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V Is for Vampire: An Illustrated Alphabet of the Undead
Gathering vampire folklore and facts from motion pictures, literature and popular culture, this fully illustrated A-to-Z book brings to life the world of the mysterious, feared and beloved immortal undead. Original. 25,000 first printing.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2011
59 people want to read
About the author
Adam-Troy Castro
235 books164 followersAdam-Troy Castro made his first professional sale to Spy magazine in 1987. Since then, he's published 12 books and almost 80 short stories. Among those stories are "Baby Girl Diamond" (nominated for the Bram Stoker Award) and "The Funeral March of the Marionettes" (nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards in 1998). "The Astronaut from Wyoming," a collaboration with Jerry Oltion, appeared in Analog and was nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards in 2000, before winning the Seiun (Japanese Hugo) for best translation in 2008.
His "Of A Sweet Slow Dance in the Wake of Temporary Dogs" was nominated for the 2003 Nebula. His original short story collections include Lost in Booth Nine (published by Silver Salamander Press in 1993), An Alien Darkness and A Desperate Decaying Darkness (published by Wildside Press in 2000), Vossoff and Nimmitz (2002), and Tangled Strings (2003). He is also the author of the Spider-Man novels—Time's Arrow: The Present (written in collaboration with Tom DeFalco), The Gathering of the Sinister Six, Revenge of the Sinister Six, and Secret of the Sinister Six—as well as the nonfiction My Ox Is Broken! The Andrea Cort novels include, Emissaries from the Dead, The Third Claw of God, and a third installment currently in progress, tentatively titled The Fall of the Marionettes.
Castro, who married the divine Judi on 25 December 2002, lives in Florida with his wife and four cats: Maggie, Uma Furman, Meow Farrow, and the latest acquisition, Ralphie, an orphan of 2005's hellacious hurricane season.
His "Of A Sweet Slow Dance in the Wake of Temporary Dogs" was nominated for the 2003 Nebula. His original short story collections include Lost in Booth Nine (published by Silver Salamander Press in 1993), An Alien Darkness and A Desperate Decaying Darkness (published by Wildside Press in 2000), Vossoff and Nimmitz (2002), and Tangled Strings (2003). He is also the author of the Spider-Man novels—Time's Arrow: The Present (written in collaboration with Tom DeFalco), The Gathering of the Sinister Six, Revenge of the Sinister Six, and Secret of the Sinister Six—as well as the nonfiction My Ox Is Broken! The Andrea Cort novels include, Emissaries from the Dead, The Third Claw of God, and a third installment currently in progress, tentatively titled The Fall of the Marionettes.
Castro, who married the divine Judi on 25 December 2002, lives in Florida with his wife and four cats: Maggie, Uma Furman, Meow Farrow, and the latest acquisition, Ralphie, an orphan of 2005's hellacious hurricane season.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 24, 2011
I'm going to call this one a picture book for adults.
I had several good laughs over this one. It has some very cool artwork in it (I loved Nosferatu with the iPod).
If I had a coffee table (and if we weren't trying to get the youngest kiddo to stop biting people) then I would have it out; I could see it being a conversation starter. If I had a friend who loved vampires I would probably get this one for them as a gift.
It's very short, and it's a bit hard for me to categorize it (I really have nothing to compare it to), but I really enjoyed it. It gave me more than a few good laughs. At the same time, this is not a story, it's the alphabet with each letter corresponding to something in the vamp canon.
(I won this from a Twitter contest from Diana Gill, Executive Editor at Harper Voyager US.)
I had several good laughs over this one. It has some very cool artwork in it (I loved Nosferatu with the iPod).
If I had a coffee table (and if we weren't trying to get the youngest kiddo to stop biting people) then I would have it out; I could see it being a conversation starter. If I had a friend who loved vampires I would probably get this one for them as a gift.
It's very short, and it's a bit hard for me to categorize it (I really have nothing to compare it to), but I really enjoyed it. It gave me more than a few good laughs. At the same time, this is not a story, it's the alphabet with each letter corresponding to something in the vamp canon.
(I won this from a Twitter contest from Diana Gill, Executive Editor at Harper Voyager US.)
July 24, 2011
V is for Vampire is a fun, witty look at the Alphabet in a whole new light. Like for example did you know that A is for Arterial Spray and no matter how much a vampire might still nice in the moonlight or that he would only like a little bit; the vampire is really all about the arterial spray. Or that G is for Garlic and that vampires are not really allergic to it. In fact, what if I told you that the garlic trick was just some vampire’s sick joke to see how gullible humans really are. It worked. Finally… T is for Tombs for the Budget-Conscious. This applies to those vampires that are not wealthy. Warning, if you find an empty lot with the top of a motor home sticking out of the ground, do not investigate as this is more than likely the home of a vampire. Mr. Atomic is a very talented artist. The illustrations in this book were like something out of a classic black and white horror movie. To learn more about the Alphabet, than check out this book. V for Vampire is a blood-sucking good time.
October 22, 2024
Very enlightening and funny!
Reread for Halloween 2024: This alphabet takes the reader on a little journey with each letter, some proving thought-provoking (or at least provides some fodder for musing on), others very funny but practical (such as burying an RV in a trailer park so the vampire didn't have to live in a coffin or a drafty, decrepit mansion).
The accompanying artwork makes each letter description pop and the cover is gorgeous. Really glad I snagged this book at the library's used book sale.
Reread for Halloween 2024: This alphabet takes the reader on a little journey with each letter, some proving thought-provoking (or at least provides some fodder for musing on), others very funny but practical (such as burying an RV in a trailer park so the vampire didn't have to live in a coffin or a drafty, decrepit mansion).
The accompanying artwork makes each letter description pop and the cover is gorgeous. Really glad I snagged this book at the library's used book sale.
January 20, 2014
This is essentially a gift book for goths and horror lovers. If you have a dark sense of humour, you will enjoy this. The illustrations are very cool, and the whole layout and design of the book is very appealing for those gothically inclined.
July 9, 2011
V is For Vampire by Adam-Troy Castro
A light hearted bleeding heart look at Vampires.
This is an adult primer for those who love the Vampire genre. The author pokes fun at Vampires and the myths and magic surrounding them. The illustrations by Johnny Atomic are as amusing as the prose.
This is not a lengthy read, more like an intermezzo between a Jim Butcher and a Bram Stoker. If the author had his tongue further in his cheek he would probably choke. It is entertaining and amusing.
I recommend the book.
A light hearted bleeding heart look at Vampires.
This is an adult primer for those who love the Vampire genre. The author pokes fun at Vampires and the myths and magic surrounding them. The illustrations by Johnny Atomic are as amusing as the prose.
This is not a lengthy read, more like an intermezzo between a Jim Butcher and a Bram Stoker. If the author had his tongue further in his cheek he would probably choke. It is entertaining and amusing.
I recommend the book.
May 23, 2014
This is an alphabet book you don't want to read to children! "A is for Arterial Spray" should serve as sufficient warning. The prose is very tongue-in-cheek, but the artwork is striking--graphic and beautiful.
July 17, 2013
If you're into the popular vampire culture, this is the alphabet book for you! I'm just vampire-curious, so this was an interesting and enjoyable romp into the vampire world. But not a book I need in my permanent library.
June 19, 2011
Awesome!!
July 11, 2011
A primer for everything vampire and vampire-related. A is for Arterial Spray, and so on all the way to Z. A fun, quick read with beautiful illustrations.
September 6, 2011
Humorous take on why we really should fear vampires (with great art)
January 20, 2013
Hilarious. Insightfully comedic and the illustrations really pop.
February 21, 2015
Could have been better
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews