The Vampire Archives

The Most Complete Volume of Vampire Tales Ever Published

By: Clive Barker, Robert Bloch, Stephen King, Kim Newman - foreword, Neil Gaiman - preface, Otto Penzler - editor

Narrated by: Scott Brick, Jonathan Cowley, Erik Davies

Length: 61 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

The Vampire Archives is the biggest, hungriest, undeadliest collection of vampire stories, as well as the most comprehensive bibliography of vampire fiction ever assembled. Dark, stormy, and delicious, once it sinks its teeth into you there’s no escape.

Vampires! Whether imagined by Bram Stoker or Anne Rice, they are part of the human lexicon and as old as blood itself. They are your neighbors, your friends, and they are always lurking. Now Otto Penzler—editor of the best-selling Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps—has compiled the darkest, the scariest, and by far the most evil collection of vampire stories ever, with over 80 stories, including the works of Stephen King and D. H. Lawrence, alongside Lord Byron and Tanith Lee, not to mention Edgar Allan Poe and Harlan Ellison. The Vampire Archives will drive a stake through the heart of any other collection out there.

Other contributors include Arthur Conan Doyle, Ray Bradbury, Ambrose Bierce, H. P. Lovecraft, Harlan Ellison, Roger Zelazny, Robert Bloch, and Clive Barker.

©2009 Otto Penzler (P)2011 Random House

This caught my attention and held it!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I got this merely for the genre and the length. I am not typically a huge "vampire" fan. Other medias have worn me out with the same old portrayals and analysis of the legend. But it was days long and I figured I would find at least a couple of stories that would be worth hearing. I usually listen on my way to and from work. I have an hour drive each way. I have a 16 year old son who's very socially active, a 4 year old grandson who keeps me running and a full time job. Those things unfortunatly have robbed me of my much loved reading time. That's when I found audible. While it wasn't reading, it did allow me to listen to books and that was better than nothing. When I started this, I started it with the expectation of the same old vampire steals in sucks girls blood may or may not change and or kill her while people chase him to kill him. I couldn't have been more wrong. There are stories here that captured my attention and held it in a way I would have never expected. Everything from the usual vampire tales straight forward in nature. Then there are stories that you have to remind yourself it's a vampire story. Then there are the ones that are so subtle that you find yourself destracted in a way that you'd never expected. I've found so many authors in this archive that I'd over looked, hadn't heard of or frankly never considered my type of author. LOL I guess that lends to the whole book by the cover thing doens't it lol. If you like a good story, if you like straight in your face or a more subtle nuance in a story; this book is for you.

What did you like best about this story?

The uniqueness of the stories. From the bold and expected to the unexpected and subtle stories.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have and so often the narrotor is judged on the story. This is that way as well. If you like the narrator doing one story you may not care so much for them doing a different one. But you will find something you like.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved loved loved Popsy. It's such a simple straight forward story. You find yourself feeling sorry for the child and understanding that in this instance the vampire isn't the "bad guy". The bad guy is the non vampire, the human who would sacrifice a small child for an addiction he can't understand or beat. It moves quite nicely and keeps you interested. There are actually alot of stories like Popsy. It's really hard to say just this one or that one. I think Popsy stands out to me because of the visuals that my mind created with the telling. Plus I have kids and isn't that one of a parents greatest fears?

Any additional comments?

This book is truly worth the credits and more. It gave me hours and hours of enjoyment. However more importantly it showed me not to judge a book by the cover, the author by a previous story or a narrator by his last job. If you like supernatural stories, rather you prefer hot blood spashed across your face or that tingle at the base of your neck from something you can't see, I promise you will find more and more in this book to like than you ever thought you could. GET IT NOW! :-)

About 7 hours into it, just fantastic!

If you could sum up The Vampire Archives in three words, what would they be?

I truly love the older tales about the vampires. The old English and the way they were written are just amazing. Also, the way the narrators describe the author before the story begins is very helpful.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Too many to count.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

So far, they are fine.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Impossible, 60 hours... I did listen to about 6 hours straight though.

Any additional comments?

Would recommend to anyone not looking for super gory, but well written literature.

A Fantastic Collection of Themed Horror, BRAVO!

This was exactly what I was looking for and over the last few years has been my go to on dark and snowy days and bright days weeding in the garden. I so enjoy the author descriptions and will have to find collections of new authors. Many an old friend has piped up too whom I will read again. You will not be disappointed. I have bought the paperback too, and now read some of the stories as if they were old friends.

Great Collection

I really really love this collection & definitely was worth saving up a credit for. Though some of the stories I wouldn't categories as vampire stories, they are still spooky & in the horror genre.

Table of Contents - revised

Thanks to reviewer TB for accurately typing out all the chapter and story titles. I have added the audiobook part numbers (it downloads in 8 parts) and track numbers for the beginning of each story. I have begun adding the publication year of each story, and will update this review when I have completed collecting the dates. Enjoy.

THE VAMPIRE ARCHIVES

–PART 1–
1. Foreword— Kim Newman
Preface— Neil Gaiman
2. Introduction— Otto Penzler

PRE-DRACULA
3. Good Lady Ducayne— M. E. Braddon, 1896
6. The Last Lords of Gardonal— William Gilbert, 1867
8. A Mystery of the Campagna— Anne Crawford, 1886
10. The Fate of Madame Cabanel— Eliza Lynn Linton, 1880
11. Let Loose— Mary Cholmondeley, 1890
12. The Vampire— Vasile Alecsandri, 1886
13. The Death of Halpin Frayser— Ambrose Bierce, 1893
17. Ken’s Mystery— Julian Hawthorne, 1883
–PART 2–
2. Carmilla— Sheridan Le Fanu, 1872
18. The Tomb of Sarah— F. G. Loring, 1900
19. Ligeia— Edgar Allan Poe, 1838
20. The Old Portrait— Hume Nisbet, 1890
21. The Vampire Maid— Hume Nisbet, 1890

TRUE STORIES
22. The Sad Story of a Vampire— Eric (Count) Stenbock, 1894
23. A Case of Alleged Vampirism— Luigi Capuana, 1907
24. An Authenticated Vampire Story— Franz Hartmann, 1909

GRAVEYARDS, CASTLES, CHURCHES, RUINS
25. Revelations in Black— Carl Jacobi, 1933
–PART 3–
2. The Master of Rampling Gate— Anne Rice, 1984
3. The Vampire of Kaldenstein— Frederick Cowles, 1938
7. An Episode of Cathedral History— M. R. James, 1914
8. Schloss Wappenburg— D. Scott-Moncrieff, 1948
9. The Hound— H. P. Lovecraft, 1924
10. Bite-Me-Not or, Fleur De Fur— Tanith Lee, 1984
16. The Horror at Chilton Castle— Joseph Payne Brennan, 1963
17. The Singular Death of Morton— Algernon Blackwood, 1910
18. The Death of Ilalotha— Clark Ashton Smith, 1937

THAT'S POETIC
19. The Bride of Corinth— Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe , 1797
20. The Giaour— Lord Byron
21. La Belle Dame Sans Merci— John Keats

HARD TIMES FOR VAMPIRES
22. Place of Meeting— Charles Beaumont
23. Duty— Ed Gorman
24. A Week in the Unlife— David J. Schow

CLASSIC TALES
26. Four Wooden Stakes— Victor Roman, 1925
27. The Room in the Tower— E. F. Benson, 1912
–PART 4–
2. Mrs. Amworth— E. F. Benson, 1923
3. Doctor Porthos— Basil Copper, 1968
9. For the Blood Is the Life— F. Marion Crawford, 1905
10. Count Magnus— M. R. James, 1904
11. When It Was Moonlight— Manly Wade Wellman, 1940
12. The Drifting Snow— August Derleth, 1939
13. Aylmer Vance and the Vampire— Alice and Claude Askew, 1914
14. Dracula’s Guest— Bram Stoker, 1914
15. The Transfer— Algernon Blackwood, 1912
16. The Stone Chamber— H. B. Marriott Watson, 1899
17. The Vampire— Jan Neruda, 1920
18. The End of the Story— Clark Ashton Smith, 1930

–PART 5–
PSYCHIC VAMPIRES
2. The Lovely Lady— D. H. Lawrence
3. The Parasite— Arthur Conan Doyle
7. Lonely Women Are the Vessels of Time— Harlan Ellison

SOMETHING FEELS FUNNY
8. Blood— Fredric Brown
9. Popsy— Stephen King, 1987
10. The Werewolf and the Vampire— R. Chetwynd-Hayes
11. Drink My Red Blood— Richard Matheson
12. Dayblood— Roger Zelazny

LOVE... FOREVER
13. Replacements— Lisa Tuttle
14. Princess of Darkness— Frederick Cowles
–PART 6–
2. The Silver Collar— Garry Kilworth
3. The Old Man’s Story— Walter Starkie
4. Will— Vincent O’Sullivan
6. Blood-Lust— Dion Fortune
10. The Canal— Everil Worrell
11. When Gretchen Was Human— Mary A. Turzillo
12. The Story of Chugoro— Lafcadio Hearn

THEY GATHER
13. The Men & Women of Rivendale— Steve Rasnic Tem
14. Winter Flowers— Tanith Lee
15. The Man Who Loved the Vampire Lady— Brian Stableford
16. Midnight Mass— F. Paul Wilson

–PART 7–
IS THAT A VAMPIRE?
2. The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire— Arthur Conan Doyle
3. A Dead Finger— Sabine Baring-Gould
7. Wailing Well— M. R. James
8. Human Remains— Clive Barker
10. The Vampire— Sydney Horler
11. Stragella— Hugh B. Cave
12. Marsyas in Flanders— Vernon Lee
15. The Horla— Guy De Maupassant
16. The Girl with the Hungry Eyes— Fritz Leiber

THIS IS WAR
17. The Living Dead— Robert Bloch, 1967
–PART 8–
2. Down Among the Dead Men— Gardner Dozois & Jack Dann

MODERN MASTERS
3. Necros— Brian Lumley
8. The Man Upstairs— Ray Bradbury
9. Chastel— Manly Wade Wellman
10. Dracula’s Chair— Peter Tremayne
11. Special— Richard Laymon
12. Carrion Comfort— Dan Simmons
14. The Sea Was Wet as Wet Could Be— Gahan Wilson, 1967
The Vampire: A Bibliography— Compiled by Daniel Seitler

Vamp Arch.

Would you listen to The Vampire Archives again? Why?

parts of it more than others yes

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Vampire Archives?

The variety of story tellers

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Can't say they were so many good ones

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Tried that but just couldnt make it. Haha

vampire yawns

this book has very good short stories about vampires . also it has brutally boring stories . it also contains short stories that have no vampires , but a disembodied hand for example . it is worth the money though .so pick and choose your favorite and enjoy .

not all of them are vampire stories just fyi

Any additional comments?

i mean it was long and thats what i wanted but some of the stories are subpar and others have not ideal narrators

great collection

wide variety of the essentials. this collection is huge and will keep you busy for awhile!

Fabulous!

A fabulous collection of vampire stories from the top authors of horror. I could not stop listening. Entranced by the stories and the narrators. All magnificent. Scott Brick, Jonathan Cooley, Simon Vance, Erik Davies, Stephen Hoye and Robin Sachs are the excellent. I could listen to any story narrated by these luminaries of the narration industry. They bring such life and imagery to the stories. Moving onto to Fangs: The Vampire Archives 2 right after I complete this review!