Rating: 
Summary: Drag 'em into the sunlight!
Review: I read Armor and Vampires and would read anything else that John Steakley cares to write. As a reader of several vampire books and viewer of almost all of the vampire movies ever made(including foreign films), I can say that this book was a real edge of your seat page turner. With fresh ideas and tight writing,I did not want to put this book down. I have seen all of John Carpenter's movies as well. His version of Vampires is pretty good, but does not compare with this book. I recommend both the book and the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Vampire$: An unusual and exceptional vampire novel
Review: John Steakley doesn't miss a beat in this bone-crushing novel of combat, friendships, and the miseries of living and dying that follow the professional vampire hunter. Most of the book is fast-paced and keeps you hooked, although there is a lull here and there. This isn't the type of vampire novel where vampires run around kissing people and singing "Kum-bi-yah" like Dracula did in the horrible movie remake of Bram Stoker's excellent book (Poor old Bram must've rolled over in his grave, especially since they called the movie "Bram Stoker's Dracula"). Unfortunately, Steakley's book, Vampire$, was similarly mutilated via a John Carpenter C-section when it was reborn on the big screen. Anyway, the point here is that John Steakley's vampires aren't poor, misunderstood, fuzzy creatures that just need love and kindness. They're completely evil, ruthless, and powerful, and thus require hard, dangerous men to hunt them down and kill them. That's what Team Crow (Based on the name of Jack Crow, the main character) does for a living. In a sense, Team Crow is like a special forces team, but trained to kill vampires instead of people (And don't try to tell me that "Vampires are people,too."). Anyway, it's a great read if you like some action and a lot of raw, intense combat. I also recommend ARMOR, also by John Steakley- totally different genre (ARMOR is sci-fi) but a great book.
See you all at the ANTWAR saloon.
Until then,
Rock and Roll.
Rating:
Summary: Vampires for non-vampire fans
Review: Excellent book, with a few hidden cross-overs to Steakley's previous book, "Armor" (anyone catch the "Antwar Saloon"?). I wouldn't waste time or money on the movie. I can't believe the producers even read the book on which it was loosely based. I've seen some online chat conversations with John Steakley and some of his fans, and look forward to anything he may write in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: Heinlein-flavored slayers prove a macho antidote to Ann Rice
Review: I picked this up because I hadn't been able to get to the John Carpenter movie version. About halfway through I noticed how much the writing and characterizations -- especially the wonderful, male adolescent view of women! -- reminded me of Heinlein's stuff from the late 40's through Glory Road. (There may even be an homage to the old man, although Steakley's Dr. Harshaw is no copy of Stranger in a Strange Land's). And this was before I saw the reviews of "Armor"! It's good, old Saturday Evening Post action writing, with an economy of words that makes the action even tighter and faster. Steakley's monsters are monsters, his heroes are heroes, the women are women, and his priests are noble enough to make boys all over the USA feel safe around clergy again. His vampires love opera and hate rock and roll, and in his universe, (like our own) rock and roll WILL set you free -- even from hateful vampires. This book predates the "Buffy" stories, but it shares with them the idea of vampire slayer as a chosen, doomed child. I think most "Buffy" watchers, even us girls, will enjoy Steakley. I would have liked a little more back story. I wonder if there's an "author's cut" of the manuscript that was sacrificed to the demands of the mass-market paperback marketplace? I'm looking forward to reading "Armor" even if it is a shameless Starship Troopers knockoff, and even more if it turns out not to be. And I'll be interested to see where and who Jack Crow and Felix turn out to be next time.
Rating:
Summary: Next to the original "Dracula", the best one I've ever read
Review: I read a lot of horror books, many of which deal with vampires. About one in ten is good (an unfortunate low number), and about one in a hundred is great. This one is. The other two (concerning vampires) that springs to mind are Carrion Comfort (a novel approach by Dan Simmons) and the original Dracula (and yes, Bram Stoker's film sucks). Anne Rice, well, that's for the kiddies and supermarket crowd.Steakley manages to make the vampire a completely believable "thing" without any mumbo-jumbo "flying around in the night" stuff. That makes it a scary book (which is why we read horrror in the first place, yes?). The pace is just right, the cast is great and the story's premise is stupendously brilliant. It is actually hard to pinpoint any specific reason, but this is a GREAT book. I've even reread it several times (I've had it for close to ten years, and NOW I am writing a review, that should say something), and it is a great read even the second (or third) time around. Steakley is one of the authors I run through Amazon's search engine every now and then, hope shining in my eyes. Sadly, only the two same hits ever come up (the other is "Armor", an awesome 5-star sci-fi story I also fully recommend).
Rating:
Summary: Vampire's beware........
Review: The idea of the Catholic Church sposered vampire hunter troupe is an itreaging one opening up a new line the fight against evil. Gone are the bookish Professor Van Helsing and the 'chosen' cheerleader Buffy Summers, replaced with a gang of hard fighting, hard drinking killers with pikes, crossbows and dinamite led by Jack Crow, a chain smoking corse giant of a man who effectivle runs the fighting side of the agency known as Vampie$ Inc. This all changes as the S*** hits the fan. the hunters become the hunted as an ancient vampire decides that Crow has gone far enough and must be elimenated or turned. The Book is almost in three parts, part one is the told primarily for Crow's perspective, the second is the history of Davette's relationship with a 'master' vampire and the third is from the persective of Felix, a gunslinger who becomes a reluctant member of Team Crow. All in all a wonderfull story with plenty of action and suspense. Well worth a read.
Rating:
Summary: Vampires for non-vampire fans
Review: Excellent book, with a few hidden cross-overs to Steakley's previous book, "Armor" (anyone catch the "Antwar Saloon"?). I wouldn't waste time or money on the movie. I can't believe the producers even read the book on which it was loosely based. I've seen some online chat conversations with John Steakley and some of his fans, and look forward to anything he may write in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad book. Better movie.
Review: I just finished reading the Vampire$. I felt terribly cheated that John Carpenter's movie out shines the novel on which it was based. The novel is overly 'campy'. The writing is fast and poor, and leaves you to wonder how some of the characters get from one end of a room to the other. It is as if John Steakly just sat down and wrote this book in a day. Read it if you must, there are plenty of better vampire books out there.
Rating:
Summary: Vampire Hunters as it would be...
Review: Jack Crow and his Team don't fool around. They go after the vampires with stakes, crossbows and dynamite while wearing chain-mail. And they go after the vampires during the DAY, because this professionals prefer to have the sun as backup.
They get paid LOTS of money, they play hard, they drink hard and they have the backing of the Church. How good can it get?
Team Crow are doing great till the vampires decide enough is enough. And the Masters, the powerful vampire elders, who are the ones coming after him also know his name. The book is ten times better than the movie that was based on it (not that the movie was bad - but you know movies and the books they're based on). John Steakley is a great author. I would also suggest his sci-fi book - 'ARMOR'
Rating:
Summary: This book is awesome!
Review: This is, by far, the best vampire novel I have ever read--and I've read a lot of vampire novels! I couldn't put this book down. I didn't read it, I inhaled it! If you've seen the John Carpenter film version of this book, and haven't read the book...READ THE BOOK!!! The movie doesn't even come close to the excellence of Vampire$. So, if you are in the mood for a gripping novel about vampires and those who hunt them, this is the book for you.
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