An Old Friend of the Family

Rating:
Summary: Another of Saberhagen's Dracula series.
Review: An Old Friend of the Family was the first of Saberhagen's Dracula I read (many years ago) and it is still one of the best. While not as long or as meaty as some of his later books in the series, it is an excellent read with just the right combination of mystery and danger.

Rating:
Summary: The best of the series
Review: Dracula comes to modern-day Chicago to rescue the descendants of Mina Harker. The characters are three-dimensional and the story is gripping right up to the end. This is one of my all-time favorite books.

Rating:
Summary: The best of the series
Review: Dracula comes to modern-day Chicago to rescue the descendants of Mina Harker. The characters are three-dimensional and the story is gripping right up to the end. This is one of my all-time favorite books.

Rating:
Summary: A Fiend in the Family
Review: I didn't particularly like The Dracula Tapes, but I thought that might have been because it seemed forced; Saberhagen was obliged to stick with the "facts" as written by Bram Stoker, which produced some very silly and unintentionally comical results.

I was sufficiently entertained so as to be drawn to a second novel, hoping that the author might do better when not fettered by the chains of existing narrative. I selected "An Old Friend of the Family" because it is an early book and might still retain something fresh.

I was dead wrong. Writing in 81, Saberhagen makes attempts to modernize his tale of Dracula coming to rescue Mina Harker's descendants but those efforts now seem dated and comical. The entire setup, about Morgan Le Fay and her minions, seems forced. And kidnaping Dracula by whacking him on the head with a wooden stake just seems ridiculous.

This book is the one that pretty much convinced me not to bother with the rest of the series.

Rating:
Summary: A Fiend in the Family
Review: I didn't particularly like The Dracula Tapes, but I thought that might have been because it seemed forced; Saberhagen was obliged to stick with the "facts" as written by Bram Stoker, which produced some very silly and unintentionally comical results.

I was sufficiently entertained so as to be drawn to a second novel, hoping that the author might do better when not fettered by the chains of existing narrative. I selected "An Old Friend of the Family" because it is an early book and might still retain something fresh.

I was dead wrong. Writing in 81, Saberhagen makes attempts to modernize his tale of Dracula coming to rescue Mina Harker's descendants but those efforts now seem dated and comical. The entire setup, about Morgan Le Fay and her minions, seems forced. And kidnaping Dracula by whacking him on the head with a wooden stake just seems ridiculous.

This book is the one that pretty much convinced me not to bother with the rest of the series.

Rating:
Summary: Good Vampire story
Review: This was one of my favorite vampire stories that I've read!! Definately recommend to vampire readers.