No. 1 (Summer 1989)

Brian Lumley. VAMPHYRI! (Tor, 1988). Sequel to NECROSCOPE. More history of the Wamphyri, particularly old Thibor.

Timothy Moriarty. VAMPIRE NIGHTS (Pinnacle, 1989). A close look at professional vampire hunters vs. an equally professional vampire enclave.

Florence Stevenson. HOUSEHOLD (Leisure, 1989). Follows "the household" of humans, vampires, and more with good-natured iconoclasm.

No. 2 (Summer 1990)

Elaine Bergstrom. SHATTERED GLASS (Jove, 1989). First novel of Bergstrom's biological vampires, the Austra clan, in which artist Stephen Austra unexpectedly discovers another of his kind. However, Stephen's brilliant, twisted brother Charles stands in the way of his life with Helen.

Nancy A. Collins. SUNGLASSES AFTER DARK (New American Library, 1989). One of the more sophisticated and ambitious vampire novels published in recent years. Sonja Blue's odyssey of self-discovery introduces this vampire-hunting vampire in a universe of punk violence and poetic justice.

P. N. Elrod. BLOODLIST (The Vampire Files 1; Ace, 1990). Jack Fleming, fledgling vampire and ex-journalist, teams up with Harry Escott in gangland-era Chicago to solve his own murder. Grittily humorous and hard-boiled without being hard-nosed.

Brian Lumley. NECROSCOPE III: THE SOURCE (Tor, 1989). A gigantic Wamphyri "warrior" emerges from an alternate universe -- that harbors Necroscope Harry Keogh's missing son.

Brian Lumley. NECROSCOPE IV: DEADSPEAK (Tor, 1990). To fight a dangerous new Wamphyri, Harry Keogh must seek the aid of an unscrupulous old Wamphyri -- the shade of Faethor Ferenczy. With characteristic malice, Faethor does more than just restore the Necroscope's powers.

T. Chris Martindale. NIGHTBLOOD (Warner, 1990). Vampires vs. rural America told with wit and style. "I don't drink . . . beer."

Paul F. Olsen. NIGHT PROPHETS (New American Library, 1989). Vampires operate a thriving Christian ministry -- until a son from "The Master's" past comes back to haunt him.

No. 3 (Spring 1991)

Elaine Bergstrom. BLOOD ALONE (Jove, 1990). Multifacted prequel to SHATTERED GLASS.

P. N. Elrod. LIFEBLOOD (The Vampire Files 2; Ace, 1990). When Jack Fleming meets his old flame's sister, Gaylen Dumont, he learns that vampire-hunters who like vampires can be as dangerous as vampire hunters who don't.

P. N. Elrod. BLOODCIRCLE (The Vampire Files 3; Ace, 1990). Still pursuing Maureen, Jack Fleming encounters vampire Jonathan Barrett (who later got his own series of books).

C. S. Friedman. THE MADNESS SEASON (DAW, 1990). Thick but fast-paced SF novel of a future Earth dominated by the reptilian Tyr. Vampire Daetrin's abilities and the curiosity of an aberrant Tyr are the making of the Tyr's downfall.

Mercedes Lackey. CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT (Tom Doherty Associates, 1990). Diana Tregarde, fighter of psychic evils, and sexy good guy vampire Andre LeBrel face psychic vampires and a soul-devouring gaki.

Jeffrey N. McMahan. SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT (Boston: Alyson Publications, 1989). Gay horror anthology includes two vampire stories, "Somewhere in the Night" and "Hell Is for Children," introducing protagonist Andrew. Charmingly humorous but with a serious slant.

Joan Perucho. NATURAL HISTORY (Knopf, 1988; Ballantine, 1990). Originally published in 1960 in Catalan. Scientist Antoni de Montpalau pursues vampire Onofre de Dip in a DRACULA-style search-and-destroy plot replete with political intrigues, personal relationships, and even some natural history.

John Steakley. VAMPIRE$ (Roc/Penguin, 1990). Professional vampire- killers do their thing for big bucks.

No. 4 (Fall 1991)

Caroline B. Cooney. THE CHEERLEADER (Point/Scholastic, 1991; YA). First in an innovative trilogy in which high schoolers confront vampires who take advantage of their fears and desires.

P. N. Elrod. ART IN THE BLOOD (The Vampire Files 4; Ace, 1991). When Alex Adrian disappears after Sandra Robley's murder, he becomes a suspect -- but Jack discovers Adrian is in fact a victim, and must use his powers to rescue him.

P. N. Elrod. FIRE IN THE BLOOD (The Vampire Files 5; Ace, 1991). Sebastian Pierce wants a stolen bracelet recovered quietly. Pursuing it, Jack makes some disturbing discoveries about himself.

Lori Herter. OBSESSION (Berkley, 1991). Veronica Ames meets centuries- old vampire David de Morissey in a sometimes sappy romance.

Tanya Huff. BLOOD PRICE (DAW, 1991). The first in a series of novels about private investigator Vicki Nelson and vampire and romance writer Henry Fitzroy. Vicki and Henry pool their resources to track the vampire-like killer stalking Toronto.

Annette Curtis Klause. THE SILVER KISS (Delacorte, 1990; YA). A teenage girl joins a centuries-old boy against an evil with a child's face and cunning gathered through uncounted human deaths. Recommended.

Jeffrey McMahan. VAMPIRES ANONYMOUS (Boston: Alyson, 1991). Gay vampire Andrew Lyall runs afoul of Vampires Anonymous, an organization ostensibly devoted to helping vampires learn to abstain from blood, but in fact associated with a rash of destructions and disappearances. Will Andrew be next?

Lois Tilton. VAMPIRE WINTER (Pinnacle, 1990). Vampire Blaine Kittredge experiences the effects of nuclear winter and forms a strange alliance with stranded humans. Recommended.

UNDER THE FANG, ed. Robert McCammon (Pocket, 1991). Short stories set in "a nightmare realm where vampires rule." Includes "Advocates" by Suzy McKee Charnas and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, featuring Edward Weyland and Saint-Germain.

No. 5 (Spring 1992)

Elaine Bergstrom. BLOOD RITES (Jove, 1991). Sequel to SHATTERED GLASS. Stephen Austra's bride Helen bears his children, Patrick and Dickie. Helen's Austra blood shows itself when her father's enemy kidnaps her and Patrick.

Nancy Collins. IN THE BLOOD (Roc, 1992). Sequel to SUNGLASSES AFTER DARK. Only Sonja Blue can foil Lord Morgan's plan for a super-vampire race that would endanger the Real World as well the reality that humans recognize. Very readable despite its lack of balance among violence, over-the-top action, and character development.

Caroline Cooney. THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE (Scholastic, 1991; YA). Sequel to THE CHEERLEADER. After the vampire in the tower helps Devnee achieve beauty and brains, Devnee learns the cost of dealing with vampires. Recommended.

Christie Golden. VAMPIRE OF THE MISTS (TSR, 1991). Vampire elf Jander Sunstar slowly unearths the truth about the woman Strahd loved and forms an unlikely alliance with Brother Sasha, priest of Lathander Morninglord, against Strahd himself. Recommended.

Jewelle Gomez. THE GILDA STORIES (Ithaca, N.Y.: Firebrand Books, 1991). From the Antebellum South to a dystopic future, Gilda strives to leave energy, dreams, and hope in exchange for blood. This novel about a lesbian African-American vampire focuses on humanity, not race or sexual orientation.

Brian Lumley. NECROSCOPE V: DEADSPAWN (Tor, 1991). Now shunned by the dead because of his wamphyri blood, Necroscope Harry Keogh nonetheless helps track a vicious killer.

Tim Powers. THE STRESS OF HER REGARD (Ace, 1989). A different sort of vampire and the Late Romantics -- Byron, Shelley, and Keats -- in a story so well written and researched that its execution seems effortless.

L. J. Smith. THE AWAKENING; THE STRUGGLE; THE FURY (The Vampire Diaries vols. 1-3 of 4; HarperPaperbacks, 1991; YA). Elena Gilbert makes love real again for vampire Stefan Salvatore, who came to Fell's Church, Virginia, to escape the shadows of his life. Strange events in Fell's Church point to Stefan's brother Damon, a vampire who revels in his powers. Recommended.

Patrick Whalen. NIGHT THIRST (Pocket, 1991). Sequel to MONASTERY. Braille, now a vampire, must escape the clutches of a mad scientist and prevent Washington state from being taken over by vampires. Told with zest and humor. Recommended.

No. 6 (Fall 1992)

Poppy Z. Brite. LOST SOULS (Delacorte, 1992). A young vampire discovers his roots and comes of age in an alternative subculture. Recommended.

P. N. Elrod. BLOOD ON THE WATER (The Vampire Files 6; Ace, 1992). Gangland boss Vaughn Kyler wants Jack Fleming dead. Really dead.

Lori Herter. POSSESSION (Berkley, 1992). Sequel to OBSESSION. Vampire playwright David de Morissey becomes romantically entangled with a mortal, while his sexually aggressive friend Darienne pursues Matthew McDowall, a human strangely resistant to her advances.

Lori Herter. CONFESSION (Berkley, 1992). Sequel to POSSESSION. Veronica seeks a cure for David's vampirism.

Tanya Huff. BLOOD TRAIL (DAW, 1992). Sequel to BLOOD PRICE. A werewolf family seeks Henry and Vicki's help.

Susan Petrey. GIFTS OF BLOOD (Baen, 1992). Collects short stories of the Varkela, blood-drinking healers of the Russian steppes. Includes a few non-vampire stories also. Recommended.

L. J. Smith. DARK REUNION (The Vampire Diaries, vol. 4 of 4; HarperPaperbacks, 1992; YA). Vampire brothers Stefan and Damon unite with Elena's friends against the Power now in Fell's Church. Recommended.

Lee Weathersby. KISS OF THE VAMPIRE (Zebra, 1992). Variation on the good vampire-evil vampire theme, a great combination of romance and adventure story.

EMBRACING THE DARK, ed. Eric Garber (Boston: Alyson, 1991). Gay- oriented anthology includes five vampire stories. Particularly recommended for "Blood Relations" by Jeffrey N. McMahan, about Andrew Lyall, and "Sacrament" by Adrian Nikolas Phoenix.

No. 7 (Spring 1993)

Elaine Bergstrom. DAUGHTER OF THE NIGHT (Jove, 1992). Fourth book about the Austra family, this time combining them with the historical Elizabeth Bathory. Willful Catherine Austra plays Kisasszony -- the Fair Lady who carries off children.

Scott Ciencin. THE WILDLINGS (Zebra, 1992). Sequel to THE VAMPIRE ODYSSEY. Dani Walthers plans to use her vampire powers to become a doctor. But since she is a Wildling--a vampire who has killed one of her kind--her vampire heritage may catch up with her first.

Caroline B. Cooney. THE VAMPIRE'S PROMISE (Scholastic, 1993; YA). Sequel to THE CHEERLEADER and THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE. Imaginative, atmospheric story of teens who spend the night in a soon-to-be demolished house and the wonderfully fiendish vampires they encounter.

Dan Simmons. CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT (Putnam, 1992). An American doctor vies with the bloodthirsty strigoi to recover her son -- Dracula's descendant. Recommended.

William Tedford. LIQUID DIET (Diamond, 1992). Begins as a book of teenage angst but portrays vampires as a powerful separate species ultimately beneficial to the human race. Provides food for thought despite some cliched premises.

DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS, ed. Martin H. Greenberg (DAW, 1992). Excellent stories, most original to this anthology, including "The Wind Breathes Cold," P. N. Elrod's affectionate postscript to DRACULA, and Brian Hodge's "Like a Pilgrim to the Shrine."

GOOD GUYS WEAR FANGS #1, ed. Mary Ann B. McKinnon. Fanzine includes P. N. Elrod's Vampire Files-QUANTUM LEAP crossover.

No. 8 (Fall 1993)

Steven Brust. AGYAR (Tor, 1993). The word "vampire" never appears. Understated wit and subtle but pervasive suspense as Agyar waits to become an older vampire's cat's-paw.

Scott Ciencin. PARLIAMENT OF BLOOD (Zebra, 1992). Sequel to THE VAMPIRE ODYSSEY and THE WILDLINGS. Dani Walthers is once again embroiled in vampire politics.

Greg Cox. THE TRANSYLVANIAN LIBRARY: A CONSUMER'S GUIDE TO VAMPIRE FICTION (Borgo Literary Guides No. 8; San Bernardino, CA: Borgo Press, 1993). Excellent annotated bibliography covering works published through 1989.

Jay Davis and Don Davis. BRING ON THE NIGHT (Tor, 1993). Featuring Nathan Kane, truly nasty vampire villain. 400 pages of unflagging action.

Eric Flanders. NIGHT BLOOD (Zebra, 1993). Follows the adventures of Val Romero, oddly appealing vampire with a conscience.

Robert Frezza. MCLENDON'S SYNDROME (Ballantine, 1993). Light-hearted space opera.

Tanya Huff. BLOOD LINES (DAW, 1993). Vicki Nelson, Mike Celluci, and Henry Fitzroy encounter an animate Egyptian mummy.

Tanith Lee. DARK DANCE (Dell, 1992). First in Lee's haunting Personal Darkness series about a family of . . . vampires?

Bentley Little. THE SUMMONING (Zebra, 1993). An irredeemably evil creature -- in Cantonese, cup hu girngsi -- drains fluids from everything.

Roxanne Longstreet. THE UNDEAD (Zebra, 1993). Michael Bowman begins his existence as a vampire.

Scott MacMillan. KNIGHTS OF THE BLOOD: BOOK I, VAMPYR-SS (Roc, 1993). Pits vampire knights dating from the thirteenth century against vampire Nazis. Vivid descriptions of modern police procedure and medieval military life.

Brent Monahan. THE BOOK OF COMMON DREAD (St. Martin's, 1993). Mystery, adventure, romance, introspection, and scholarship blend in a narrative of subtle relentlessness.

Lucius Shepard. THE GOLDEN (Mark V. Ziesing, 1993; Bantam, 1993). A mystery set in vampire society of the mid-nineteenth century.

Lois Tilton. DARKNESS ON THE ICE (Pinnacle/Windsor, 1993). Greenland, 1944: a vampire works for Germany. Wolff is portrayed with insight and sympathy.

No. 9 (Spring 1994)

Sharon Bainbridge. BLOOD AND ROSES (Diamond, 1994). Excellent and grossly underappreciated parody, part Gothic novel, part comedy of manners. Reminiscent of Jane Austen's NORTHANGER ABBEY and Florence Stevenson's CURSE OF THE CONCULLENS. Highly recommended.

P. N. Elrod. I, STRAHD (TSR, 1993). Biography in which Ravenloft's Lord Strahd von Zarovich is portrayed with wit and a touching humanness. Recommended.

P. N. Elrod. RED DEATH (Ace, 1993). The first Jonathan Barrett novel, in which Jonathan meets Nora Jones and derives unexpected benefits from drinking her blood. Never uses the word "vampire."

Laurell K. Hamilton. GUILTY PLEASURES (Ace, 1993). The first Anita Blake novel. Vampire executioner Anita Blake is hired to discover why powerful vampires are being murdered. Suspenseful, fast-moving narrative in tough-tender style.

Tanya Huff. BLOOD PACT (DAW, 1993). Mike and Henry must declare an uneasy truce when the body of Vicki's mother disappears. Intense.

Brian Lumley. BLOOD BROTHERS (TOR, 1992). Follows the adventures of twin sons that the Necroscope, Harry Keogh, fathered in the Sunside/Starside universe.

Brian Lumley. THE LAST AERIE (Tor, 1993). Sequel to BLOOD BROTHERS. Nestor has sent his brother into the hell-lands gate, but was exposed to leprosy in the process. His brother Nathan receives help from London's E-Branch but mostly wants to return to his own universe.

Yvonne Navarro. AFTERAGE (Bantam, 1993). In a dystopic future, vampires rule a depopulated world, and a few humans unite against them.

Kim Newman. ANNO-DRACULA (London: Simon & Schuster, 1992; New York: Carroll & Graf, 1993). What if Count Dracula had overcome his English enemies and become Queen Victoria's monstrous Prince Consort? Excellent historical detail, numerous literary allusions, plenty of action and suspense. Recommended.

Christopher Pike. THE SEASON OF PASSAGE (Tor, 1993). Americans find a bizarre survivor of a Russian mission to Mars. Why do Martian artifacts correspond to the narrative that teenage Jennifer Wagner is compelled to write? Creepy.

Edmund Plante. ALONE IN THE HOUSE (Avon, 1991; YA). After holding an illicit party while her parents are away, Joanne learns that there are scarier things than being alone in the house.

Maggie Shayne. TWILIGHT PHANTASIES (Wings in the Night; Silhouette Shadows #18; Silhouette, 1993). Romance. Tamara must lie to her vampire-hunting guardians when she and vampire Eric Marquand fall in love.

No. 10 (Fall 1994)

Carmen Adams. THE BAND (Avon Flare, 1994; YA). Really about the sentient walking dead, but precedes a vampire novel. A good read.

Nicholas Adams. VAMPIRE'S KISS (HarperPaperbacks, 1994; YA). Overcomes gimmicks like vampire rock musicians and faith-of-the-wielder to make an eerie, fast-paced story of creeping vampirism.

Nancy Baker. THE NIGHT INSIDE (Fawcett Columbine, 1993). Ardeth Alexander's historical research skills bring her into what looks like fatal company, until she befriends a fellow prisoner -- who happens to be a vampire. A vampire romance with an edge.

David Dvorkin. INSATIABLE (Pinnacle/Windsor, 1993). Richard Venneman, unhappy vampire, is transformed into a vampire's vampire and makes the best of it. Lots of innovative twists on the vampire concept.

Christopher Golden. OF SAINTS AND SHADOWS (Jove, 1994). Vampire Peter Octavian learns that vampires need not fear the sun or the cross. The mysterious GOSPEL OF SHADOWS, which reveals vampires' true powers and vulnerabilities, could be the key to winning an epic battle between the Church and the Defiant Ones.

Sherry Gottlieb. LOVE BITE (Warner, 1994). Rusty Cadigan, photographer, vampire, and serial killer, gets lonely and advertises for "mate who can believe." Interweaves police procedural and vampire Bildungsroman.

Lori Herter. ETERNITY (Berkley, 1993). Fourth in Herter's series of vampire romances. David fears his vampirism is returning, and Darienne is still trying to talk Matthew McDowell into becoming a vampire. A fitting end to a friendly series.

Sabine Kells. A DEEPER HUNGER (Leisure, 1994). A gentle romance with a quiet fierceness where the most important things happen: in the minds and hearts of the protagonists.

Nancy Kilpatrick. NEAR DEATH (Pocket, 1994). Romance and horror blend as vampire David Lyle Hardwick teams up with streetwise Kathleen "Zero" Stevens to learn who is trying to kill him.

Tanith Lee. PERSONAL DARKNESS (Dell, 1994). Sequel to DARK DANCE. When one of their own goes on a murder spree, the otherworldly Scarabae call on another branch of the family for help. Creepy and atmospheric.

Maggie Shayne. TWILIGHT MEMORIES (Wings in the Night; Silhouette Shadows #30; Silhouette, 1993). Roland de Courtemanche must protect his human ward Jamey from the Division of Paranormal Investigations; ancient vampire Rhiannon is determined to prove her courage and resourcefulness to Roland when he refuses her love.

No. 11 (Spring 1995)

P. N. Elrod. DEATH AND THE MAIDEN (Ace, 1994). Sequel to RED DEATH. Jonathan Barrett returns to 1776 Long Island. While his sister Elizabeth experiences the joys of being in love, Jonathan learns more and more about the price of his powers.

Laurell K. Hamilton. THE LAUGHING CORPSE (Ace, 1994). Sequel to GUILTY PLEASURES. Anita Blake crosses the most powerful voodoo priest in the United States. "What do you do with a master vampire that won't leave you alone?"

Jeanne Kalogridis. COVENANT WITH THE VAMPIRE (Diaries of the Family Dracul; Delacorte, 1994). First of a trilogy giving background to DRACULA. At his ancestral home in Transylvania, Arkady Tsepesh learns the truth about his reclusive Great-Uncle Vlad and comes into his unnatural inheritance.

Marie Kiraly (Elaine Bergstrom). MINA: THE DRACULA STORY CONTINUES (Berkley, 1994). A daring, well-researched DRACULA sequel, told from Mina Harker's perspective. Captures the constraints and cold proprieties of Victorian-era England and shows how a determined woman can work around them.

Roxanne Longstreet. COLD KISS (Zebra, 1994). Sequel to THE UNDEAD. Vampire protagonist Michael Bowman must rescue his mentor from a powerful, sadistic vampire and encounters another group of vampires: "The Society." How good ARE the good guys?

Brian Lumley. BLOODWARS (Tor, 1994). Nathan brings weapons from our world to fight the Wamphyri of Sunside/Starside. Fast-paced fighting and politicking.

Scott MacMillan. AT SWORD'S POINT (ROC, 1994). Sequel to KNIGHTS OF THE BLOOD: BOOK I: VAMPYR-SS. Vampire knights again oppose vampire Nazis. Not a police procedural, but very like the preceding book in tone and style.

Gary Morton. CHANNELLING THE VAMPIRE (Toronto: Grim Commander Press, 1994). Fake channeler becomes possessed by a true vampire spirit in this lively action horror novel.

Kristine Kathryn Rusch. SINS OF THE BLOOD (Dell, 1994). A scary, disconcerting book that interweaves child abuse, sexual and otherwise, with the mythos of vampires as powerful, vicious, unrelentingly sexual creatures.

Maggie Shayne. TWILIGHT ILLUSIONS (Wings in the Night; Silhouette Shadows No. 47; Silhouette, 1995). Ancient vampire Damien Namtar sought eternal life and found eternal undeath. After six thousand years, his bloodlust has grown so strong he wonders how long he can continue to control it.

Bram Stoker. DRACULA: THE RARE TEXT OF 1901 (White Rock, B.C.: Transylvania Press, 1994). Stoker himself abridged his magnum opus into this leaner, more readable work. Recommended.

No. 12 (Fall 1995)

Richard Lee Byers. NETHERWORLD (HarperPrism, 1995). Zane Tyler and 800-year-old vampire Sartak are caught in a megalomaniac's plan to take over Tampa, Florida, and then the world. Gripping and recommended.

A. A. Carr. EYE KILLERS (American Indian Literature and Critical Studies Series 13; University of Oklahoma Press, 1995). European vampire tale in a framework of Native American beliefs. Michael Roanhorse must rediscover traditional magic to rescue his granddaughter.

Nancy Collins. PAINT IT BLACK in MIDNIGHT BLUE: THE SONJA BLUE COLLECTION (White Wolf, 1995). Amid sex and splatterpunk, Sonja Blue sees the beginning of a new world.

Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonald. HUNTER'S MOON (Berkley, 1994; YA) Credibly indestructible vampires and great plot twists, told in witty style.

David Dvorkin. UNQUENCHABLE (Zebra, 1995). Sequel to INSATIABLE, told with a similarly breathless pace and unstinting irony.

C. G. Garth. BAD DOG (Bantam, 1995; YA). So bad it's good.

Christopher Golden. ANGEL SOULS AND DEVIL HEARTS (Berkley, 1995). Sequel to OF SAINTS AND SHADOWS. The Shadows are becoming integrated with human society -- until demonic beings and malicious Shadows begin a reign of terror. Recommended.

Laurell K. Hamilton. CIRCUS OF THE DAMNED (Ace, 1995). Two powerful vampires vie to make Anita Blake their human servant.

James Moore and Kevin Murphy. HOUSE OF SECRETS (White Wolf, 1995). Reality itself is threatened by a vampire mage's plan to become human again. At times grim, but told with humor and suspense.

Shawn Ryan. NOCTURNAS (Pocket, 1995). In the last days of Ceausescu's Romania, an American journalist and the leader of a Romanian resistance group escape the Securitate's special vampire corps, the Nocturnas -- only to face them again when they travel to America.

S. P. Somtow. VALENTINE (Tor, 1992). Sequel to VAMPIRE JUNCTION. Ten years after his mysterious disappearance, Timmy Valentine still has not found peace; a black magician has trapped him in an otherworld so she can draw on his power, and only his human lookalike, Angel Todd, can save him. Heavy on sex and violence.

S. P. Somtow. VANITAS: ESCAPE FROM VAMPIRE JUNCTION (White Rock, B.C., Canada: Transylvania Press, 1995). Sequel to VALENTINE. Timmy Valentine is human once again and not coping well; Angel Todd is trapped in a vampire-like alternate existence and can return only with Timmy's help. Horror and suspense with a literary twist.

Steven G. Spruill. RULERS OF DARKNESS (St. Martin's Press, 1995). Merrick Chapman pursues a killer whose blood could unveil a deadly secret about Merrick himself; he is a hemophage, a creature whose kind inspired the legends of vampires.

VAMPIRE DETECTIVES, ed. Martin H. Greenberg (DAW, 1995). Includes Tanya Huff's "This Town Ain't Big Enough" and P. N. Elrod's "You'll Catch Your Death." Mostly bad-guy vampires, however.

No. 13 (Spring 1996)

Amanda Ashley. EMBRACE THE NIGHT (Love Spell, 1995). A rich, continuous, touchy-feely hurt-comfort romantic fantasy.

Mary Downing Hahn. LOOK FOR ME BY MOONLIGHT (Clarion, 1995; YA). Vincent Morthanos seems to be the best friend lonely Cynda could ask for . . . until she learns what he really wants. Uses terror without violence to show that no one should be trusted only because he says what we want to hear.

Barbara Hambly. TRAVELING WITH THE DEAD (Del Rey, 1995). Sequel to THOSE WHO HUNT THE NIGHT. Cool-headed, ivory-skinned vampire Don Simon Ysidro insists on accompanying Lydia Asher when she travels across Europe to recover her husband, a Secret Service Agent trying to prevent foreign powers from hiring vampire spies.

Laurell K. Hamilton. THE LUNATIC CAFE (Ace, 1995). Anita Blake is the only one lycanthropes trust to help when some of their number go missing.

Jeanne Kalogridis. CHILDREN OF THE VAMPIRE (Diaries of the Family Dracul; Delacorte, 1995). Sequel to COVENANT WITH THE VAMPIRE. Told in epistolary style that often captures the flavor of Stoker's writing. An old vampire's evil reach can stretch across a continent and down a centuries-long line of descent.

Floyd Kemske. HUMAN RESOURCES (North Haven, CT: Catbird Press, 1995). Satire exploits the vampire's nature to take an uncharitable look at the world of corporate politics.

Brian Lumley. NECROSCOPE: THE LOST YEARS (Tor, 1995). After you've saved the universe, what can you do for a sequel? If you're Brian Lumley, you fill the gaps in your earlier narratives. A good introduction for readers unacquainted with earlier Wamphyri novels.

Kim Newman. THE BLOODY RED BARON (Carroll & Graf, 1995). Sequel to ANNO-DRACULA, set in 1918. Dracula directs Kaiser Wilhelm's efforts for Germany to turn vampire and find its place in the moonlight. Another rich, allusive, action-filled tale.

Maggie Shayne. BEYOND TWILIGHT in STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT (Wings in the Night; Silhouette, 1995). Pixie-faced vampire Cuyler Jade unwittingly helps carry out the DPI's plans for agent Stephen "Ramsey" Bachman.

Melanie Tem. DESMODUS (Dell, 1995). Vampires are portrayed as a separate species in this stylish book that gives new meaning to the phrase "dysfunctional family."

Vivian Vande Velde. COMPANIONS OF THE NIGHT (Harcourt Brace, 1995; YA). Balances portrayal of its vampire as vulnerable and sympathetic with his ultimate untouchableness and explores the painful, often puzzling, nature of choices. Recommended.

No. 14 (Fall 1996)

P. N. Elrod. DEATH MASQUE (Ace, 1995). Sequel to DEATH AND THE MAIDEN. Jonathan Barrett travels to England in search of Nora Jones and becomes the target of a vengeful duelist and a relative with an eye toward inheritance.

P. N. Elrod. DANCE OF DEATH (Ace, 1996). Sequel to DEATH MASQUE. Jonathan discovers his illegitimate son Richard, but foes still want him dead. The word "vampire" finally appears!

Jeff Guinn with Andy Grieser. SOMETHING IN THE BLOOD: THE UNDERGROUND WORLD OF TODAY'S VAMPIRES (Arlington, TX: Summit Publishing Group, 1996; Nonfiction). The vampiric is an important aspect of life for the real people in this book. Interviews give a straightforward, vivid, balanced presentation of a journalistically intractable phenomenon.

Robert J. Harvey. DARK VISIONS: A PRICE GUIDE TO COLLECTIBLE VAMPIRE LITERATURE (Fort Worth, TX: Dark Visions Books, 1995). A reference for the experienced collector of vampire literature.

Tom Holland. LORD OF THE DEAD: THE SECRET HISTORY OF BYRON (Pocket, 1996; previously published in the U.K. as THE VAMPYRE). What if George Gordon, Lord Byron, had been a vampire -- one who still walks the earth and must drink the blood of relatives to preserve his youthful appearance?

Nancy Kilpatrick. CHILD OF THE NIGHT (London: Raven Books, 1996). Carol Robins's vacation turns nightmare when she is abducted by a wealthy blood-drinking maniac -- who becomes the father of her child.

Tanith Lee. DARKNESS, I: A NOVEL OF THE SCARABAE (St. Martin's Press, 1996). Sequel to DARK DANCE and PERSONAL DARKNESS, the third novel of the family Scarabae.

Brent Monahan. THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT (St. Martin's Press, 1995). Frederika and Simon must use all their wiles to avoid pursuit both mundane and supernatural as they rush The Scrolls of Ahriman across Europe, hoping to learn their contents -- which the Powers of Darkness have a stake in suppressing.

Jonathan Nasaw. THE WORLD ON BLOOD (Dutton, 1996). A twisted but light-hearted look at blood drinking as a lifestyle. This funny, sexy novel shows the cult-like side of twelve-step programs.

Wm. Mark Simmons. ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE (Baen, 1996). Sometimes gimmicky humorous novel of Chris Csejthe (pronounced "chey-tay"), who starts to become a vampire and doesn't quite make the transition.

L. J. Smith. SECRET VAMPIRE (Night World; Pocket Archway, 1996; YA). Smith's first Night World novel. James Rasmussen breaks Night World law by making his friend Poppy a vampire -- the only way to save her life.

VC 15 (Spring 1997)

Jonathan Aycliffe. THE LOST (HarperPrism, 1996). Returning to his Romanian roots, Michael Feraru gets far more than he bargained for. An homage to DRACULA in style and content.

Mick Farren. THE TIME OF FEASTING (Tor, 1996). An "family" of the undead engage in plot-counterplot infighting. Written with sophistication and just the right touch of ironic humor. Recommended.

Laurell K. Hamilton. BLOODY BONES (Ace, 1996). A powerful fae monster and vampire politics complicate Anita Blake's plan to settle a land ownership dispute by raising the inhabitants of a an old cemetery.

Philip Hawthorn, illus. Kim Blundell. THE FANGTASTIC ADVENTURES OF DRACULA'S DENTURES (Usborne Rhyming Stories; Tulsa, OK: EDC; orig. London: Usborne, 1994; Juvenile). When Dracula goes on vacation, his false fang-teeth go missing. Excellent (and very funny) rhymed narrative for all ages.

Jeanne Kalogridis. LORD OF THE VAMPIRES (Diaries of the Family Dracul; Delacorte, 1996). Sequel to CHILDREN OF THE VAMPIRE. Van Helsing has personal reasons for wanting to destroy Dracula, who comes to London seeking relics that will make him invincible as well as immortal. Excellent Foreword by Dracula scholar Elizabeth Miller.

Martin V. Riccardo. LIQUID DREAMS OF VAMPIRES (Llewellyn, 1996; Nonfiction). Intriguing book on vampire-inspired dreams and fantasies, with a few "Encounters with Real Vampires." Extraordinarily vivid.

David J. Skal. V IS FOR VAMPIRE: THE A-Z GUIDE TO EVERYTHING UNDEAD (Plume/Penguin, 1996). Encyclopedia-style book with a bit of "everything undead." Skal favors the odd and obscure in choice of topic, and his writing is often idiosyncratic, sometimes funny, nearly always colorful.

L. J. Smith. DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS (Night World; Pocket/Archway, 1996; YA). Sequel to SECRET VAMPIRE. Vampire sisters Kestrel, Rowan, and Jade encounter complications when they flee their remote island home to live in the REAL world -- and their cousin Ash falls in love with a human, to his horror.

S. A. Swiniarski. RAVEN (DAW, 1996). New vampire Kane Tyler must come to terms with his new mode of existence while investigating a child abduction.

THE VAMPIRE OMNIBUS, ed. Peter Haining (Chartwell, 1995; orig. Great Britain: Orion, 1995). Nearly 500 pages of fiction that hasn't been reprinted within an inch of its immortality.

VAMPIRES, WINE & ROSES, ed. John Richard Stephens (Berkley, 1997). "Overlooked tales," both independent narratives and excerpts from works by famous authors. Mostly older material, including some hard- to-find titles.

VC 16 (Fall 1997)

Nina Auerbach. OUR VAMPIRES, OURSELVES (University of Chicago Press, 1995; Nonfiction). Auerbach's classic-to-be follows the fictional vampire in its evolution over time.

M. T. Anderson. THIRSTY (Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 1997; YA). Imagine Terry Pratchett and Jean-Paul Sartre collaborating under the influence of BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD. Teen angst in a reality a skewed sidestep from our own.

Amanda Ashley. A DARKER DREAM (Love Spell, 1997). Vampire romance with strong Beauty and the Beast overtones.

Rebecca Brand (Suzy McKee Charnas). THE RUBY TEAR (Tor, 1997). Classy vampire romance by the author of THE VAMPIRE TAPESTRY writing under a pen name.

Laurell K. Hamilton. THE KILLING DANCE (Ace, 1997). Finally going to bed with one of her beaux doesn't simplify Anita Blake's life.

Tanya Huff. BLOOD DEBT (DAW, 1997). Vicki must help Henry get rid of some ghosts. Mike Celucci tags along and nearly becomes an involuntary organ donor.

Brian Lumley. NECROSCOPE: RESURGENCE (The Lost Years, Vol. 2; Tor, 1996). Before B.J. Mirlu can deliver Harry to her lord for his long- awaited resurgence, her pretended affection for the Necroscope grows into the real thing.

William Pridgen. NIGHT OF THE DRAGON'S BLOOD (Palatka, FL: Hodge & Braddock, 1997). Comic novel. What if Hitler were a vampire hiding out in South America -- who had made Eva Peron a vampire, too?

Maggie Shayne. BORN IN TWILIGHT (Silhouette, 1997; Romance). Shayne's Wings in the Night characters return to save a vampire-human hybrid from the DPI.

L. J. Smith. THE CHOSEN (Night World; Pocket/Archway, 1997; YA). Vampire hunter Rashel Jordan has some close encounters that make her rethink vampire-human relations.

L. J. Smith. SOULMATE (Night World; Pocket/Archway, 1997; YA). Ancient Thierry is still searching for the reincarnation of the woman he loved and killed -- but will he only kill her again?

Steven Spruill. DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS (Doubleday, 1997). Sequel to RULERS OF DARKNESS. Zane returns to Washington, D.C., ten years later to collect his hemophage daughter.

Matt Wartell. BLOOD OF OUR CHILDREN (Westminster, CO: WEB Publishing, 1996). Set in the Jewish ghetto of 1790 Lidz, Poland, this is an intelligent and sensitive historical novel about the meeting of cultures and the sacredness of life.