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Post by dem bones on Sept 13, 2015 6:36:52 GMT
Stephen Jones (ed.) – The Mammoth Book of Vampire Stories by Women (Robinson, 2001) Les Edwards Ingrid Pitt – Introduction: My life Among The Undead
Anne Rice – The Master Of Rampling Gate Poppy Z. Brite – Homewrecker Mary A. Turzillo – When Gretchen Was Human Tanya Huff – The Vengeful Spirit Of Lake Nepeakea Nancy Kilpatrick – La Diente Tina Rath – Miss Massingberg And The Vampire Freda Warrington – The Raven Bound Nancy A. Collins – Vampire King And The Goth Chicks Storm Constantine – Just His Type Elizabeth Hand – Prince Of Flowers Louise Cooper – Services Rendered Janet Berliner – Aftermath Yvonne Navarro – One Among Millions Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman – Luella Miller Lisa Tuttle – Sangre Chelsea Quinn Yarbo – A Question Of Patronage Ingrid Pitt – Hisako San Kathryn Ptacek – Butternut And Blood Wendy Webb – Sleeping Cities E. Nesbit – The Haunted House Roberta Lannes – Turkish Delight Tanith Lee – Venus Rising On Water Gemma Files – Year Zero Mary E. Braddon – Good Lady Ducayne Melanie Tem – Lunch At Charon’s Elizabeth Massie – Forever, Amen Ellen Kushner – Night Laughter Christa Faust – Bootleg Gala Blau – Outfangtheif Pat Cadigan – My Brother’s Keeper Caitlin R. Keirnan – So Runs The World Away Gwyneth Jones – A North Light Connie Willis – Jack Jane Yolen – VampyrBlurb "Fashions change, and the urbane vampire created by Byron and cemented in place by Stoker has had to move on ... Are you, like me, ready for the new dusk?" - Ingrid Pitt.
Collected here for the first time are 34 uncanny and erotic tales of vampires, written by some of supernatural fiction’s greatest mistresses of the macabre. From the classic stories of Edith Nesbit, Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman and Mary Elizabeth Braddon, to modern incarnations by such acclaimed writers as Poppy Z. Brite, Nancy Kilpatrick, Tanith Lee, Caitlin R. Kiernan and Pat Cadigan, these blood-drinkers and soul-stealers range from the sexual to the sanguinary, from the tormented good to the unspeakably evil.
Among these children of the night you will encounter Chelsea Quinn Yarbro’s Byronic vampire Saint-Germain, Nancy A. Collins’ undead heroine Sonja Blue, Tanya Huff’s vampiric detective Vicki Nelson and Freda Warrington’s age-old lovers Karl and Charlotte.
Featuring the only vampire short story written by Anne Rice, the undisputed queen of vampire literature, and boasting an autobiographical introduction and original tale by Ingrid Pitt, the star of Hammer Films’ The Vampire Lovers and Countess Dracula, this is one anthology from which every vampire fan will want to drink deep.So, by one of those strange quirks of bookaholism, the week I learned (approx. 12 months after everybody else) that Robinson and Best New Horror are no longer an item, is the week I snag copies of this and Marie O'Regan's Mammoth Book Of Ghost Stories By Women within 24 hours of each other. A bit nervy about Mammoth Book Of Vampire Stories By Women as I overdosed on these fang-faced bloodsuckers in the 'nineties to degree where I now loathe just about every aspect of subject, so a bookshelf-busting 600+ pager is v. likely to test patience to maximum. Ingrid Pitt – Introduction: My life Among The Undead: Five pages of Ingrid's amusing reflections on the makings of The Vampire Lovers, Countess Dracula, The House That Dripped Blood, and an uncomfortable trip to Sighisoara, birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, where the locals have a down on Mr. Bram Stoker. Nancy A. Collins – Vampire King And The Goth Chicks: ( Cemetery Dance # 28, Fall 1998). "Shawna stands there gaping up at the vampire lord as if he were Jim Morrison, Robert Smith and Danzig rolled into one." If there's one thing Sonja Blue, the vampire-slaying vampire, detests more than her own kind, it's those poseurs who adopt all the trappings to lure the innocent into their clutches. 'Lord Rhymer,' who claims to be three-hundred years old, is one such specimen. Strip away the fancy threads and dentures and he's just another pathetic, impotent wretch with a cruel stammer, but his masquerade is enough to persuade impressionable Goth's Serge, Tanith and Sable to perform for him in the ruined church he's acquired and festooned with horror props courtesy of a sizeable inheritance. Tonight the trio pick up a new girl at local Friday Night Goth hang-out, The Red Raven , to participate in the orgy. Sonja enjoys a voyeuristic thrill before bringing Rhymer's party days to an end. Pop culture references include Sonja's tattered New York Dolls t-shirt, Marilyn Manson, bad Cure haircuts, and Charles Bukowski. Tina Rath – Miss Massingberg And The Vampire: ( Woman's Realm, 25 Jan. 1986). Miss Massingberg, schoolteacher, virgin, and confirmed spinster, experiences love-lust at first sight when she chances upon a cloaked stranger in St. Elphege's churchyard, who vanishes on sight of the approaching vicar. Both Miss Massingberg and the Holy Man benefit from her seismic encounter. Short and sweet. Ellen Kushner – Night Laughter: (Charles L. Grant [ed.], After Midnight, 1986). Vampires as dancing, dressy-up lovers of the New York night-life. At least they give the bums a break which is more than can be said for many.
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Post by dem bones on Sept 13, 2015 18:28:07 GMT
Ingrid Pitt – Hisako San: Most welcome surprise to date, a gripping pulp horror adventure with a high body count. One kiss from Hisako San and the recipient rots alive within twenty four hours, legacy of the rare lymphatic disease passed on from parents who survived the Nagasaki A-bomb attack. Until her recent escape, Miss San had spent her life to date in the isolation ward of a Military Hospital, and now she's making up for lost time. Her prime target is Senator Osram Manhelm, current whereabouts, London, who was part of the team who obliterated her home city. Detective Sergeant Janet Cooper must somehow put Hisako's busy mouth out of commission.
Christa Faust – Bootleg: Ten years ago aged 21, modestly successful author, Mona Merino, was strutting her stuff as Diva Demona, legendary Hell-bound leather Rock Goddess, until she tired of the death-style (Bloodgames, fetish mags, The Cure, Siouxsie, Sisters of Mercy, excruciatingly pretentious lust letters - "My most exquisite slave ... Yours in eternal darkness, " - etc.). Unlike Mona, Victorine, her estranged love-slave and "Gothic vampire fan-girl from Hell," never moved on. Coaxed from self-imposed retirement to provide vocals for her girlfriends demo tape, Mona discovers what it's like to be well and truly bootlegged when she encounters Victorine's new mistress - her doppelgänger.
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Post by ohthehorror on Sept 13, 2015 19:02:15 GMT
I was just drooling over this and decided to see if my next Kindle purchase might be staring me in the face, and low and behold, I shall treat myself next week. Hooray....!
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Post by dem bones on Sept 14, 2015 11:06:12 GMT
I shall treat myself next week. Hooray....! On the evidence of those stories sampled to date, if Goths in peril is your thing, you've come to the right book. As yet, it's not quite grabbed me as I'd have liked, but that will be the subject matter - all things "vampires" give me the irrits these days. Also, the prospect of Anne Rice's soporific Master Of Rampling Gate waiting in the wings weighs heavy. Anyway; "You don't know what you're asking for. The vampires you're so enamoured of, they're just fashion accessories, a romantic myth. You don't want the truth of it, believe me."
"How dare you! You make me sound like some stupid little girl who's just into looking weird. I'm not enamoured by anything."Storm Constantine – Just His Type: "Noah! She's a fan, Okay? For Gods sake, be careful." Wise words from Abby, who attends leaflet-dispensing duties at his shows, but when did the esteemed author of The Search For Nosferatu ever listen? Noah has taken to supplementing his precarious income by giving talks upstairs in this local pub, The Gun & Duck. Tonight brings a new attendee, Lara Hoskins, a devilishly attractive young Goth whose obsession with vampires is driven by a burning desire to meet the real deal, specifically the (very spectacular) Vulture people, an immortal Shamanic tribe believed to have inspired the entire ethos. Noah has already survived a brush with them once and it cost his psychic partner her sanity .... Poppy Z. Brite – Homewrecker: Uncle Edna has never forgiven Verna, for luring Uncle Jude, the one true love of his life, into heterosexual marriage. The trollop! What's so special about her anyway? Edna's little boy tracks her down to a sleazy bar and finds himself in a Live Girls situation. Transvestitism, child-abuse and slobbering. PZB sure packs plenty into three pages.
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Post by ohthehorror on Sept 14, 2015 14:44:33 GMT
I shall treat myself next week. Hooray....! [...]all things "vampires" give me the irrits these days.
Yeah maybe I'll hold off. It wasn't so much the stories as the Introduction that tempted me. I'm with you on the vampire thing though, I'd really like to see an anthology of real, proper, monstrous vampire stories. I wonder if one even exists?
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Post by dem bones on Sept 14, 2015 17:59:14 GMT
Yeah maybe I'll hold off. It wasn't so much the stories as the Introduction that tempted me. I'm with you on the vampire thing though, I'd really like to see an anthology of real, proper, monstrous vampire stories. I wonder if one even exists?
I'm not sure about that, but no question, there have been some excellent collections down the years, including: Robert Weinberg, Stefan R. Dziemainowicz, & Martin H. Greenberg (eds.) Weird Vampire TalesAlan Ryan (ed.) Penguin Book Of Vampire StoriesStephen Jones (ed.) Mammoth Book Of VampiresRichard Dalby (ed.) - Dracula's BroodPeter Haining (ed.) - VampireMichel Parry (ed.) Rivals Of DraculaMammoth Book of Vampire Stories by Women is looking good too. It's hardly the authors' faults that I'd likely have enjoyed it more had I read it at time of publication.
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Post by ripper on Sept 15, 2015 17:52:44 GMT
Any anthology with a story by Anne Rice puts me off a little. I'm afraid that I just don't enjoy her tales, having struggled half-way through 'Interview with the Vampire' and given up. Also, in the more modern anthologies I am wary of encountering Twilight-type vampires and the almost inevitable goths. I have the Ryan, Jones and Dalby titles mentioned previously, and it is the Dalby that I most often return to. It is really the Ingrid Pitt introduction and story that draws me. Is this the only short story that she wrote does anyone know?
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Post by dem bones on Sept 16, 2015 5:12:57 GMT
It is really the Ingrid Pitt introduction and story that draws me. Is this the only short story that she wrote does anyone know? I think so, but would be happy to be told otherwise. Used to enjoy reading her regular Pitt Of Horror column in the Buffycentric Shivers magazine. Ingrid wrote beautifully. Any anthology with a story by Anne Rice puts me off a little. I'm afraid that I just don't enjoy her tales, having struggled half-way through 'Interview with the Vampire' and given up. Also, in the more modern anthologies I am wary of encountering Twilight-type vampires and the almost inevitable goths. Goths are fine by me, but Goths in fiction are another matter. For some reason, the authors almost invariably concentrate on the poor little rich kids and pretentious gits. Anne Rice – The Master Of Rampling Gate: ( Redbook, Feb. 1984). At least the third time I've read this, but the first it's stuck. Essentially a Gothic Romance, with Mrs. Rice attempting a classic Victorian ghost story atmosphere replete with virginal heroine and a vampire who is handsome, gentlemanly, SYMPATHETIC (that should be warning enough). The gist is; Father's dying request is that Robert, his son and heir, demolish the family's gloomy Gothic country pile and rid the world of an "unspeakable evil." The boy and his sister, Julia, agree that the least they should do is visit the property before signing it's death warrant. The vampire makes himself known to Julia after reading her unpublished manuscript, which has filled his heart with love. He has no intention of harming the siblings but will not stand idly by should Robert honour his father's wishes. Julia, by now intent on becoming the bride of death, contrives a solution that suits all. A feel-good story, probably loved by millions, and good luck to them.
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Post by ripper on Sept 16, 2015 11:14:29 GMT
It's just that in modern vampire fiction the presence of a goth seems to have become somewhat of a cliche. Either a goth girl or boy turns out to be a vampire, or a goth girl or boy falls under the spell of a vampire, or variations thereof. Also, much vampire fiction seems to be bordering or straying into the realm of paranormal romance. I much prefer my vampires to be ruthless bloodsuckers rather than angst-ridden romantics.
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Post by ripper on Sept 16, 2015 11:21:31 GMT
I presume the Pitt tale was written specifically for the anthology and not reprinted from elsewhere.
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Post by dem bones on Sept 16, 2015 15:06:54 GMT
I presume the Pitt tale was written specifically for the anthology and not reprinted from elsewhere. Either that, or it was lying around unpublished until Mr. Jones gave her the call. It's probably for the best I decamp to Mammoth Book Of Ghost Stories by Women for a bit. 'The Master of @*!!ing Rampling Gate' has completely screwed up my mojo!
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Post by ripper on Sept 16, 2015 17:47:18 GMT
Ingrid didn't do too badly with an introduction plus a story. I am sure you can imagine that marvelously sexy voice of hers as you read it. Don't know if she ever got into audio books but she would have been great.
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Post by bobby on Sept 21, 2015 1:42:30 GMT
Yeah maybe I'll hold off. It wasn't so much the stories as the Introduction that tempted me. I'm with you on the vampire thing though, I'd really like to see an anthology of real, proper, monstrous vampire stories. I wonder if one even exists?
I'm not sure about that, but no question, there have been some excellent collections down the years, including: Robert Weinberg, Stefan R. Dziemainowicz, & Martin H. Greenberg (eds.) Weird Vampire TalesAlan Ryan (ed.) Penguin Book Of Vampire StoriesStephen Jones (ed.) Mammoth Book Of VampiresRichard Dalby (ed.) - Dracula's BroodPeter Haining (ed.) - VampireMichel Parry (ed.) Rivals Of DraculaMammoth Book of Vampire Stories by Women is looking good too. It's hardly the authors' faults that I'd likely have enjoyed it more had I read it at time of publication. Another good vampire anthology is Blood Muse: Timeless Tales of Vampires in the Arts (edited by Esther M. Friesner and Martin H. Greenberg), which I bought remaindered in the 1990's.
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Post by ripper on Aug 23, 2016 7:40:44 GMT
To that list of anthologies I would also add 'Vintage Vampire Stories' edited by Robert Eighteen-Bisang and Richard Dalby, particularly if you are fond of older, more obscure tales.
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Post by cauldronbrewer on Jun 2, 2018 1:03:25 GMT
On the evidence of those stories sampled to date, if Goths in peril is your thing, you've come to the right book. As yet, it's not quite grabbed me as I'd have liked, but that will be the subject matter - all things "vampires" give me the irrits these days. Also, the prospect of Anne Rice's soporific Master Of Rampling Gate waiting in the wings weighs heavy. I bought The Mammoth Book of Vampire Stories by Women two or so years ago to fill a Mammoth-sized gap in one of my bookshelves, and now I'm finally getting around to reading it. It hasn't grabbed me yet, either, though I'm pinning my hopes on the tales by Ingrid Pitt (the next one up), Caitlin Kiernan, and the late, great Tanith Lee. The stories by Braddon, Nisbet, and (particularly) Wilkins-Freeman are all classics, but familiar. The newer ones aren't bad, but few of them have left much of an impression. I liked the setup for Huff's "The Vengeful Spirit Of Lake Nepeakea," but could've done with more vampire action and/or lake spirit action. Elizabeth Hand's "Prince of Flowers" was a bright spot--evil dolls are always welcome, especially when they're also bloodsuckers. I'd already read "Master of Rampling Gate," so I skipped it this time. But I will admit to liking the Comte Saint-Germain story by Chelsea Quinn Y...
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