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Mammoth Book Of Vampires edited by Stephen Jones check out website: www.constablerobinson.com
The idea of eternal life that must be paid for by preying on the feeble
human race has proved irresistible ever since Bram Stoker's novel made garlic
de rigeur and, with the rise in popularity of the TV vampires now, is as good
a time as any to bring a revised version of the ever popular Mammoth collection.
With so many stories I was quite surprised that each one had a different angle. The literal blood-sucker is there in quantity but also satires that look at what vampirism does and doesn't do. Somebody who sucks the life out of someone else is used to good effect in Melanie Tem's 'The Better Half' and Clive Barker's 'Human Remains' but they are completely diverse stories. The longevity of the vampire is considered and in 'Andy Warhol's Dracula' the strong desire to live like a vampire. Alternate
realities where vampires rule, life-sucking trees and how the concept of time
is different for a vampire all form the basis of stories. Standout novellas are
'Investigating Jericho' where the tax office collects more than it bargains for
and 'Yellow Fog', a suitably gothic tale of possession and possessiveness. Some of the stories are previously published novellas and some quite short. It is paced well and there are plenty to read when you only have a short period available. This is not a book to read in one bite but to savour over a period of time. Most stories are good enough to be retained in the mind and some are neck and shoulders above the rest and there are no bad ones. With a multiplicity
of authors from very modern including Nancy Holder, who writes many of the Buffy
Tie-Ins, and authors such as Robert Bloch, better known for straightforward horror,
there is plenty of diversity within the 628 pages. Plenty to get your teeth into! Sue
Davies
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OTHER REVIEWS - September 2004
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Shortly
after finishing this book, I needed a transfusion. A massive collection of 35
stories here proves that there is an endless variety of interpretation of the
vampire story and also proves that the myth continues to attract a wide audience.
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