By Blood We Live

August 24, 2009
Three volumes of vampires.
By Blood We Live
Edited by John Joseph Adams
. Night Shade
( www.nightshadebooks.com
), $15.95 paper (496p) ISBN 978-1-59780-156-0

The usually superlative Adams (Federations
) delivers a merely solid collection of modern vampire tales. Although most of the stories are reprints, John Langan's novella “The Wide, Carnivorous Sky,” original to the volume, is the highlight, telling the tale of four Fallujah veterans who witness something even more horrific than war. Many of the classic reprints (including Stephen King's “One for the Road” and Jane Yolen's “Mama Gone”) are worthwhile, but the newer reprints are a mixed bag. Bruce McAllister's “Hit” is witty and touching; Lilith Saintcrow's attempted hard-boiled pastiche, “A Standup Dame,” completely flops. Vampire fans might wish for more humor and unusual twists on the theme, but there are enough standout stories—including Gabriella Lee's gorgeous “Hunger” and Michael Marshall Smith's melancholy “This Is Now”—to satisfy and entertain.

December 1, 2009
Adult/High School-This anthology offers many perspectives on vampires and includes 30 short stories by popular authors written over the last 30 years. Included are Neil Gaiman's unusual take on Snow White, Anne Rice's story in which the houseor is it a being within?takes control, and Harry Turtledove's tale about what is really hidden under St. Peter's in Rome and its implications for the Catholic Church. A number of these stories are sexual in nature and a few are downright disturbing. Consider this purchase if you have mature vampire, fantasy, and horror readers."Janet Melikian, Central High School East, Fresno, CA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2009
While the simultaneously published Vampire Archives culls from nearly two centuries worth of bloodcurdling (and draining) fiction, this collection consists entirely of ASL stories, in that all were written After Salems Lot (1975), which brought vampires back in fashion. Appropriately, the oldest story in this survey, given pride of place in a horror collectiondead lastis Stephen Kings One for the Road, the first sequel to his breakthrough novel; its flayingly repulsive final image typifies the freshness of his early work. Plenty in the first rank of those famous for working with vampiresAnne Rice, L. A. Banks, Kelley Armstrong, Brian Lumley, Tanith Lee, David Wellingtonare represented here, alongside all manner of fantasy, sf, alt-history, YA, and even thriller reliables: Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen, Tad Williams, Kevin J. Anderson, Harry Turtledove, Eric Van Lustbader, and their ilk. All kinds of concepts are on view, too. Andersons entry stars Bela Lugosi during the making of the movie Dracula. Michael A. Bursteins Lifeblood is an allegory of Jewish assimilation. For its size and variety, consider this the contemporary vampire anthology.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)