The Best of Dreams of Decadence

Rating:
Summary: The Magnificent Pinnacle of Vampire Anthologies!
Review: Delicate and intricate as hand woven lace, or a black widow's web, Dreams of Decadence is a work of art. 21 stories and 19 poems expose us to the eternal night of the vampire, but these are not typical Anne Rice vampires or cookie cutter Count Draculas. Every single story gives us some variation on the undead mythos. This anthology contains vampires that are very ancient and some newly born; vampires made by birth, virus, and even bites; vampires that can walk during the day and some that can only come out at night.

If you wish only to read about the vampires featured in popular role playing games and television series, or the vampire of the Anne Rice mythos, then look elsewhere. However, if you want a wide variety of thrilling, beautiful, and interesting tales than know that the cost of this book is a small price to pay for this gossamer glimpse into the midnight realm.

Rating:
Summary: Give it a Chance
Review: I give this book a tentative 3 stars, but only because it's vampire fiction/poetry that I'm not used to. When I think of vampire novels/poetry and the like, I see L.K. Hamilton, Rice, Buffy, Yarboro, and even a Poe here and there, etc. For those of you who are not used this genre, it's a nice ease into this sort of subject matter. But also, for those of you, like myself, who read vampire novels, keep an open opinion about the material and attempt to not compare it with other novels you've read. It's a difficult, but when I was able to do just that, I found myself engrossed in some of the short stories and poetry.

These kinds of short stories are more than just lights, camera, action. They delve into the human consciouness and the conception of what real people would do in real time life. Sometimes it's beautiful, at time sad and wistful. Some stories like 'Presumed Icarus,' and 'Drink the Darkness' are seductively sad and wonderfully written.

I definitely appreciated the stories and the poetry and I found a few genuinely interesting. I plan on reading it over again, with a new mind clear of bias and read it as it is.