The History of the Vampire in Popular Culture

The History of the Vampire in Popular Culture written by Violet Fenn and published by Pen & Sword Books - £20 - Hardback - Pages 224

Our enduring love of vampires - the bad boys (and girls) of paranormal fantasy - has persisted for centuries. Despite being bloodthirsty, heartless killers, vampire stories commonly carry erotic overtones that are missing from other paranormal or horror stories.

Even when monstrous teeth are sinking into pale, helpless throats - especially then - vampires are sexy. But why? In A History Of The Vampire In Popular Culture, author Violet Fenn takes the reader through the history of vampires in ‘fact’ and fiction, their origins in mythology and literature and their enduring appeal on tv and film. We’ll delve into the sexuality - and sexism - of vampire lore, as well as how modern audiences still hunger for a pair of sharp fangs in the middle of the night.

This was a really pleasant surprise, not being a huge fan of Vampires. I can say that I really enjoyed this book and, to be honest, it seems vampires are around more often than you think. I suppose it helped to be in conjunction with popular culture as I had heard about a number of the books and films spoken about throughout. I enjoyed the writing of the author Violet Fenn who clearly knows her stuff as there was lots of good detail that was enjoyable and engaging. Maybe not a book that would appeal to the many, but actually I think people should give this a chance as I quite enjoyed it.