Teeth: Vampire Tales

The first bite is only the beginning.

Twenty of today's favorite writers explore the intersections between the living, dead, and undead. Their vampire tales range from romantic to chilling to gleeful—and touch on nearly every emotion in between.

Neil Gaiman's vampire-poet in "Bloody Sunrise" is brooding, remorseful, and lonely. Melissa Marr's vampires make a high-stakes game of possession and seduction in "Transition." And in "Why Light?" Tanith Lee's lovelorn vampires yearn most of all for the one thing they cannot have—daylight. Drawn from folk traditions around the world, popular culture, and original interpretations, the vampires in this collection are enticingly diverse.

But reader beware: The one thing they have in common is their desire for blood. . . .

Experts in the genres of mythic and speculative fiction, Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling have edited numerous anthologies for readers of all ages. Together and individually they have won abundant honors, including multiple World Fantasy, Hugo, and Bram Stoker Awards.

Ellen Datlow has also received the British Fantasy Society's Karl Edward Wagner Award for "outstanding contribution to the genre." She lives in New York City.

Terri Windling is the recipient of the Science Fiction Writers Association's Solstice Award for outstanding contributions to the speculative fiction field. She lives in Devon, England.