Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Vampire Archives  By  cover art

The Vampire Archives

By: Clive Barker, Robert Bloch, Stephen King, Kim Newman - foreword, Neil Gaiman - preface, Otto Penzler - editor
Narrated by: Scott Brick, Jonathan Cowley, Erik Davies
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $49.50

Buy for $49.50

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

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

What listeners say about The Vampire Archives

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    291
  • 4 Stars
    145
  • 3 Stars
    102
  • 2 Stars
    40
  • 1 Stars
    40
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    276
  • 4 Stars
    124
  • 3 Stars
    84
  • 2 Stars
    22
  • 1 Stars
    21
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    239
  • 4 Stars
    135
  • 3 Stars
    86
  • 2 Stars
    37
  • 1 Stars
    30

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Stunningly Massive Collection of Vampire Literature!

Where to begin?

First, in simple terms, this book is exactly what it says on the tin: One of the largest and most varied compilations of vampire-related novels, short-stories and prose out there.

Second, as seems inevitable with most compilations -certainly any of this size- there were many stories I found thoroughly enjoyable and a few I found rather blasé, but surprisingly none I would say were outright bad. Others might disagree, but fortunately with this many offerings if one were to bump into a story they disliked they could just skip on to the next and likely be at no real loss.

Third, and this I’d likely consider the most important point to bear in mind, the stories brought together here span across time, location and genre. For that reason, the uninitiated and the inexperienced will inevitably find that the “vampires” in many of these works don’t at all resemble the typical post-Hollywood image of the vampire. Yes, many do fit the bill of the accursed, bloodsucking revenant; even the not-so-cursed smooth operator with the mild hangup of only taking his/her lunch from a fresh vein.
But in many cases the story stretches the term “vampire” somewhat to include, for instance, a seemingly normal human who drains the emotional or vital energies from those around them; or the severed hand of a cruel and wicked man, bent on taking others with it to the grave. Rest assured, this is perfectly acceptable for vampire horror. Such stories reach back to the deepest antiquities of folklore, when the distinction between vampire, ghost, witch, werewolf and demon was far less distinct than the neat and tidy categories we keep them in today. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the variety. (If you happen to get curious about these other types of vampires, I recommend checking out “The Vampire Slayer’s Field Guide to the Undead”)

Last thing is the voice acting. There are multiple different VAs, some I like more than others, but they pretty much all do a good job.
I’d readily say this book is worth the credit.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

SO MUCH CONTENT!!

I like most of what I've read so far, but some of these stories are better than others. A few of these are slow, but I'd definitely recommend this overall. Especially when THERE'S SO MUCH OF THIS STUFF TO GET THROUGH! You might want to use a subscription point for this one!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Hidden treasure

I was seriously overjoyed to discover this hidden treasure strove of horror! There were stories well written by authors I had never experienced before. Well read and everything from funny to extremely gross. Loved this book and plan to revisit it many times!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Desperately needs titles of short stories

There is nothing more irritating than finding a story you love and you need to open a review somebody else left to see who the author is and the title of the story. One star all around until this is fixed.

Otherwise, it was a fantastic collection of stories that filled up my October of driving.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

NOT VAMPIRE STORIES! Authors Throughout History

First and foremost, if you get this as an audio book, the chapters in no way reflect the actual vampire stories and there is no index of stories or authors, so there is absolutely no way to go to the stories and or authors you got this book hoping to read. Every chapter is about a period of writing and begins with a detailed history of that period, then goes on to discuss the pertinent writers, and, I'm assuming, eventually gets around to the actual stories (however I have no actual proof of this, as I haven't been able to fast forward through a chapter in an increment that gets to an actual story so, in fact, there may not be any actual stories, only descriptions of what the vampires are like in each author's work.) If what you are looking for is an in-depth description of the writers of vampire fiction throughout history, you've come to the right place. If you actually wanted to read stories about vampires (like I did), you will be VERY disappointed!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

worth the time and money

I loved this compilation. A few of the stories were just so-so but several were fantastic. If you love vampire stories you will love this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This one tops my list for a lot of reasons.

This collection is a treasure, so many writers and stories never before heard. The performances are all very good as well. You may not love every single story, but I promise overall if you are a dark literature fan, you will enjoy this.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Some of the stories weren’t great. Some of the narrators were horrible.

Just know there are some hidden beauties. Listen for them. And watch out for the stinkers.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Ultimate vampire collection

Worth the credit and then some. I enjoyed every last drop of this anthology.

I’m now listening to it for a third time!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

62 hrs of the best vampire stories

It's worth a second listen to be honest. The narration is great and almost every story hits you a different way, You might think that 60 hrs of short stories would become boring or redundant but the unique takes, writing styles and great narration keep you excitingly anticipating the next take. One of my top favorite purchases.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!