Happy Goat Horror

Dark bleatings, my toothy tribe! For those of you who are like me, longing for scarier vampire stories, I have taken the liberty of compiling this list of some of my favourites for you. You wont find entries like The Sookie Stackhouse novels here – though I do enjoy sexy vampires as much as the next person – this list is reserved more for the horror side of vampire fiction than the paranormal adventure side.

Before we start, honourable mentions go to John Polidori’s The Vampyre, and Nathan Robinson’s Ketchup on Everything – great stories that didn’t quite crack my Top 10, but are worthwhile reads nonetheless.

10. Carrion Comfort – by Dan Simmons

A weird one in that this doesn’t deal with blood drinkers – we’re dealing with psychic vampires in this story. It’s a huge, multi-POV story that centres around an old, small group of vicious, vampiric murderers who kill for sport, and for fun. I listened to the audiobook whilst redecorating my living room last year, and the hours just fell away as I enjoyed this story, in awe.

9. Salem’s Lot – by Stephen King

This is one of the few books that have really given me the chills – I still remember how I felt reading certain scary passages. If you’re looking for a classic, scary-things-are-afoot-in-a-small-town, vampire story, this one is perfect. Also worth checking out is a short story, One for the Road, which is a tie-in (but read Salem’s Lot first, because the short is set after it). You can find it in Night Shift.

8. Dracula – by Bram Stoker

One of the first stories of its kind (but not the first – and the history of vampire fiction is well worth diving into!). We all, at least vaguely, know this one – a mysterious Count, who also happens to be an evil vampire, travels to London and causes havoc because of his bloodlust for our leading ladies. It’s classic gothic literature at its finest.

7. Verushka – by Jan Stinchcomb

Okay so, actually, I’m totally cheating putting this one on the list because this really isn’t a vampire story. No.. really, it isn’t. It’s a witch story that spans generations. HOWEVER, the reason I feel so strongly about including it is because it has all the hallmarks of a great vampire story. A woman stalked, passed-down family trauma, a mysterious enticing figure with an intoxicating, addictive aura – I was wholeheartedly convinced that this was going to be vampires right up until the end because it has serious Carmilla vibes. So I guess I’ve included it here because of the feel of the thing – if you’re looking for a heavy, alluring, and delightfully confusing reading experience, this might be for you.

6. House of Hunger – by Alexis Henderson

This is set a bit in the past in a really weird set up, which I am obsessed with. A woman who lives one step out of absolute poverty is hand-selected to be a blood maid. Blood maids are both reviled and honoured – they’re seen as both a type of prostitute, but also the position is highly regarded and comes with wealth and life-long security. They bleed so that their masters – people of nobility – can drink. It’s an exquisite story unlike anything else I’ve read, in this subgenre or any other.

5. King Carrion – by Rich Hawkins

This is a novella that is, at the time I’m writing this, unfortunately out of print. I have seen it floating around though so the determined might be able to get it. A man is trapped in a small town with savage vampires around – it’s like Salem’s Lot but somehow even more claustrophobic.

4. NOS4R2 – by Joe Hill

Here we have a girthy novel that works as both a vampire story and a Christmas horror. The actual vampires don’t take up a huge part but my word, they are scary when they’re present. Charlie Manx feels strongly about “saving” children from unfit homes, and he has decided that he is judge and jury regarding what should be deemed unfit. He picks up the kids and takes them to Christmasland, where they can live joyfully forever. And ever. And ever and ever and ever.

Then we have our protagonist, Vic, who has a very particular ability. This makes her special, and also, unfortunately, one of Charlie’s targets.

If you’re looking for horror with fantasy elements, spanning several years, you might love this.

3. Interview with the Vampire – by Anne Rice

I would also add to this the sequels, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, and The Tale of the Body Thief. There are more, but these direct descendants, I think, are the best in the series. Now, the vampires in this book (books) are brooding, emotional, and a bit erotic, but this isn’t The Vampire Diaries. These stories explore the nature of humanity, mortality (and the perils of immortality), beauty, and also blood-raging, nasty horror. Louis is the more sensitive Yin to Lestat’s indulgent, grinning Yang. Lestat might be overemotional and impulsive, but he is not – at all – sensitive, not to the plights of humans, anyway.

I think what people forget about this book is that it’s an absolute trailblazer in this genre, not least because of the same-sex family set up that this story displays. It’s taken decades for people to even truly acknowledge this aspect in any real way (just like Bert and Ernie, when you think about it).

2. 30 Days of Night – by Tim Lebbon

I know I’m going to catch shit over this one because I’m referring to the novelisation of the movie… of the original source material, which is the graphic novels. But I can’t help it! I have consumed this story in every one of its iterations, and Lebbon’s version of it is my favourite. I think the entire IP is worth enjoying, but the novel just about ranks above the earlier incarnations for me. The vampires as depicted in this story are my favourite of all time – they are utterly monstrous, terrifying, savage beasts. They look hideous, they’re lethal, they’re merciless. I found them scary in the graphic novels and the film, but something about the way Tim builds them up in the novel had me scared all over again.

And my Number One Favourite Vampire Novel of all Time…

I Am Legend – by Richard Matheson

I am SO sick of people thinking this is some sort of zombie story, and I blame the Will Smith film for it. Only the Dark Lord knows why they changed perfectly good and scary vampire characters into CGI zombie things for the movie, but in my opinion, it was a bad adaptation decision. If you haven’t read the book, correct that immediately!

Robert Neville is the last man alive on the planet because a disease that causes mutations has turned everyone else into vampires. By day, he searches buildings, trying to exterminate them while they sleep, and by night, he hides inside his home (which he has fortified), while vampires prowl the perimeter, trying to get in or lure him out.

It was so ahead of its time when it was published, and has been my favourite book – not just my favourite vampire book – since I first read it decades ago.

What have I missed from this list? Tell me!

Bleeeat!