What do you think?
Rate this book
The Vampire Book : The Encyclopedia of the Undead
"The most comprehensive collection of vampire lore, with entries on everything from African vampires to Yama, the god of death".This unique encyclopedia satisfies your thirst for vampire lore and legends from around the world. It provides unprecedented coverage of the historical, literary, mythological and popular aspects of one of the world's most mesmerizing subjects.
852 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
100 people are currently reading
3632 people want to read
About the author
J. Gordon Melton
97 books27 followersJohn Gordon Melton is an American religious scholar who was the founding director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion and is currently a research specialist in religion and New Religious Movements with the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion.
His areas of research include major religious traditions, new religions and alternative religions, Occultism and Parapsychology, New Age, and vampirology.
Melton has been criticized by several scholars for what they see as conflicts of interest in his reporting of some of the groups he studies.
His areas of research include major religious traditions, new religions and alternative religions, Occultism and Parapsychology, New Age, and vampirology.
Melton has been criticized by several scholars for what they see as conflicts of interest in his reporting of some of the groups he studies.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
February 4, 2010
This is a great book to have. Watching vampire shows and reading vampire books is great but actually knowing a little history about where vampires came from or should I say when was the first time anyone noted a vampire within history can give you a little more insight about them.
In short, here is a few interesting facts that I found interesting.
1. Vampire and Blood relationship - We know that vampires are bloodsucker creatures - since ancient times, humans have been the connection between blood and life. Blood is identified with life - for example, in Genesis, god tells Noah - But you must not eat the flesh with the life, which is the blood. Some believe by drinking the blood of a victim would absorb the additional strength of the conquered. In the biblical sense, in light of the special sacredness of Christ's blood, the vampire took on added significance and drank blood in a direct definance of the biblical command. It defiled the holy and stole that which was reserved for God alone. (pgs 55 & 56)
2. The first person considered in the role-playing of the original vampire is the biblical character "Cain" - according to the story, the farmer Cain made an offering of the fruits of his work to God as did his shepherd brother, Abel. God rejected Cain's offering while accepting Abels. The resentful Caine murdered his brother in response to which God cursed Cain, and cast him into the outer darkness. The role-playing suggest that the curse was eternal life and a craving for blood, and that the curse has been passed to all present day vampires.
In the darkness he met Lilith the reputed first wife of Cain's father Adam. She shared her blood with Caine, which awakened him to his power. After wandering in the wilderness for many years, he once again lived among mortals and created a city. During his years there he created three vampires who comprised the second generation. They in turn created the third generation and as it grew in number, Cain forbade the further creation of additional vampires.
The stable situation of Cain's city was disrupted by a great flood. Renewing his command not to create more vampires, he left his progeny to their own desires, and began wandering again. The vampires ignored his admonitions, and created a fourth generation, who rose up and slew most of the elders of the third generation. Mean while, over the millennia, a person claiming to be Cain occasionally appeared. (pg 85)
3. The belief in vampires preceded the introduction of Christianity into southern and eastern Europe by the Gypsies who brought the belief in vampires from India that contributed to the development of the myth.
There was a divergence between two churches (Roman Catholic and Orthodox)in the 11th centry of what the theology considered for beliefs in vampires. The Orthodox believed if the soft tissue of a body did not decay quickly once placed in the ground, it was generally considered a sign of evil. That the body refused to disintegrate meant that the earth would, for some reason, not receive it - A noncorrupting body became a candidate for vampirism. The Roman Catholic believed that if the body of a dead saint did not experience corruption like that of an ordinary body or decay and it frequently emitted a pleasant oder and did not stink of putrefaction then it was considered a candidate for vampirism. (pg 117)
Vampirism is considered a Pagan myth or a form of witchcraft and there fore the christians associated vampirism with Santan. (Pg 118)
This book has all the information on every writer,movie producer, comic book, and movie that has ever made or recorded anything on vampires.
In short, here is a few interesting facts that I found interesting.
1. Vampire and Blood relationship - We know that vampires are bloodsucker creatures - since ancient times, humans have been the connection between blood and life. Blood is identified with life - for example, in Genesis, god tells Noah - But you must not eat the flesh with the life, which is the blood. Some believe by drinking the blood of a victim would absorb the additional strength of the conquered. In the biblical sense, in light of the special sacredness of Christ's blood, the vampire took on added significance and drank blood in a direct definance of the biblical command. It defiled the holy and stole that which was reserved for God alone. (pgs 55 & 56)
2. The first person considered in the role-playing of the original vampire is the biblical character "Cain" - according to the story, the farmer Cain made an offering of the fruits of his work to God as did his shepherd brother, Abel. God rejected Cain's offering while accepting Abels. The resentful Caine murdered his brother in response to which God cursed Cain, and cast him into the outer darkness. The role-playing suggest that the curse was eternal life and a craving for blood, and that the curse has been passed to all present day vampires.
In the darkness he met Lilith the reputed first wife of Cain's father Adam. She shared her blood with Caine, which awakened him to his power. After wandering in the wilderness for many years, he once again lived among mortals and created a city. During his years there he created three vampires who comprised the second generation. They in turn created the third generation and as it grew in number, Cain forbade the further creation of additional vampires.
The stable situation of Cain's city was disrupted by a great flood. Renewing his command not to create more vampires, he left his progeny to their own desires, and began wandering again. The vampires ignored his admonitions, and created a fourth generation, who rose up and slew most of the elders of the third generation. Mean while, over the millennia, a person claiming to be Cain occasionally appeared. (pg 85)
3. The belief in vampires preceded the introduction of Christianity into southern and eastern Europe by the Gypsies who brought the belief in vampires from India that contributed to the development of the myth.
There was a divergence between two churches (Roman Catholic and Orthodox)in the 11th centry of what the theology considered for beliefs in vampires. The Orthodox believed if the soft tissue of a body did not decay quickly once placed in the ground, it was generally considered a sign of evil. That the body refused to disintegrate meant that the earth would, for some reason, not receive it - A noncorrupting body became a candidate for vampirism. The Roman Catholic believed that if the body of a dead saint did not experience corruption like that of an ordinary body or decay and it frequently emitted a pleasant oder and did not stink of putrefaction then it was considered a candidate for vampirism. (pg 117)
Vampirism is considered a Pagan myth or a form of witchcraft and there fore the christians associated vampirism with Santan. (Pg 118)
This book has all the information on every writer,movie producer, comic book, and movie that has ever made or recorded anything on vampires.
December 13, 2010
The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead is one of the most valuable books I use in the prep work I do. I've been using it for years-- the version I just got is the third edition, making this the second time that I'll be donating a dog-eared previous edition to the Outreach Center. (Note: I don't bother selling used books. I donate them. Goodwill, Outreach, Library, whatever. At the end the year you can write off some amount, and it's not as tiresome as waiting on a small sum in trade at the Half Price Books. Just donate them.)
The Vampire Book is over 800 pages of articles on all things related to vampires in folklore, pop art, history and culture. There are articles on everything from Dracula, the book, to Dracula, the 1979 movie, to Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, to Twilight, with an individual article on Isabella Marie Swan.
I use this encyclopedia as a survey book to guide me to other sources because it's the most definitive and broad reference-- and certainly the most up to date-- that I know of. If you're looking for a massive brick of a book as a stocking stuffer for a vampire fan friend, The Vampire Book is the way to go.
The Vampire Book is over 800 pages of articles on all things related to vampires in folklore, pop art, history and culture. There are articles on everything from Dracula, the book, to Dracula, the 1979 movie, to Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, to Twilight, with an individual article on Isabella Marie Swan.
I use this encyclopedia as a survey book to guide me to other sources because it's the most definitive and broad reference-- and certainly the most up to date-- that I know of. If you're looking for a massive brick of a book as a stocking stuffer for a vampire fan friend, The Vampire Book is the way to go.
December 18, 2008
Extremely thorough and expansive in terms of looking at the vampire as a literary, cinematic, mythological and cultural phenomenon--you'll find entries on everything from fan clubs to breakfast cereals, as well as how various cultures (Germany, India, China, etc.) interpret the vampire. One drawback: since the book was published in 1998, it misses out on internet culture; a revised/updated edition would be a fun read.
July 19, 2015
**Notes While Reading**
If this is the third edition, how the hell did your editors miss the spelling mistakes of Cordelia Chase in the Buffy TVS tv section? Seriously, Cornelia? But in C, you have Cordelia. Pitiful. SMH. Also Robing instead of Robin?! What the hell? I mean, I never liked the guy, but Robing Wood is even creepier than Robin Wood. Bahaha!
All that aside, this book is amazing! Though, in my opinion, any section (person/theme/or otherwise that had a whole page to themselves should get a picture to go with it. So many of the pictures of from the same few movies, or pictures that are just kinda blah. More pictures of vampire would have been great: Spike, Angel, etc.
I feel like the author/editor were a little too choosy. Why talk about actors who played the roles of vampires, but not discuss all them the important ones? Example, Tom Cruise as Lestat. Yes, he was great, but why does him, Lugosi and C. Lee get mentioned over and over again while others are practically left out. I'm talking about James Marsters and David Boreanaz specifically. Buffy The Vampire Slayer was huge and is talked about a lot throughout the book. I just don't see why their actors are slighted since others are mentioned repeatedly. Their roles were unique and had a huge fan base just like Lestat/Louie Cruise/Pitt. I'm not finished with the book yet, but am in the 'S' section and I've yet to see a vampire from Underworld. They were iconic and yet they were completely left out. Why?
**Finished**
Overall, while I'm satisfied with the book, I did find it lacking. It focused primarily on the major works and though they're important, the book is called 'Encyclopedia' for a reason. It should include more minor works and those that were mentioned were heavily glossed over. Example: Underworld. It was a major movie and had a unique story line, yet all the movies were roughly sumeraized in one section where you other 'Dracula' all throughout the book, most of it's characters getting their own sections and mentioned repeatedly.
In the introduction of the book it made mention of the importance and amount of readers my Romance Literature of vampire books, yet again, they were put in one section with mention of multiple authors. Many of the authors have unique twists on their vampire characters, yet none of these were mentioned. Example: Kerrilyn Sparks. Her vampires can teleport! Also, if there's a fourth edition, Rebecca Zanetti and the Kayrs family. Vampires are men only and are born. Kurjans, like vampires but not.
I noticed more spelling errors. I just don't get how these have made it through two previous editions into the third. Glorificus, the demon goddess from season 5 of Buffy, was glory more than a few times. It's not that complicated to capitalized the name. I know I'm being picky, but that's annoying when it's been published previously. These should have been caught!
I was not a fan of all the empahsis put all theater produictions and director/producers of films. Besides they left out the most important one: Joss Whedon! He's mentioned throughout the book with his work on Buffy and Angel, yet he can't get his own section like Jack Palance? Rip off!
I still don't understand why Tom Cruise got a section for his work as Lestat. Pitt wasn't given one and he was Louie, same for Claudia. Why was Cruise so special? Personally, I like Stuart Townsend's Lestat better, but that's just my opinion and he didn't get a secion either. Frankly, after the first few actors of Dracula (Lugosi, Lee), I don't think actors should be mentioned, only the characters.
All and all, I'm less thrilled than I expected to be.
I did like the real-life accounts of 'modern vampires'. They were disturbing and disgusting as hell, but they were interesting at least, which is more than I can say for some other parts of the book. I admit, this book had a lot of 'skipping' of sections.
I'd actually give it a 2.5, but since it's about vampires, I'll round to three.
If this is the third edition, how the hell did your editors miss the spelling mistakes of Cordelia Chase in the Buffy TVS tv section? Seriously, Cornelia? But in C, you have Cordelia. Pitiful. SMH. Also Robing instead of Robin?! What the hell? I mean, I never liked the guy, but Robing Wood is even creepier than Robin Wood. Bahaha!
All that aside, this book is amazing! Though, in my opinion, any section (person/theme/or otherwise that had a whole page to themselves should get a picture to go with it. So many of the pictures of from the same few movies, or pictures that are just kinda blah. More pictures of vampire would have been great: Spike, Angel, etc.
I feel like the author/editor were a little too choosy. Why talk about actors who played the roles of vampires, but not discuss all them the important ones? Example, Tom Cruise as Lestat. Yes, he was great, but why does him, Lugosi and C. Lee get mentioned over and over again while others are practically left out. I'm talking about James Marsters and David Boreanaz specifically. Buffy The Vampire Slayer was huge and is talked about a lot throughout the book. I just don't see why their actors are slighted since others are mentioned repeatedly. Their roles were unique and had a huge fan base just like Lestat/Louie Cruise/Pitt. I'm not finished with the book yet, but am in the 'S' section and I've yet to see a vampire from Underworld. They were iconic and yet they were completely left out. Why?
**Finished**
Overall, while I'm satisfied with the book, I did find it lacking. It focused primarily on the major works and though they're important, the book is called 'Encyclopedia' for a reason. It should include more minor works and those that were mentioned were heavily glossed over. Example: Underworld. It was a major movie and had a unique story line, yet all the movies were roughly sumeraized in one section where you other 'Dracula' all throughout the book, most of it's characters getting their own sections and mentioned repeatedly.
In the introduction of the book it made mention of the importance and amount of readers my Romance Literature of vampire books, yet again, they were put in one section with mention of multiple authors. Many of the authors have unique twists on their vampire characters, yet none of these were mentioned. Example: Kerrilyn Sparks. Her vampires can teleport! Also, if there's a fourth edition, Rebecca Zanetti and the Kayrs family. Vampires are men only and are born. Kurjans, like vampires but not.
I noticed more spelling errors. I just don't get how these have made it through two previous editions into the third. Glorificus, the demon goddess from season 5 of Buffy, was glory more than a few times. It's not that complicated to capitalized the name. I know I'm being picky, but that's annoying when it's been published previously. These should have been caught!
I was not a fan of all the empahsis put all theater produictions and director/producers of films. Besides they left out the most important one: Joss Whedon! He's mentioned throughout the book with his work on Buffy and Angel, yet he can't get his own section like Jack Palance? Rip off!
I still don't understand why Tom Cruise got a section for his work as Lestat. Pitt wasn't given one and he was Louie, same for Claudia. Why was Cruise so special? Personally, I like Stuart Townsend's Lestat better, but that's just my opinion and he didn't get a secion either. Frankly, after the first few actors of Dracula (Lugosi, Lee), I don't think actors should be mentioned, only the characters.
All and all, I'm less thrilled than I expected to be.
I did like the real-life accounts of 'modern vampires'. They were disturbing and disgusting as hell, but they were interesting at least, which is more than I can say for some other parts of the book. I admit, this book had a lot of 'skipping' of sections.
I'd actually give it a 2.5, but since it's about vampires, I'll round to three.
May 9, 2013
I've been searching for this book desperately among my books since almost 3 yrs... i haven't lost the the hope of finding it somewhere.... I believe I'm gonna find it just when i'm not looking for it.
i bought this book in July 2003, from Borders Bookstore - Washington DC - USA... I chose that book along with "Great short works of Edgar Allan Poe" ... yet, I have bought this Vampire book for to give as a present for my favorite author & translator Dr.Ahmed Khaled Tawfick (author of Utopia), when I finish reading it, knowing that I keep my books neat and as good as new...
I've read it, contacted the publisher of most of his books, but couldn't get to send him the book... back then internet wasn't that widely used though I had e-mail since the year 1997...
The book is really good, giving reference to historical stories of vampires, vampire stories in literature,movies and even series and criticism given to these works... I remember I've read Carmella for the first time in that book, then i found it translated by Dr. Ahmed Khaled Tawfick in a small booklet so cleverly, avoiding those parts that might clash with our culture, making it suitable for reading for the age targeted by the book yet not ruining the original work..
I have no idea where the book is, and whether it is still at my parents' home stored under any bed or in the balcony storage closet, or whether it is here in my house after marriage or if i have lost it while moving... I really wish I can find it, yet I'm not sure if I'll keep it or give it to the one whom i bought the book for... I think he would make great use of it... I really wish to find the book first.. then whatever is meant to be will find its way :)
i bought this book in July 2003, from Borders Bookstore - Washington DC - USA... I chose that book along with "Great short works of Edgar Allan Poe" ... yet, I have bought this Vampire book for to give as a present for my favorite author & translator Dr.Ahmed Khaled Tawfick (author of Utopia), when I finish reading it, knowing that I keep my books neat and as good as new...
I've read it, contacted the publisher of most of his books, but couldn't get to send him the book... back then internet wasn't that widely used though I had e-mail since the year 1997...
The book is really good, giving reference to historical stories of vampires, vampire stories in literature,movies and even series and criticism given to these works... I remember I've read Carmella for the first time in that book, then i found it translated by Dr. Ahmed Khaled Tawfick in a small booklet so cleverly, avoiding those parts that might clash with our culture, making it suitable for reading for the age targeted by the book yet not ruining the original work..
I have no idea where the book is, and whether it is still at my parents' home stored under any bed or in the balcony storage closet, or whether it is here in my house after marriage or if i have lost it while moving... I really wish I can find it, yet I'm not sure if I'll keep it or give it to the one whom i bought the book for... I think he would make great use of it... I really wish to find the book first.. then whatever is meant to be will find its way :)
December 30, 2011
Awesome!
I got this book back in the early 90's so by today's standard it may be considered a bit out-dated. This does not make this book worth any less though! It's a very exhaustive encyclopaedia in terms of history (European, Asian, etc), myth & legend, movies, boooks, and so forth. It would be really, really nice to see a revised up-to-date edition, that also takes other media into consideration, such as music, games and the internet, in addition to what has been released since its original release. But this edition still remains a must-have for anyone who is interested in learning more of where the vampire myth comes form, what makes it fascinating, and so forth. This book is definitely a serious addition to anyone who's interested in all-things vampire!
I got this book back in the early 90's so by today's standard it may be considered a bit out-dated. This does not make this book worth any less though! It's a very exhaustive encyclopaedia in terms of history (European, Asian, etc), myth & legend, movies, boooks, and so forth. It would be really, really nice to see a revised up-to-date edition, that also takes other media into consideration, such as music, games and the internet, in addition to what has been released since its original release. But this edition still remains a must-have for anyone who is interested in learning more of where the vampire myth comes form, what makes it fascinating, and so forth. This book is definitely a serious addition to anyone who's interested in all-things vampire!
April 3, 2013
This book is an excellent resource for serious researchers, fans, and writers who appreciate the realm of horror, the cultural phenomenon of vampires, or culture, in general. This reference contains many entries related to cultural works related to the vampire mythology, legends, and lore, but there is a good amount of research on the less fantastic environment in which these myths, legends, and lore have been borne and thriving.
January 23, 2009
This is one of the greatest book of everything you need to know about Vampires. Their storie, myths, authors, films and alot of interesting sources. All very awesome. So I give it 10 stars & 2 thumbs up. If you're a true vampire fanatic? You'll totally love
Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead
. =)~
November 29, 2011
I'm all for books that attempt to throw a bunch of vampire information together. It makes it a lot easier for research, should you need that kind of thing. I felt like this book picked only the biggest things, i.e shows, movies, books, and didn't give enough information on some of the more important pieces but lesser known. It had potential to be so much better.
September 22, 2014
It's more of a reference book, so I've only read parts of it, but he leaves no stone unturned. Anything that has any relation to vampire myths, movies, folklore, books, places, and people is in here. There are even entries on medieval vampire hunters. This is extremely encompassing.
March 17, 2011
in this book you can read anything from Dracula, Vlad The Impapler, Carmilla, Lilth and the history of all vampires and where they live. mostly Transylvania. you should read this book if you love vampires and anything to do with mythology or the supernatrual!
May 27, 2012
Deffs a good book to own if you like vampires. It has fun facts, insightful descriptions, and much much more about all of your favorite vampire stories. To be honest, I have not read thee entire book. lol. Who would have the time? This thing is gargantuan!!
January 5, 2009
Do you love the undead? Then you must own it! Has lots of juicy vampire tid bits inside <3
March 20, 2011
I bought this for a research paper on vampires. It was very helpful and interesting.
October 25, 2011
the most thorough book of vampires on screen and otherwise. a MUST HAVE.
May 11, 2012
Riddled with mistakes, but still the most complete compendium on the subject. Take it with a grain of salt, but take it nonetheless.
November 16, 2012
If you're a fan of vampires in general, this should be in your library. An exhaustive reference to all things vampire.
July 11, 2012
Notice there is no twilight bs in this. :-)
October 1, 2024
cool chcialabym updated wersje po 2010 może sama napisze
September 21, 2023
This was helpful with certain folklore and vampire portrayal references for some research I'm doing, but there were many inaccuracies that boggled my mind (such as geological/cultural) and an odd mixture of superficial and submersive research. And, yes, this was published in 1994, but there was way too much focus on vampire-related fan clubs (yes, I'm aware this was likely to help fans back during the days when the Internet couldn't give someone access to every niche fan club on the planet) and many of the cultural sections were obviously written through the screen of an old straight man who's just some vampire enthusiast (the section on homosexual vampires is scant and indifferent yet there are 4 pages dedicated to lesbian vampires, as well as an entire section of Women Vampires yet not one on Male Vampires, as if female vampires are a different entity who just exist to seduce men and kill children).
July 2, 2013
1. Melton, J. Gordon. The vampire book: the encyclopedia of the undead. Completely revamped, fully rev. and expanded ed., 2nd ed. Detroit: Visible Ink Press, 1999. Print.
2. ISBN 157859071X 13.98
3. The Vampire Book - Book Verdict April 1, 2011
http://bookverdict.com/details.xqy?ur...
4. WH1a
5. This is a comprehensive encyclopedia of vampire lore. It has more than 800 entries in alphabetical order ranging from directors and actors in vampire film to the historical origins of the vampire myth. The best part about this book is the resources section in the back of the book that details societies, books, and websites that can be referenced for further study. This book can be selected based on authority as the author is a distinguished professor of american religious history at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University. It can also be chosen on scope as it is an in depth study that is relatively inexpensive when compared to its value to the collection. It will fill a gap as there are no other non-fiction vampire books in the collection, but a sustained interest in the subject. I would put this in the hands of a student who has made 2 or 3 checkouts in the vampire / horror genre, but demonstrates an interest in history. Perhaps for a student who enjoys vampire movies but hasn’t yet ventured into the literature would enjoy this book as a seque. It provides a catalog of references for a variety of vampire resources and this may provide a path for further study.
2. ISBN 157859071X 13.98
3. The Vampire Book - Book Verdict April 1, 2011
http://bookverdict.com/details.xqy?ur...
4. WH1a
5. This is a comprehensive encyclopedia of vampire lore. It has more than 800 entries in alphabetical order ranging from directors and actors in vampire film to the historical origins of the vampire myth. The best part about this book is the resources section in the back of the book that details societies, books, and websites that can be referenced for further study. This book can be selected based on authority as the author is a distinguished professor of american religious history at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University. It can also be chosen on scope as it is an in depth study that is relatively inexpensive when compared to its value to the collection. It will fill a gap as there are no other non-fiction vampire books in the collection, but a sustained interest in the subject. I would put this in the hands of a student who has made 2 or 3 checkouts in the vampire / horror genre, but demonstrates an interest in history. Perhaps for a student who enjoys vampire movies but hasn’t yet ventured into the literature would enjoy this book as a seque. It provides a catalog of references for a variety of vampire resources and this may provide a path for further study.
August 29, 2013
This is a comprehensive encyclopedia of vampire lore. It has more than 800 entries in alphabetical order ranging from directors and actors in vampire film to the historical origins of the vampire myth. The best part about this book is the resources section in the back of the book that details societies, books, and websites that can be referenced for further study. The author is a distinguished professor of american religious history at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University. I would put this in the hands of a high school student who has made 2 or 3 checkouts in the vampire / horror genre, but demonstrates an interest in history. Perhaps for a student who enjoys vampire movies but hasn’t yet ventured into the literature would enjoy this book as a seque. It provides a catalog of references for a variety of vampire resources and this may provide a path for further study.
September 28, 2010
This is full of a lot of information about various vampires from novels, movies, tv, etc. which for someone like me who loves vampires and other paranormal creatures it's a great book to have in my collection.
However in my edition (I don't know if it's been fixed yet) there's a mistake that bugs me, probably more than it should, because I'm a huge BtVS fan. In the Angel/Angelus section they mentioned his homeland to be Greece, it's not, most BtVS fans know he's from Ireland. With that info being wrong I don't put much stock in the rest of what is in here. Despite that though it's still an interesting and fun read.
However in my edition (I don't know if it's been fixed yet) there's a mistake that bugs me, probably more than it should, because I'm a huge BtVS fan. In the Angel/Angelus section they mentioned his homeland to be Greece, it's not, most BtVS fans know he's from Ireland. With that info being wrong I don't put much stock in the rest of what is in here. Despite that though it's still an interesting and fun read.
March 29, 2013
I read all 800 pages of this thing, so I know it has everything you would want to know about vampires, from folklore about "real" vampires around the world to vampires in entertainment, at least up until 1998. It would have been easier to follow all the folklore in more of a chronological order, but the encyclopedia format makes research on a specific topic much easier. I would have liked a little more information on some topics and a little less information on others (I know way too much about Dark Shadows now), but overall it is great for anyone with a love or fascination with all things vampire.
November 12, 2012
This is a fascinating look at all things vampire. Whether you're interested in the folk stories behind vampire, the most popular (pre-Twilight) vampire books/movies/television shows this is a great resource to have.
September 13, 2009
Excellent source for simple fast look-ups on vampire related questions. The little flipbook style animation of the bat on the corner is amusing as well. Its not dependable for in depth or very fringe questions... but for the mainstream curiosities this book provides answers.
May 28, 2009
amazing history from the balkans to where the first vampire was originated from. Entertaining and educational.
November 8, 2009
Thanks to my best friend ShaKishaBoo for this book! She saw it and knowing how much I love vampires, thought of me!
November 12, 2009
This book is filled with information on all aspects of vampires, be it movies, literature, legend etc.
April 1, 2010
A perfect refrence for those as obsessed with the Undead as me, mostly becasue Twilight wasn't in it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews