The Complete Vampire Companion: Legend and Lore of the Living Dead

A chronicle of the origins, legends, and habits of the world's vampires, including Southeast Asia's viscera suckers and Eastern Europe's walking dead, explores the evolution of the vampire of folklore into the compelling anti-hero of literture and film. Original.

The word complete in the title of this book should not be taken lightly. Guiley (Macabre's role was primarily that of researcher, it seems) runs down the history of vampires from their mythological roots to their modern-day film characterizations. Citing various sources both ancient and recent, she demonstrates the universality of belief in vampires and similar beings, and proceeding from the premise that true vampires exist but are unlike those in movies and novels, she examines the roots of the fascination with vampires, the various popular manifestations of vampires, and what exactly vampires are in the context of contemporary society. Sections on vampires in myth and folklore, entertainment, and real life as well as an exhaustive bibliography, a filmography, a glossary, and other resource lists make this an authoritative source on all aspects of the vampire. Interesting and valuable to movie fans, horror freaks, and even semiotics enthusiasts, this is definitely one vampire book to have in your collection, perhaps especially when the 75 illustrations, not available for review, are in place. Mike Tribby