Dr. Chris syllabus of vampire fiction (and some nonfiction)
Explore Dr. Chris's curated syllabus of vampire fiction and nonfiction—essential reads for vampire lore enthusiasts. Discover classic and modern books on vampire mythology, literature, and culture.
Book
Sisters of the Night:
by Chelsea Q. Yarbro
In Bram Stoker's dark classic Dracula, three "weird sisters," make a brief but unforgettable appearance. The beautiful, mad brides of the vampire lord, their untold histories are at last revealed to us in Sisters of the Night, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's brilliant reimagining of a timeless legend. In a distant age of brutal chaos, young Kelene is her family's salvation. An exquisite, golden-haired child just entering womanhood's embrace, she is blessed-and cursed-with a great gift. For most of her fourteen years, God's "Militant Angels" have guided her, shielding Kelene, her parents, her brothers and sisters from the horror and devastation visited upon their neighbors by the bloodthirsty Ottoman hordes. But suddenly another has invaded her dreams. This angel who speaks to Kelene in the night is far more elusive and demanding than any who came before-filling her with uncertainty and terrors while tempting her with impure thoughts and unholy desires. He will come to her, he vows, in Kelene's darkest hour. And then she will be his...for eternity. A monumental work of the imagination from an unparalleled storyteller, Sisters of the Night: The Angry Angel is a haunting, erotic, and endlessly enthralling tale of innocent death and corrupted love...and of one extraordinary young woman-the first of three-whom destiny has chosen to be Dracula's consort.
Book
In the Face of Death
by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
This erotic and historical vampire novel is set in America in the years before and during the Civil War and features Madelaine de Montalia, sometime lover of Count St. Germain; General William Tecumseh Sherman; and, in a supporting role, St. Germain himself. Madelaine lives with and studies the native tribes of America, trying to document their culture and knowledge before they are changed unalterably by contact with the settlers new to North America, only to find herself in the middle of some of the most horrifying events of the war. The stubborn and highly disciplined Tecumseh wrestles with his conscience as he falls in love with Madelaine, while the strong-willed Madelaine is torn between her love for Tecumseh and the demands of her nature.
Book
A Candle For D'Artagnan
by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
In the sequel to Crusader's Torch, Atta Olivia Clemens arrives in France to serve Cardinal Mazarin, meets D'Artagnan, and finds a way to end her vampire existence.
Book
Blood Price
by Tanya Huff
In the distant future, humans and several other races have been granted membership in the Confederation -- at a price. They must act as soldier/protectors of the far more civilized races who have long since turned away from war....
Book
Cold Streets
by Patricia Nead Elrod
Vampire detective Jack Fleming's Lady Crymsyn nightclub is the favorite haunt for Chicago's elite. But among his patrons lurks a smarmy blackmailer and a dangerous mobster from New York--both unaware how deadly Jack can be.
Book
Red Death
by P. N. Elrod
In this introduction to the series, young Jonathan Barrett arrives in London in 1773 to pursue his college education. His fate among the undead is sealed by the unnaturally beautiful Nora Jones, who seduces him and consumes his blood. Unbeknownst to Jonathan, he is no longer the same man, something he soon discovers upon his return to America to join the armed forces and defend his country. Rather than an appetite for traditional fare, he has developed a strange craving for human blood.
Book
Incubus Dreams
by Laurell K. Hamilton
In the latest novel in Hamilton's "New York Times" bestselling series, a vampire serial killer who preys on strippers is on the loose. Called in to consult on the case, Anita Blake fears her judgment may be clouded by a conflict of interest and does something unprecedented--she calls for help.
Book
The Vampire Lestat
by Anne Rice
#1 New York Times Bestselling author - Surrender to fiction's greatest creature of the night - Book II of the Vampire Chronicles The vampire hero of Anne Rice’s enthralling novel is a creature of the darkest and richest imagination. Once an aristocrat in the heady days of pre-revolutionary France, now a rock star in the demonic, shimmering 1980s, he rushes through the centuries in search of others like him, seeking answers to the mystery of his eternal, terrifying exsitence. His is a mesmerizing story—passionate, complex, and thrilling. Praise for The Vampire Lestat “Frightening, sensual . . . Anne Rice will live on through the ages of literature. . . . To read her is to become giddy as if spinning through the mind of time, to become lightheaded as if our blood is slowly being drained away.”—San Francisco Chronicle “Fiercely ambitious, nothing less than a complete unnatural history of vampires.”—The Village Voice “Brilliant . . . its undead characters are utterly alive.”—The New York Times Book Review “Luxuriantly created and richly told.”—The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Book
Fevre Dream
by George R. R. Martin
When struggling riverboat captain Abner Marsh receives an offer of partnership from a wealthy aristocrat, he suspects something’s amiss. But when he meets the hauntingly pale, steely-eyed Joshua York, he is certain. For York doesn’t care that the icy winter of 1857 has wiped out all but one of Marsh’s dilapidated fleet. Nor does he care that he won’t earn back his investment in a decade. York has his own reasons for wanting to traverse the powerful Mississippi. And they are to be none of Marsh’s concern—no matter how bizarre, arbitrary, or capricious his actions may prove. Marsh meant to turn down York’s offer. It was too full of secrets that spelled danger. But the promise of both gold and a grand new boat that could make history crushed his resolve—coupled with the terrible force of York’s mesmerizing gaze. Not until the maiden voyage of his new sidewheeler Fevre Dream would Marsh realize he had joined a mission both more sinister, and perhaps more noble, than his most fantastic nightmare...and mankind’s most impossible dream. Here is the spellbinding tale of a vampire’s quest to unite his race with humanity, of a garrulous riverman’s dream of immortality, and of the undying legends of the steamboat era and a majestic, ancient river.
Book
Possession
by Lori Herter
A lonely musician and maker of violins dreams of creating the perfect instrument and finds a way to realize her dream when she falls passionately in love with a vampire who promises to share with her the secret of eternity. Original.
Book
Search for a Soul
by Rosemarie Bishop
This story is about a vampire's struggle with the human condition coupled with his struggle to accept his vampirism as he attempts to make sense of his life, and discover his soul with the help of a mortal woman, and his best friend who is also an angel.
Book
The Dark Blood of Poppies
by Freda Warrington
The ballerina Violette Lenoir has fallen victim to the bite of the vampire Charlotte. Her fire and energy have fuelled a terrifying change and a dreadful realisation; that Violette has become Lilith, the demon mother of all vampires. Haunted by Violette's dark sensuality, Charlotte and her immortal lover Karl are drawn towards the dancer and the terrible destiny that has fallen on her shoulders. But other far more dangerous shadows are gathering around Violette. She poses a threat to the vampire Sebastian their plans to bring all of mankind under their dark wings...
Book
Forever and the Night
by Linda Lael Miller
An ordinary woman ignites passion in an extraordinary man--he's a vampire, a handsome, artistic young man turned into a night stalker against his will.
Book
Dracula
by Leonard Wolf
A celebration of the Dracula legend - it's origins, incarnations and impact on Western culture. Written by someone considered to be the World's premier Dracula scholar.
Book
The Essential Dracula
by Bram Stoker
An essay on the history of the vampire myth in literature accompanies an annotated version of the classic vampire tale.
Book
Dracula
by Elizabeth Miller
A cultural historian gives us an overview of the remarkable myth of Count Dracula, rediscovered by Bram Stoker for his early film, "Dracula," & later interpreted by such great filmmakers as Francis Ford Coppola, Christopher Lee, Murnau, & others. 206 pages/ 100 color illustrations & 70 B&W.
Book
Wings in the Night
by Maggie Shayne
A reissue of the first three books of the Wings in the night series: Twilight phantasies (1), Twilight memories (2) and Twilight illusions (3).
Book
Under the Fang
by Sally Peters
"The ultimate vampire anthology. Imagine a time when a new and terrible plague infects humankind a plague far more hideous, more terrifying than any virus or bacteria could ever be. Imagine a time when a plague of vampirism spreads geometrically across the world until the dominant human species is a race of the undead ... Under the auspices of the Horror Writers of America, Robert R. McCammon has assembled seventeen stories which share the vision of his terrible new world daring tales from both well-known and new writers of darkly imaginative fiction. This edition of Under the Fang is limited to 750 copies, slipcased, numbered, and signed by all contributors, and should be considered the authoritative text"--Jacket