Real Vampires, Night Stalkers and Creatures from the Darkside

March 1, 2010
In a period dominated by the "Twilight" series, this book travels beneath fictional myths to find more obscure examples of vampirism, including alleged interactions with both physical and intangible entities. Twenty-seven chapters trace the origins of vampirism to Hebrew folklore and explore related paranormal intersections. Steiger ("Otherworldly Affaires") approaches each subject journalistically, alternating between objective first- and third-person narratives that include interview quotes. However, his stories lack verifiable documentation. Skepticism aside, this is a thought-provoking subject survey.

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2010
Gr 10 Up-Steiger has brought back to life an eerie account of an overlooked and often-forgotten history of vampirism. These creatures are not the sexy, strong, gorgeous, blood-sucking, supernatural beings made popular in literature and film. These vamps are shape-shifting parasites that invade the host like a virus and feed upon its soul, energy, and life force. They are truly monsters and murderers that offer only pain and suffering to their victims. Steiger dispels most vampire lore that has circulated for hundreds of years and discusses a variety of topics including blood cults, clinical vampirism, demon sacrifices, vampire ghosts, cannibalistic murderers, and serial killers, to name a few. His goal is to broaden the definition of vampirism, chronicling known and unknown tales and incorporating real-life experiences to support his research and findings. This dark and sinister read is not for "Twilight" followers, but rather for hardcore enthusiasts of vampire lore, the occult, and the paranormal."Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.