My Summer of Vampires

This summer, I bit into a Vampire Lit Class! I assumed that I would be (re)reading Dracula, but I was thankfully wrong. My professor was determined to teach from works that existed years before 1897, the year Dracula by Bram Stoker was published. I found it fascinating to learn more about vampires as plot devices, how the creatures represented fears that were in society at the time the stories were written, and about what horror as a genre can reveal about humanity. Yes, I suppose you could say I was “sucked” into this course.

Anyways…

Here’s some pre-Dracula stories you can also sink your teeth into:

The Vampyre by John William Polidori, released in 1819

Credited as the first literary vampire story! This story started with a friendly writing contest featuring friends, including renowned author Mary Shelley. (In fact, this contest also helped bring Frankenstein to the world.) The story was first published in the New Monthly Magazine, a British magazine. Finally, it was published as a novel in London in 1819.

This story follows Aubrey, a man who is tormented by former mentor Lord Ruthven. The destruction basically happens because Aubrey calls out Lord Ruthven for being promiscuous when, in reality, Lord Ruthven much worse. Lord Ruthven is *drumroll please* a vampire!

Click here to place a request for a collection of horror stories that includes The Vampyre.

The Black Vampyre, a Legend of St. Domingo by Uriah Derick d’Arcy, released in 1819

This is an American short story that was written under a pen name. It’s been unofficially given a nice handful of credits, including: the first black vampire story, the first comedy vampire story, the first vampire story written by an American author, and even the first short story that spoke against slavery.

The short story centers on Euphemia, a woman who has had much tragedy around her. Her first husband did evil deeds, her only son died, and is now in mourning for her third dead husband. Then a prince shows up looking more than love…revenge!

Click here to read the story.

Varney, the Vampyre, or, the Feast of Blood by J.M. Rymer, released in 1845-1847

This story was released by chapter weekly as a penny dreadful. When finally put into book format in 1847, it was 232 chapters long! This is the story that is given credit for officially having the first vampire with fangs for chompers.

This is the arguably the closest to Dracula on this list. In this, a family tries to beat Sir Francis Varney, the story’s vampire, as he tries to steal the literal life from women.

Click here to place a request for a collection of vampire stories that includes Varney, the Vampyre, or, the Feast of Blood.

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, released in 1872

This was first published in pieces in a London literary magazine The Dark Blue over the years of 1871-1872. The cost per issue was one shilling. Finally, it was published it its entirety in the author’s short story collection, In a Glass Darkly. Uniquely, Carmilla is written as a medical case for a doctor.

The story centers on young and lonely Laura, as she befriends and loves a young guest, Carmilla. Slowly, Laura learns that Carmila is not what she seems. “Spoiler”: Carmilla is a vampire!