Includes bibliographical references (p. 477-480).

From Dracula to Buffy the Vampire Slayer; from Castlevania to True Blood, the romance between popular culture and vampires hearkens back to humanity's darkest, deepest fears, flowing through our very blood, fears of death, and life, and insatiable hunger. And yet, there is an attraction, undeniable, to the vampire archetype, whether the pale, wan European count, impeccably dressed and coldly masculine, or the vamp, the count's feminine counterpart, villain and victim in one, who uses her wiles and icy sexuality to corrupt man and woman alike. Vampire literature of the last three decades from many of today's most renowned authors of fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror.