Customer Reviews

The Dead Travel Fast: Stalking Vampires from Nosferatu to Count Chocula

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you're interested in vampires, then you don't have much in common with Eric Nuzum, he makes it clear in his book that he's not very interested in them, and finds those that are to be lacking in some way. And it's not just vampires, if you're interested in anything that's remotely popular within American pop culture, then he seems to think of you as less than human, he even brags about not watching television. This was especially strange because in the book jacket, it says that one of his jobs was commenting on pop culture on VH1's various celebreality shows.

You name it, Friends was a terrible show (all of those respected television critics that liked it are wrong, the VH1 vj has spoken), Vegas is fake (ok, he has a point, but come on, everybody knows this, he acts as if he's making some deep observation). He never misses an opportunity to talk down about those that he's writing about. Except for Butch Patrick (Eddie Munster), he comes out fairly unscathed, I guess because, like the author, he pretty much makes clear he doesn't have any real interest in the subject matter either.

He goes to a Dark Shadows convention, and seems fairly horrified that people would spend their free time going to such an event, I suppose their time would have been better spent staying home and watching him on VH1, making witty observations about Gary Coleman. He does force himself to watch every episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, which he grudgingly admits is pretty good. He discovers that several of his co-workers are fans of the show, and this is where he makes an especially insulting observation, he muses that Buffy fans are more normal than Dark Shadows fans, and that unlike the weirdos at the convention, the Buffy fans aren't fanatic about a silly TV show. Of course, there are Buffy conventions, and for all he knows, some of his co-workers might have been to one, and really, most of the people at the Dark Shadows convention probably lead normal lives when they're not getting together to socialize with others that they happen to share an interest with.

Still, he is a good writer, and although it seems he must have hated every minute of it, he did do his research, and there is quite a bit of vampire lore that he covers. He goes quite a bit into Bram Stoker, Dracula, Vlad the impaler, and Bela Lugosi, all of which was interesting. I also have to admit, the chapter that he describes a group tour he took of Translyvania is hilarious, anybody that has been on a group tour can relate. I would have preferred that a writer with at least a passing interest in vampires had written this book, Nuzum seems to want to make money on the public's facination with vampires, but make it clear, he does not share that facination.

You'd think that when a guy writing a vampire book drinks his own blood in the opening pages, the rest of the story would pale. Not true here. This book is surprising in so many ways -- it's academic without being boring; it's hilarious without being condescending; and it's heartfelt without being sentimental. The yarn about taking a road trip to Transylvania with "celebrity host" Butch Patrick (Eddie Munster, now 50-something and vaguely indifferent re. the whole Dracula thing) is itself worth the price of the book.

Excellent book. From the first chapter it sucks you into the world of vampires. Not only is the book well-researched, but the book is written in a way that you feel you are with the author as he travels to Transvylvania, Las Vegas, and other travels in search of the truth about vampires. The book would be entertaining even if you knew little or nothing about vampires. A must read.

"'Denn die Todten reiten Schnell.' ("For the dead travel fast.") The strange driver evidently heard the words, for he looked up with a gleaming smile."
-- Dracula, by Bram Stoker

Eric Nuzum set a pretty steep goal for himself when he set out to write a book about vampires -- vampire legends, Draculean history, vampire fiction, vampire movies, and people who think they ARE vampires. "The Dead Travel Fast: Stalking Vampires from Nosferatu to Count Chocula" starts promisingly, but Nuzum's lack of interest starts showing after Romania.

And when a book opens with the author vomiting his own blood, you know it's going to be an interesting ride. Nuzum describes his own increasingly bizarre journey into vampire subculture -- online oddballs, soap opera conventions, Black Masses, vampire tours by "Mina Harker," blood-drinking fetishists, and even a trip to Transylvania itself.

And he also researches quite a bit about vampire legends and how they evolved, as well as their connections to Prince Vlad Drakula, a happily savage ruler who got off on seeing people impaled. Not to mention, of course, the seminal vampire novel, the layered, atmospheric "Dracula," and the stories that spun off from it.

You gotta admit, Nuzum immersed himself in his work -- he writes in a Dave Barryian style, with lots of wacky people (including a gambling vegephobic vegetarian) and trivia that sticks in the mind (John Kerry and George Dubya are both related to Vlad the Impaler). There are plenty of hilarious moments, such as when he's sealed inside a coffin as part of a haunted-house hazing ritual.

The problem is, Nuzum is only really interested in "Dracula," and then only in the history and original novel. When it comes to anyone else, he seems rather disgusted.

For example, his visits to various "vampiric" places don't actually offer much insight into vampire-centric popular culture, or what craving might spur people to pretend that they are vampires, or even to be fans of horror movies and books. Nah. All his investigations can basically be summated as, "Wow! Wah! Look at all the loser freaks I had to talk to!" One can almost see him dodging the "weird" cooties, lest he also become a longtime fan of a cult TV show.

His attitude towards literature and movies isn't much more pleasant. He describes all vampire fiction as a "joke," but only reads a few of the best-known/oldest books, and deems them too hard and wordy. And he insists early on that every single vampire movie -- including "Nosferatu" and Lugosi's "Dracula" -- is unwatchable. Why? Not because of quality, but because they fail to live up to the creepy-crawlies he gets when he reads "Dracula." Score one against objectivity.

Even his research seems halfhearted. There's a lot about the origins of vampire legend in Greece, Romania and other such places. But aside from a passing mention at the beginning of the book, Nuzum doesn't bother to explore vampires from any other region, nor does he explore vampire movies/books from those areas either -- anime, for example. Nope, he's busy talking about those freaky African-American "vampires" he met in D.C.

"The Dead Travel Fast: Stalking Vampires from Nosferatu to Count Chocula" is a great title and a promising book, but it slopes off quickly into a series of rather disdainful analyses. Interesting, but offputting.

I wouldn't bother with this book unless you know virtually nothing about vampires in popular culture. I don't consider myself any sort of expert on the subject, just someone with a passing interest for several years, but there was almost nothing here that I hadn't seen or read several times somewhere else. The author seems to have lived about 30-40 years without seeing almost any vampire movies, reading any vampire books, or watching vampire tv shows (or watching tv at all as he reports). Then he suddenly developed an obsession for them (or saw a marketing opportunity), did some quick research, and slapped a bunch of info together.

The book literally jumps from topic to topic on every page. You get some very dry, textbook-like history on Vlad Tepes, then a page about Buffy, then a couple pages on a visit to a vampire bar, to another dry lecture about Bram Stoker, and on and on. Maybe another author could make that work (actually they have already) but this book just plods on and on, skipping from subject to subject. I had to force myself at times to keep going.

Plus there's so much basic info left out. Maybe if it was organized differently, such as chronologically with the origins of vampire myths then to Bram Stoker then vampires as they changed each decade in movies. Or maybe each subject could get a chapter, like movies, then tv, then books. That way each area could be more fully developed and more easily digested. Instead it's like "hey this movie exists, then oh this theory exists, then this location exists" just randomly presented.

Before reading this I already knew about Vlad Tepes being a model for Dracula. I already knew there are vampire tours to Romania. I know there are people who try to like vampire lifestyles or that vampirism can be a sexual metaphor. But if you're giving a basic 101 introduction, maybe Anne Rice's influence can be discussed, or how vampires went from scary villain to romantic hero. Then how about the not so very recent spread of vampire detectives or paranormal romances or any other vampire tv show besides Buffy. I feel like I could have written this myself, it's so basic.

Again, maybe if the book had been organized differently, or if the writting style was more engaging, this basic introduction could be more fun to read. But anyone who's not a total newbie on the subject will find very little new info or insights here.

And I haven't even gone into how just about everyone the author meets and writes about with vampire interests comes off as a total flake...

I don't normally read books, but this one had me enthralled from beginning to end. It touches on so many aspects of vampirism, explaining both its history and how (and why) it pervades our culture. When the author goes on investigative trips or meets with people who really claim to be vampires, the results range from amusing to hilarious. This book is easy to read and just plain fun. I just finished reading it, yet I'm tempted to start over again from the beginning. It's that good!

Covering much the same ground as a previous book I read on the subject, Vampire Forensics: Uncovering the Origins of an Enduring Legend, but in a much more succinct and personal (read: snarky) manner, The Dead Travel Fast is an entertaining romp through the author's explorations of the vampire. Part scholarly essay on the origins of the vampire--from the history of vampires in folklore and fiction to the evolution of the creature from a thing to be feared in the dead of night to a thing to be desired and emulated in the light of day--part personal journal detailing his travels both in the United States and abroad as he searches for the answer to his question: What is it about the vampire that inspires such lust in people? From wannabes to true believers, from tour guides to tour groups, Eric Nuzum unearths many fascinating characters, all of whom share one passion, that of the vampire, to a varying degree of pity-inducing fervor. And while you can tell that Mr. Nuzum spends the entire book rather bewildered by this phenomenon, he is never quite mean or condescending about it; he maintains a sense of wry sarcasm or gentle teasing towards his subjects, staying just this side of smug self-superiority. (Okay, maybe he slipped over the edge a couple of times, but really, who wouldn't considering some of the circumstances he got himself into?)

It's quite obvious that though the author probably had his fair share of geek moments growing up, they were probably of the marching band/school newspaper/AV club type. While those groups were still far below the radar of the popular kids--cheerleaders and jocks, prom royals and school rulers--they were still social activities. Nuzum has probably never felt nor dealt with the isolation of being a loner, an outsider, a non-joiner, exactly the type of person who would be drawn to the glamour and strength which the idea of a vampire represents. Not that I'm speaking from experience, mind you- pardon me, my cape got caught under the wheels of my deskchair. *rip* That's going to cost me a pretty penny to repair. Anyway, as I was saying, I might not quite understand the lure of dressing up in fangs and a corset to attend a nightclub packed with similarly dressed individuals, but I can understand the desire to associate with something that has come to represent sex, power, and success over your enemies and/or your lovers.

In the end, Eric Nuzum's book is an enjoyable and informative tour of the vampire and its transformation from a hideous and diabolical fiend to a kid-friendly, ubiquitous cult icon.

On a side note: One of the author's quests was to watch every vampire movie ever made, which amounted to something over 200 titles. He didn't quite make it. However, he lumped one movie in with several others and said they were all vampire pornos. The movie I'm speaking of is called Rockula and I take exception to his categorization. Rockula is not a porno. It is a fine example of 1989 B-movie cheese. Starring Dean Cameron, Toni Basil, Thomas Dolby, and Bo Diddley (yes, that is correct, the Bo Diddley), it is a movie which aspires to be a rock opera about a vampire and his true love, but falls far short. Nevertheless, for the over-the-top '80s production value alone, it is a hoot to watch. The saddest part is that it is only available on VHS; I can only hope that someday soon it'll get the DVD release it deserves.

This book is an entertaining read (I finished it in about three days), but I had purchased it expecting some insightful cultural and/or historical commentary. Some interesting historical details are provided, particularly regarding the novel Dracula, but for most subjects, the depth is akin to a Wikipedia article. As other reviews have noted, the cultural commentary pretty much boils down to "look at all the misfit freaks" and "vampires represent our inner darkness." Overall, the book is more of a stunt memoir than a truly enlightening analysis. Nuzum is a witty writer, though, and I laughed quite a bit.

Eric Nuzum's irreverent humor makes this book stand out from the vampire pack. I laughed out loud more times than with any other book in recent memory.

Another highlight is the history. Nuzum did lots of research on the origins of vampire mythology, on Vlad Dracula's brutal reign in Romania, and on Bram Stoker and his novel, Dracula. His historical rendition seems quite accurate, setting the record straight in many places. (Vampire mythology began in Greece, not Romania, and was spread by the European Church, catching on in part due to epidemics of rabies and other diseases.)

Nuzum is a fabulous writer. He seamlessly weaves in and out of history, observations, and humorous tangents, making you feel like he's right there with you, talking over a beer. His light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek travelogues from Romania and Whitby, England (where the author Bram Stoker penned Dracula) should not be missed.

Nuzum's efforts to connect with self-described vampires fall a bit short, as does his analysis of the psychology of modern-day vampirism and its aficionados. He writes off the wannabes as social misfits seeking attention, and maintains that vampires are alluring because they represent the darkness lying beneath the surface in each of us. His superficial take is a bit surprising, given that he is a pop culture critic. (Other authors, such as forensic psychologist Katherine Ramsland (Piercing the Darkness: Undercover with Vampires in America Today), think there is a whole lot more to discuss about the psychological allure of the vampire.)

Nuzum touches briefly on the Anne Rice (Complete Vampire Chronicles (Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the body Thief)) phenomenon (he is underimpressed, to put it mildly). Unfortunately, he was writing just before the tweenie public was bitten by Twilight fever. (Have you ever seen worse acting?!) So readers will have to look elsewhere for analysis of that emergent cultural phenomenon.

Finally, the book would have benefited from an index, bibliography, and endnotes. Without those tools, we can't look up anything or find out more about areas of interest.

But don't let these minor quibbles stop you from picking up this book. After all, we can all use more humor in our lives, and Nuzum is a master.

This book will give you a trivia-winning knowledge of vampires in pop-culture. I have read it several times and still laugh at Mr. Nuzum's jokes and humorous literary technique. It is well-written and easy to read and gives you all the details you need to know if you are a vampire-fan.

This is one of my FAVORITE books.