The media vampire has roots throughout the world, far beyond the shores of the usual dracula-inspired anglo-american archetypes. Depending on text and context, the vampire is a figure of anxiety and comfort, humor and fear, desire and revulsion. These dichotomies gesture the enduring prevalence of the vampire in mass culture; it can no longer articulate a single feeling or response, bound by time and geography, but is many things to many people.

In this book we try to answer this question, and in doing so we take you on journey through time and across the world.

• Discover the ancient legends of vampiric figures from the oldest civilisations on earth.
• Examine the eastern european folklore that inspired the modern vampire tales.
• Learn the scientific explanations for vampire myths
• Trace the literary vampire from its gothic beginnings to modern dark fantasy.
• Study the evolution of the cinematic vampire from silent cinema to hollywood blockbusters.
• Meet the twisted killers who made vampires all too real

The vampire is known throughout dateless antiquity. Assyria knew the vampire long ago, and he lurked amid the primaeval forests of mexico before cortes came. He is feared by the chinese, by the indian, and the malay alike; whilst arabian story tells us again and again of the ghouls who haunt ill-omened sepulchres and lonely crossways to attack and devour the unhappy traveller.