The Tourist's Guide to Transylvania: A Traveller's Handbook of Count Dracula's Kingdom

by Count Ignatius de Ludes

80 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favourite reads when I was younger, my dad had it in his bookshelf for years. The bizarre images are burned into my brain.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A horror version of the "Terran Trade Federation" books. Paintings originally commissioned as horror and fantasy book cover art are featured with text added. In this case we get a guide to the supernatural horrors that tourists may encounter in the fictionalized Transylvania of Dracula and other horror works. The art is great, and the concept is great, but the prose was disappointing. The author expends a lot of prose on demonic manifestations and sorcerers, while all but ignoring the creatures most associated with Transylvania, vampires. It's an odd choice. Otherwise, an interesting exercise in worldbuilding, and a nice collection of horror cover art.

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have never actually read the text, but many of the pictures are just perfect.

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting little oddity, ostensibly for the Kid's market. Very large hardcover, glossy cover and paper, featuring reproductions of lots and lots of fantasy and horror artwork (book covers, interior illos, paintings) - hung together with a purported "tourist's guide" to Transylvania (becomes a bit of a stretch with some of the obviously sci-fi book covers and paintings - passed of as interdimensional demons). But then, who's complaining? Really, it's a spectacle for the eyes - the text is negligible (if occasionally well-done, it must be said).

Basically, this is what happens when a publishing house (Octopus Books) in the early 1980's decides to plunder it's art holdings to create some object/book for the market that will cost them almost nothing - and that's fine, of course. One has to wonder, though, how Christopher Lee felt, seeing his likeness, thanks to Hammer horror-related paintings, slapped onto any old thing. Well, though, he probably signed the contracts....

[Mike Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This interesting work of fiction is written as a tour guide to the famous Romanian province as if the supernatural were real. An interesting mish-mash of folklore with top-notch horror and fantasy artwork.

[Stephen Theaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weaves an imaginary tourist guide around loads of superb book covers. Great for children who love to be scared.