The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories

This collection is a rarity in several sense, namely: -1) Unlike similar heavy-named anthologies, this collection actually concentrates on packing a large no. of very good stories (including classics as well as almost unknown stories), from different authors who are very-very famous in their own fields, and thus creates an intense competition among themselves in the mind of the reader by having their differently styled (& themed) works placed side-by-side.2) Most of the stories are very good, and collectively they cover nearly all kinds of 'vampirical' entities who can prey upon others (I would like to emphasise the 'prey' aspect, to differentiate them from the "Twilight"-sagan entities).The stories in this collection are:1. Fragment of a Novel by George Gordon, Lord Byron2. The Vampyre by John Polidori3. Varney the Vampyre, or, The Feast of Blood by James Malcolm Rymer4. The Mysterious Stranger by Anonymous5. Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu6. Good Lady Ducayne by Mary Elizabeth Braddon7. Dracula's Guest by Bram Stoker8. Luella Miller by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman9. For the Blood Is the Life by F. Marion Crawford10. The Transfer by Algernon Blackwood11. The Room in the Tower by E. F. Benson12. An Episode of Cathedral History by M. R. James13. A Rendezvous in Averoigne by Clark Ashton Smith14. Shambleau by C. L. Moore15. Revelations in Black by Carl Jacobi16. School for the Unspeakable by Manly Wade Wellman17. The Drifting Snow by August Derleth18. Over the River by P. Schuyler Miller19. The Girl with the Hungry Eyes by Fritz Leiber20. The Mindworm by C. M. Kornbluth21. Drink My Blood by Richard Matheson22. Place of Meeting by Charles Beaumont23. The Living Dead by Robert Bloch24. Pages from a Young Girl's Journal by Robert Aickman25. The Werewolf and the Vampire by R. Chetwynd-Hayes26. Love-Starved by Charles L. Grant27. Cabin 33 by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro28. Unicorn Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas29. Following the Way by Alan Ryan30. The Sunshine Club by Ramsey Campbell31. The Men and Women of Rivendale by Steve Rasnic Tem32. Bite-Me-Not or, Fleur de Feu by Tanith LeeThis list should enable you to appreciate the breadth as well as the depth of this collection, which comprehensively covers the entire gamut of "vampiric" fiction, and in the process brings together some of the most seminal works in the field of horror together in a very-very reasonably priced volume. Recommended.

This book is now old (first published in 1987), but is an excellent anthology of vampire stories from the early classics to the early 1980s. Included are seminal stories such as Polidori's "The Vampyre", and LeFanu's "Carmilla" as well as an excerpt from J.M. Rymer's massive serialized novel, "Varney the Vampyre". Some of the greatest vampire stories ever written are here, including Mary Elizabeth Braddon's "Good Lady Ducayne", E.F. Benson's "The Room In the Tower," M.R. James' "An Episode of Cathedral History," Fritz Leiber's "The Girl With the Hungry Eyes," August Derleth's "The Drifting Snow," and, most especially, F. Marion Crawford's "For the Blood is the Life". Famous mid-century writers like Richard Matheson, Charles Beaumont, and Robert Bloch are represented as are later authors like Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Suzee McKey Charnas. My favorite of the latter selections is Tanith Lee's unique, fairy-tale-like, "Bite Me Not, or Fleur de Feu." Each story includes a short, but informative prologue introducing the author. I have a slight preference for "In the Shadow of Dracula," a more recent anthology that only includes stories up to about 1920; it is annotated with better biographical information that fits the stories in their historical context. Still, if you are a fan of vampire short fiction, "The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories" is a must-have.

I'm not a fan of vampire stories, but I last-minute signed up for a vampire course at my university, thus leading to the purchase of this book. This book deals with the folk tales of vampires and literary vampires of similar types. It's totally different from the "Twilight" and "True Blood" kind of vampires, but I find it more likeable than those modern vampires. There are a number of stories inside this book and even if some are long, they are all easy reads. They are quite interesting and even provide author bios before each story. It's a pretty big book, but again, they are interesting and don't take long to read.

The book arrived in time and in great conditions super happy for this buy. Thank you!!

Not much to say here...bought this for required reading list, but is very within my desired genre anyway. If you like vampiric stories (twilight not being included ;), then you will like this book. Some darker than others, some simpler than others, all with mystery.

Buy it just for August Derleth's "The Drifting Snow." Scariest and most atmospheric vampire story I've ever read. And not set in England or Romania, but right here in the USA. In the Midwest, in fact. You'll learn why you should never open the blinds at night when it's snowing.

Starting with the The Vampyre (1819) by John Polidori, this examination of the development of the vampire figure and the vampire in scholarly literature continues up to Tanith Lee in 1984. When read in tandem with classics (like Dracula, and Christabel, for instance) this book creates a more complete understanding of the passage of the vampire through time. Real is a must-have!

Came in perfect condition!

After the first book arrived with a ripped front cover I ordered a replacement which I got. But this one still has marks and dents on it which doesn't look good. I know they are new but not handled very well

Bigger than i thought. Cant wait to read it.

A great collection of vampire stories, from the pre-Dracula times to the 80s. Many stories were pleasant surprises, I discovered a couple of authors for myself thanks to this book. "The Mysterious Stranger" was one of them - a pre-Dracula story written by an anonymous author. I'm surprised it's not better known! Some stories have an unusual take on the term "vampire", so expect psychic/emotional vampires and even non-human-looking entities here.The only drawback of this book is the quality of print - sometimes the text is blurry, which makes it difficult to read. Still, it deserves 5 stars, in my opinion.

Great collection, a combination of classic well-known stories, fundamental to how vampires are portrayed in literature and other media today, as well as a lot of newer and surprising stories. The perfect gift for a vampire loving friend! Sadly my copy arrived damaged. normally I wouldn't mind but I bought this as a gift.

Great stories which are recognised as classics today. A little difficult to read compared to some more modern literature but that is to be expected from the works of over one hundred years ago!