Rating: 
Summary: A good vampire anthology
Review: I had to get this for school and ended up keeping it for my personal collection. Some of the stories are a little poorly written, but most present a very entertaining cross-section of vampire stories from the eighteen-hundreds up through the end of the twentieth. As an intoduction to Western vampire myth, I found it very enlightening and entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: A good vampire anthology
Review: I had to get this for school and ended up keeping it for my personal collection. Some of the stories are a little poorly written, but most present a very entertaining cross-section of vampire stories from the eighteen-hundreds up through the end of the twentieth. As an intoduction to Western vampire myth, I found it very enlightening and entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Vampire Stories
Review: I have a little ritual I perform every year as the calendar slumps towards the solstice in December. I pull out the Magnus Magnusson translation of Njal's Saga, and this volume of short stories. They are my constant companions as the nights get longer and colder.Alan Ryan has assembled here both a history of vampire short fiction and a compelling collection of never-lose-their-edge stories. The volume contains the very first vampire story to appear in English, fragments of Byron's vampire stories, a chapter Stoker never included in Dracula, excerpts from the "penny-dreadfuls" popular at the turn of the century, and several of the most important works for the genre, including the full text of the story Carmilla. The last story in the collection, Bite-Me-Not, is perhaps among the 10 best short stories I have ever read in any genre, hands down. Ryan introduces each story with a bit of background information and the author's place in the pantheon. He includes one of his own stories as well, a tale about the vampire legend and its similarity with the eucharist (very tongue-in-cheek, but deadly serious at the same time), that is one of my favorites. I have read this book cover to cover, and one story at a time, over fifty times, and I never fail to find something new each time I read it. The quality of the literature transcends the "horror" genre. If every vampire story were as marvellous as these, interested in "saying something" beautiful, even if through the mouthpiece of a scary story, then this sort of writing would be seen as the art that it is. I love this book, and every story it contains.
Rating:
Summary: The best there is.
Review: I have a little ritual I perform every year as the calendar slumps towards the solstice in December. I pull out the Magnus Magnusson translation of Njal's Saga, and this volume of short stories. They are my constant companions as the nights get longer and colder. Alan Ryan has assembled here both a history of vampire short fiction and a compelling collection of never-lose-their-edge stories. The volume contains the very first vampire story to appear in English, fragments of Byron's vampire stories, a chapter Stoker never included in Dracula, excerpts from the "penny-dreadfuls" popular at the turn of the century, and several of the most important works for the genre, including the full text of the story Carmilla. The last story in the collection, Bite-Me-Not, is perhaps among the 10 best short stories I have ever read in any genre, hands down. Ryan introduces each story with a bit of background information and the author's place in the pantheon. He includes one of his own stories as well, a tale about the vampire legend and its similarity with the eucharist (very tongue-in-cheek, but deadly serious at the same time), that is one of my favorites. I have read this book cover to cover, and one story at a time, over fifty times, and I never fail to find something new each time I read it. The quality of the literature transcends the "horror" genre. If every vampire story were as marvellous as these, interested in "saying something" beautiful, even if through the mouthpiece of a scary story, then this sort of writing would be seen as the art that it is. I love this book, and every story it contains.
Rating:
Summary: A lovely, entertaining read
Review: I seem to go for gothic when I'm in need of a nice, therapeutic read (Edgar Allan Poe when under stress last summer, that sort of thing) and this does the trick beautifully. Whether you're just looking for a good story to make you shiver, or are interested in the historical progression of the vampire myth and the ways different writers have used it symbolically, it's great fun to read. The stories range from deeply chilling, traditional vampire tales to the ridiculously melodramatic penny-dreadfuls of the 1800s to thoughtful modern sci-fi variations, and don't miss the hilarious account of the new werewolf who meets a rather nice vampire and is taken home to meet her parents...
Rating:
Summary: Classic tales on creatures of the night.
Review: Rather than a collection of modern-day stories, this collection features tales through the ages that start from the 1816 and range until the publication of the book. Among the edition are several classics, such as George Gordon and Lord Byron's "Fragment of a Novel," an excerpt from "Varney the Vampire, or, The Feast of Blood" by James Malcom Rymer, Bram Stoker's "Dracula's Guest" and "Carmilla." Modern writers include Robert Bloch's "The Living Dead" and Tanitha Lee's "Bite-Me-Not or, Fleur de Feu."
Rating:
Summary: Good, scary stuff
Review: This book is especially good reading during those late fall and winter evenings when dark comes early and the nights grow long. Even before Bram Stoker penned his classic horror novel, vampires were the stuff of lore and legend, guaranteed to scare the pants off people: evil bloodsucking monsters without souls or morals, looking to recruit innocent victims into their unholy ranks. Almost every country in Europe had its own vampire stories. But it was Stoker's "Dracula" that unleashed the widespread popularity of vampire tales and novels that has continued unabated. This anthology includes vampire stories from 1816 (a fragment of a novel by Lord Byron) to 1984. Even Ole Drac himself makes a reappearance in Bram Stoker's "Dracula's Guest", a self-contained chapter initially written as part of "Dracula" but omitted to shorten the novel to its current length. Some modern-day gems include "Pages From a Young Girl's Journal" by Robert Aickman, in which a bored and lonely teenage girl meets her demon lover and eagerly awaits her passage into the ranks of the Undead, and "Bite-Me-Not" by Tanith Lee, a beguiling combination of love story and horror tale. The one glaring omission in this otherwise fine compendium is Stephen King's short story "One For the Road", in which Salem's Lot is revisited with calamitous results. I would have given this book five stars if it had been included here. There is also an appendix of selected vampire novels and vampire films. There are enough good, shivery reads in here to satisfy the most insatiable fan of vampire literature. Lock the doors, turn up the lights, and enjoy the fun.
Rating:
Summary: Good, scary stuff
Review: This book is especially good reading during those late fall and winter evenings when dark comes early and the nights grow long. Even before Bram Stoker penned his classic horror novel, vampires were the stuff of lore and legend, guaranteed to scare the pants off people: evil bloodsucking monsters without souls or morals, looking to recruit innocent victims into their unholy ranks. Almost every country in Europe had its own vampire stories. But it was Stoker's "Dracula" that unleashed the widespread popularity of vampire tales and novels that has continued unabated. This anthology includes vampire stories from 1816 (a fragment of a novel by Lord Byron) to 1984. Even Ole Drac himself makes a reappearance in Bram Stoker's "Dracula's Guest", a self-contained chapter initially written as part of "Dracula" but omitted to shorten the novel to its current length. Some modern-day gems include "Pages From a Young Girl's Journal" by Robert Aickman, in which a bored and lonely teenage girl meets her demon lover and eagerly awaits her passage into the ranks of the Undead, and "Bite-Me-Not" by Tanith Lee, a beguiling combination of love story and horror tale. The one glaring omission in this otherwise fine compendium is Stephen King's short story "One For the Road", in which Salem's Lot is revisited with calamitous results. I would have given this book five stars if it had been included here. There is also an appendix of selected vampire novels and vampire films. There are enough good, shivery reads in here to satisfy the most insatiable fan of vampire literature. Lock the doors, turn up the lights, and enjoy the fun.
Rating:
Summary: For Vampire-Lovers Everywhere!
Review: This is a great book! You would have to look everywhere to find each of these stories, yet this book brings you several high-quality vampire stories! Bravo Penguin books!
Rating:
Summary: Great Vampire Stories
Review: This is one of the best collection of vampire stories i've ever read. This book combines traditional vampire tales with those having more psychological or sci-fi elements. I especially recommand reading Shambleau by C.L.Moore, The Girl w/ the Hungry Eyes - F. Leiber, Bite-Me-Not - T. Lee and Unicorn Tapestry -S. M. Charnes. However, all the stories defenetly deserve to be read.
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