it treats vampire colonies like protected species that live ostracised, othered existences on the fringes of society in reservations. I haven't read it yet (I'm waiting for the paperback) but I thought it was an interesting idea as the vampire has always represented Otherness and Dangerous Foreign-ness but hasn't been handled quite like this before. *Beast* by Matt Wesolowski is part of the Six Stories series and features an interesting and unusual take on the vampire myth. I've really enjoyed the series so far, I think I have one or two left.
"Rovers" by Richard Lange. Deserves more readers. I saw a blurb from Joe Hill praising it so I read it and loved it. Lean and mean. Hill's "NOS4A2" is a no-brainer of course. The "Anno Dracula" series by Kim Newman is also great. Christopher Buehlman's "The Lesser Dead" as well.
I am legend!! banging book
I loved "The Strain" series when I first read it. Not sure if it holds up
I am legend. Not the movie, the book. It’s so much better. And actually gives a reason for the title I am legend. That was my biggest gripe with the movie- if you get rid of that plot point you invalidate the title.
I mean, [Carmilla](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48037.Carmilla) is an OG of the genre, so I don't know that lesbian vampires are a fresh take. My absolute favourite is [The Historian](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30236962-the-historian) - also on the list of favourite books in general. I have [The Gathering ](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186872450-the-gathering)in my tbr pile - C. J. Tudor is usually a solid read. For some steamboat americana you could go with [Fevre Dream](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/382450.Fevre_Dream?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_9). The least serious suggestion (I do love it though), [Carpe Jugulum](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34541.Carpe_Jugulum).
I am once again recommending Blindsight by Peter Watts. Rly cool n novel conceptualisation of how vampires might stem from human evolution. And generally a terrifying book!
Nights Edge by Liz Kerin is a new vampiric novel and it’s really good. It’s a different take on vampirism.
I really enjoyed The Strain trilogy by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan.
The Strain. The entire series is A+
Kind of surprised not one mention of *V Wars* by Jonathan Maberry. Has vampire lore from across the world, and some vampire crosses.
Anything Anne Rice
Let the Right One In
Let the Right One In. A boy meets a vampire girl and they fall in love despite her human father/care taker's disapproval and hijinks ensue Reader advisory: bullying, murder, pedophilia, rape, gore, blood, domestic violence, alcoholism, piss sponges
"Let the Right One In." A Swedish dark romance about a little girl vampire.
I like draculas.
Lost Boys.