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Das Vampir
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Das Vampir is a short story with a different perspective on vampires. I started writing it last year with no real intention of doing the entire thing or publishing it. It was just one of those sudden inspirational moments where a few paragraphs popped into my head and I had to write them down.
They were sort of artsy, almost poetic sentences about the world from the vampires perspective. The loneliness of being undead, the fear of the sun, the hiding in nasty places, and the uncontrollable need to feed on the living. It was everything the opposite of today's pretty boy Twilight type stuff.
Those sentences ended up being the first section of Das Vampir.
Those words sat around for several months, and this year I felt they shouldn't just go wasted, so I took the original concept and just played out the next natural sequence of events. The result became half poetic introspective from the vampire's mind, half action movie from the perspective of his victims. I think it turned out okay. Hopefully everyone else will too.
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
For I have become evil, and I have become death, and I fear only the light of day."
“Loneliness will sit over our roofs with brooding wings.” ~Bram Stoker
Das Vampir is a short story with a different perspective on vampires. I started writing it last year with no real intention of doing the entire thing or publishing it. It was just one of those sudden inspirational moments where a few paragraphs popped into my head and I had to write them down.
They were sort of artsy, almost poetic sentences about the world from the vampires perspective. The loneliness of being undead, the fear of the sun, the hiding in nasty places, and the uncontrollable need to feed on the living. It was everything the opposite of today's pretty boy Twilight type stuff.
Those sentences ended up being the first section of Das Vampir.
Those words sat around for several months, and this year I felt they shouldn't just go wasted, so I took the original concept and just played out the next natural sequence of events. The result became half poetic introspective from the vampire's mind, half action movie from the perspective of his victims. I think it turned out okay. Hopefully everyone else will too.
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
For I have become evil, and I have become death, and I fear only the light of day."
“Loneliness will sit over our roofs with brooding wings.” ~Bram Stoker
- GenresHorror
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 9, 2014
4 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Tom Reinhart
9 books15 followersTom Reinhart is a unique and exciting author. Born in New York, he grew up a fan of comic books, Robert E Howard, and guitar playing. He's down to earth, easily approachable, loves his readers and hanging out with them. His writing is fast paced, brutally honest, and his books tend to take off with an exciting start right from page one. His writing is powerful, often almost poetic, and easily instills vibrant imagery in a reader's mind through words that are perfectly weaved together. You don't just read a Tom Reinhart story, you live and feel it.
His unique writing style can be found in these great books;
The 8th Day, an apocalyptic thriller set against a biblical backdrop. What if Judgment Day really came? "All their lives people had prayed to God, prayed for a sign, prayed for angels to intervene in their lives. They finally got what they wanted, but it wasn't the answer they were hoping for. Now the dead no longer sleep, the living cannot die, and the world has become Hell on earth." A powerful unflinching thriller that gives you a ringside seat to the end of the world.
The Mason Stone series, a vigilante thriller, a love story, and an interesting introspective into the darker side of the human mind. Mason Stone is a police officer with a unique outlook on the world. Jaded, cynical, and fed up with the evil of the world, he takes the law into his own hands. Not your typical vigilante tale, Tom Reinhart's deep and intense writing style takes the reader down a dark path that is all at once frightening and enlightening, and will have you questioning the reality of the society around you, and cheering for a killer.
Hegemonian, a Robert E Howard inspired Sword and Sorcery adventure. It's packed full with everything Sword and Sorcery fans love, Minotaurs and monsters, witches and sorcerers, and non-stop adventure. "Hegemonian harkens back to the golden days of epic pulp fiction, the era that spawned what today we call "sword and sorcery" fantasy. Clearly, author Tom Reinhart has based his own epic hero, Lucan, upon Robert Howard's Conan the Cimmerian, and like Conan Lucan is a northern barbarian who leaves his savage homeland in search of adventure. Though Reinhart's inspirations are obvious, he manages to make Lucan a distinct character with his own personality, and if Hegemonian is in some ways a Howard pastiche, it is far superior to most of its cousins in that field. To say that Reinhart's novel is action-packed is an understatement, as he subjects Lucan to one deadly encounter after another with undead warriors, giant spiders, and wicked enchantresses. And all that's even before he reaches the big city, with all its "civilized" politics, backstabbing intrigue, and a war in the offing! Exciting and imaginative, Hegemonian is an amazing literary epic that all fans of classic sword and sorcery should read with relish.
Das Vampir, a series of short stories that are horror tales designed to make vampires scary again. "Das Vampir is an excellent and rather retro treatment of the vampire legend that restores the eponymous monster to its horrifying roots. Rich, dark, and invested with a ruthless malevolence from the get go, author Tom Reinhart instills his short story with more horrific charm than any number of longer works. The human characters are quickly drawn but surprisingly well developed, and when the undead monster from the night descends upon them the suspense is nearly unbearable. A well-wrought tale that fans of real vampires--that is, the kind that don't sparkle--should uniformly treasure."
From the author ~ "It's my hope that readers will enjoy reading my books as much as I have enjoyed writing them. There's a lot more coming. I consider my readers to be my friends, and I am their biggest fan. Come hang out with us at www.TomReinhart.com and social media sites everywhere."
His unique writing style can be found in these great books;
The 8th Day, an apocalyptic thriller set against a biblical backdrop. What if Judgment Day really came? "All their lives people had prayed to God, prayed for a sign, prayed for angels to intervene in their lives. They finally got what they wanted, but it wasn't the answer they were hoping for. Now the dead no longer sleep, the living cannot die, and the world has become Hell on earth." A powerful unflinching thriller that gives you a ringside seat to the end of the world.
The Mason Stone series, a vigilante thriller, a love story, and an interesting introspective into the darker side of the human mind. Mason Stone is a police officer with a unique outlook on the world. Jaded, cynical, and fed up with the evil of the world, he takes the law into his own hands. Not your typical vigilante tale, Tom Reinhart's deep and intense writing style takes the reader down a dark path that is all at once frightening and enlightening, and will have you questioning the reality of the society around you, and cheering for a killer.
Hegemonian, a Robert E Howard inspired Sword and Sorcery adventure. It's packed full with everything Sword and Sorcery fans love, Minotaurs and monsters, witches and sorcerers, and non-stop adventure. "Hegemonian harkens back to the golden days of epic pulp fiction, the era that spawned what today we call "sword and sorcery" fantasy. Clearly, author Tom Reinhart has based his own epic hero, Lucan, upon Robert Howard's Conan the Cimmerian, and like Conan Lucan is a northern barbarian who leaves his savage homeland in search of adventure. Though Reinhart's inspirations are obvious, he manages to make Lucan a distinct character with his own personality, and if Hegemonian is in some ways a Howard pastiche, it is far superior to most of its cousins in that field. To say that Reinhart's novel is action-packed is an understatement, as he subjects Lucan to one deadly encounter after another with undead warriors, giant spiders, and wicked enchantresses. And all that's even before he reaches the big city, with all its "civilized" politics, backstabbing intrigue, and a war in the offing! Exciting and imaginative, Hegemonian is an amazing literary epic that all fans of classic sword and sorcery should read with relish.
Das Vampir, a series of short stories that are horror tales designed to make vampires scary again. "Das Vampir is an excellent and rather retro treatment of the vampire legend that restores the eponymous monster to its horrifying roots. Rich, dark, and invested with a ruthless malevolence from the get go, author Tom Reinhart instills his short story with more horrific charm than any number of longer works. The human characters are quickly drawn but surprisingly well developed, and when the undead monster from the night descends upon them the suspense is nearly unbearable. A well-wrought tale that fans of real vampires--that is, the kind that don't sparkle--should uniformly treasure."
From the author ~ "It's my hope that readers will enjoy reading my books as much as I have enjoyed writing them. There's a lot more coming. I consider my readers to be my friends, and I am their biggest fan. Come hang out with us at www.TomReinhart.com and social media sites everywhere."
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 28, 2015
Loved this horrifying and gruesome read. Gave me goosebumps!!! Not a sparkling vampire in sight. Don't get me wrong because I love sparkly vampires it's just that I love scary vampires more.
March 12, 2014
I really enjoyed this story. It packed a lot of punch—and not a sparkle in sight.
Centering on a vampire and its kill of the night, Das Vampir switches between the viewpoint of the creature, and its unsuspecting victims. From the introduction of the first human character, you get a sense of normalcy and safety—that you know is about to be destroyed. The banter between the crew fleshes them out well and the detailed imagery put me right on the ship with them. I felt their anxiety about the catch, their need to get home after a long separation from their families. There was an underlying notion of eeriness to the isolation that comes with being alone on the water at night.
I’m of the mindset that vampires are meant to be frightening. And this one certainly is. It’s driven purely by instinct and the need to feed. Yet, on occasion, instinct says there had once been something more. It’s in these moments that the author does a fantastic job invoking just the right amount of sympathy for his monster. His subtle hints of a forgotten past transformed an average creature of the night into a compelling character. I wanted to know more. I could see a full length novel spun around its origins. But I wasn’t left feeling frustrated by any means. Mr. Reinhart expertly takes you through the creature’s fleeting ponderings of what was, sparking your imagination to fill in the blanks.
I was engrossed from the first paragraph. The writing has a wonderful poetic quality to it. Even the crabs were creepy! The cyclical nature of the story made for a complete and satisfying ending to a good, old fashioned (and wonderfully disturbing) vampire tale.
Centering on a vampire and its kill of the night, Das Vampir switches between the viewpoint of the creature, and its unsuspecting victims. From the introduction of the first human character, you get a sense of normalcy and safety—that you know is about to be destroyed. The banter between the crew fleshes them out well and the detailed imagery put me right on the ship with them. I felt their anxiety about the catch, their need to get home after a long separation from their families. There was an underlying notion of eeriness to the isolation that comes with being alone on the water at night.
I’m of the mindset that vampires are meant to be frightening. And this one certainly is. It’s driven purely by instinct and the need to feed. Yet, on occasion, instinct says there had once been something more. It’s in these moments that the author does a fantastic job invoking just the right amount of sympathy for his monster. His subtle hints of a forgotten past transformed an average creature of the night into a compelling character. I wanted to know more. I could see a full length novel spun around its origins. But I wasn’t left feeling frustrated by any means. Mr. Reinhart expertly takes you through the creature’s fleeting ponderings of what was, sparking your imagination to fill in the blanks.
I was engrossed from the first paragraph. The writing has a wonderful poetic quality to it. Even the crabs were creepy! The cyclical nature of the story made for a complete and satisfying ending to a good, old fashioned (and wonderfully disturbing) vampire tale.
November 3, 2015
Das Vampir is a welcome throwback to the true essence of the vampire.
The author pays a generous homage to Bram Stoker, and you can see in his writing a real authority in understanding the vampire's true nature. The immortal existence is not played out for laughs, indeed Tom Reinhart makes us understand that it is not necessarily cool to be a vampire, and the story is all the better for it.
The story is short but packs no less a punch of a full novel. I would have liked a little bit more character development of the non-vampire characters, but then again, the author makes no apology (nor should he) for the reason as to why they are there in the first place, They merely serve the purpose of being fodder for this most evil creature.
With this author's take on vampire lore, do not expect sparkles or seduction. It feeds, it kills, it yearns to, needs to do it all over again.
In this respect, the character development is bang on. Mr Reinhart's vampire is a winner because it is a truly terrifying entity.
And now onto the sequel!
The author pays a generous homage to Bram Stoker, and you can see in his writing a real authority in understanding the vampire's true nature. The immortal existence is not played out for laughs, indeed Tom Reinhart makes us understand that it is not necessarily cool to be a vampire, and the story is all the better for it.
The story is short but packs no less a punch of a full novel. I would have liked a little bit more character development of the non-vampire characters, but then again, the author makes no apology (nor should he) for the reason as to why they are there in the first place, They merely serve the purpose of being fodder for this most evil creature.
With this author's take on vampire lore, do not expect sparkles or seduction. It feeds, it kills, it yearns to, needs to do it all over again.
In this respect, the character development is bang on. Mr Reinhart's vampire is a winner because it is a truly terrifying entity.
And now onto the sequel!
July 31, 2014
Great reading... a vampire of pure evil...
Great reading... a vampire of pure evil...
Tom Reinhart has done a fantastic job of creating a very evil demon with no compulsion to be nice. This horrid creature finds the fishing boat in the middle of the ocean and proceeds to attack the crew, one by one, draining them of their blood and ripping them to pieces. There was on crew member that the vile demon had not killed, though, and he was weak from blood loss. The injured sailor has to try to stop that soulless creature, some how...
I highly recommend this book to all vampire story fans. You will not be disappointed.
Gaston Sanders, Author
Great reading... a vampire of pure evil...
Tom Reinhart has done a fantastic job of creating a very evil demon with no compulsion to be nice. This horrid creature finds the fishing boat in the middle of the ocean and proceeds to attack the crew, one by one, draining them of their blood and ripping them to pieces. There was on crew member that the vile demon had not killed, though, and he was weak from blood loss. The injured sailor has to try to stop that soulless creature, some how...
I highly recommend this book to all vampire story fans. You will not be disappointed.
Gaston Sanders, Author
February 14, 2014
Ever been afraid to watch a scary movie? That was me with this book. Afraid of nightmares even though Mr. Reinhart is one of my favorite authors.
I took the plunge and I'm so glad I did. Das Vampir is a short story that immediately left me wanting more! Even though it is short, the characters pop in that amount of time and the plot is solid. I definitely see more coming from this story in larger versions.
Kudos Mr. Reinhart for always giving me something thought provoking and entertaining. I'd give it 10 stars if I could.
I took the plunge and I'm so glad I did. Das Vampir is a short story that immediately left me wanting more! Even though it is short, the characters pop in that amount of time and the plot is solid. I definitely see more coming from this story in larger versions.
Kudos Mr. Reinhart for always giving me something thought provoking and entertaining. I'd give it 10 stars if I could.
February 17, 2014
For such a short story there was a lot of repetition. I think the author could have developed all the same characters and the theme with much greater potency in far fewer pages.
September 27, 2014
Great!
Now, this is a vampire book. Not a teenage heartthrob, but a scary, evil, hungry monster who wants to rip your throat out!
Now, this is a vampire book. Not a teenage heartthrob, but a scary, evil, hungry monster who wants to rip your throat out!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews