
- 336 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
John Polidori's novella The Vampyre (1819) is perhaps 'the most influential horror story of all time' (Frayling). Polidori's story transformed the shambling, mindless monster of folklore into a sophisticated, seductive aristocrat that stalked London society rather than being confined to the hinterlands of Eastern Europe. Polidori's Lord Ruthven was thus the ancestor of the vampire as we know it. This collection explores the genesis of Polidori's vampire. It then tracks his bloodsucking progeny across the centuries and maps his disquieting legacy. Texts discussed range from the Romantic period, including the fascinating and little-known The Black Vampyre (1819), through the melodramatic vampire theatricals in the 1820s, to contemporary vampire film, paranormal romance, and science fiction. The essays emphasise the background of colonial revolution and racial oppression in the early nineteenth century and the cultural shifts of postmodernity.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Frontispiece
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of figures
- Notes on contributors
- Foreword: Polidori revisited – Christopher Frayling
- Acknowledgements
- Chronology
- Part I: The birth of The Vampyre
- Part II: The legacy of The Vampyre
- Afterword: St Pancras Old Church and the mystery of Polidori’s grave – Sam George
- Appendix 1 John William Polidori, The Vampyre
- Appendix 2 George, Lord Byron, ‘A Fragment’
- References
- Index