The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters [Paperback]

Rosemary Ellen Guiley (Author), Jeanne Keyes Youngson (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this thorough compendium, Guiley presents tales and beliefs from all over the world and from times ranging from far in the past to the present day. The author of numerous similar reference works (The Complete Vampire Companion, etc.) and an honorary life member of the Ghost Club of London, Guiley is an expert in this field and, from this book, it seems that no appearance of the supernatural, however brief, in folklore or pop culture has escaped her notice. Vampire books, films and TV series (such as Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, the original 1931 Dracula and the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows) receive extensive entries, and even the writers and actors are discussed at length. One can read about the "vegetable vampires" of gypsy lore (pumpkins and watermelons that go bad and begin "shaking and noisily disturbing people and animals") and about the huli jing, a Chinese fairy that "seduces victims and sucks off the victims’ life force during orgasm." Vampires dominate, but legends like that of the Slavic vlokolak, or werewolf, and the Shetland wulver, another type of dog-man, also appear. Guiley is deadly serious about her subject, treating legends and modern parodies of vampire movies, such as Blacula and Count Yorga, with the same academic intensity that permeates university courses on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Short citations for further reading follow many entries, and the volume is extensively cross-referenced. Members of the Vampire Empire club, founded by Jeanne Keyes Youngson, who provided the foreword for this book, or anyone else obsessed with the literally bloodthirsty will find this a fascinating reference. 102 b&w photos and illustrations.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

More than 600 fascinating and sometimes macabre entries, arranged alphabetically and varying in length from a paragraph to several pages, provide definitions, explanations, and lists of references for Dogmen, mullos, skinwalkwers, and other scary creatures of the night. Author Guiley has researched and written numerous books on angels, saints, tarot, and the occult. This study has a balanced perspective, and sample entries include the familiar, like Dark Shadows (mistakenly described in the text as running from 1996 to 1971), Evil eye, Christopher Lee, and Ann Rice, as well as the more obscure, for example Kitsune, Spaulding family vampires, and wamphyri. Cross-references aid navigation, and many entries have short lists of further reading suggestions. More than 100 pictures and illustrations highlight and add interest to the entries. A short bibliography and an index conclude the work.

From ancient customs to famous cases of beasts and vampires in popular culture, this interesting reference focuses on folklore, historical cases, cross-cultural mythology, and the presence of these creatures in the arts and entertainment fields. Covering Japanese, Mexican, Gypsy, and Bosnian variations, among others, the diversity of cultures represented is eye-opening, and similarities are amazing. General reference collections, especially those getting popular-culture questions, will want to add this volume. Susan Awe
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Checkmark Books (October 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816046859
• ISBN-13: 978-0816046850
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #760,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I work fulltime investigating and writing about all things paranormal, which means I lead a most unusual and highly adventurous life. I have written more than 45 books, including single-volume encyclopedias, on a variety of topics, A-Z, angels to zombies and everything in between. I'm interested in the entire spectrum of the paranormal, for everything fits together. I go off in the field to investigate reports of ghosts, UFOs, aliens, ultraterrestrials, Shadow People, Bigfoot, mysterious creatures, Djinn, demons, angels, fairies and more. I am frequently out on the road, and I've had plenty of first-hand experiences of many of the things I document in my books. My work is part of my spiritual journey; probing into the Unknown, the Other Side, and other dimensions is my search for Truth.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars What Other Monsters?, January 11, 2006

By 

J. Feldes "kiyotesong2" (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters (Paperback)

For me, this encyclopedia has a misleading title in that most of the entries deal with vampires or vampire-like creatures. There is some material on werewolves & other shapeshifters and skinwalkers, but I found myself wondering where those 'Other Monsters' were. The author dedicated several pages to the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' television series and the author Anne Rice while only giving a nod to classics such as 'Carmilla' and not even a mention of the 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' - and the only mention of Dr. Frankenstein or his monster is an entry for 'Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman'. There are also entries for Dion Fortune and Aleister Crowley - people who may have been involved in the occult but who were hardly monsters. Noticeably absent, especially in the presence of vampire and monster -portraying actors, is Vincent Price. Overall, I can only recommend this book in good conscience if you're a vampire fan. Otherwise, it will only disappoint.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not dissapointed, but not thrilled either., May 29, 2008

By 

B. Mariani - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters (Paperback)

The book has a smaller section on werewolves that I would have hoped. Its pretty straight forward with little skims of information, I find it helpful as a writer but for someone who just wants a book with better general information there is more out there.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-organized and well-researched but not exhaustive, August 10, 2010

By 

Z Hayes (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters (Paperback)

Dr. Rosemary Guiley's encyclopedias of the paranormal, supernatural, magical and otherworldly realms are a treat to read as they are filled with lots of information based on meticulous research. I have several of her encyclopedias and find them informative and illuminating. This title compiles information on vampires, werewolves, and other monsters. The entries are arranged alphabetically, and there are many photographs and sketches included (all in B&W). The book itself is in an over-sized paperback format and the paper is of good quality for a paperback which I assume will hold up with frequent use (though I would have preferred a hardcover format with photographs and illustrations in a combination of color and B&W to enhance the reading experience).

Though this encyclopedia covers vampires, werewolves, and other monsters, the entries on vampires are the most detailed. The author does a credible job of covering the various forms of vampirism, the types of vampires, the mythology of vampires and vampirism in various cultures, and the portrayal of vampires in popular culture, for example in iconic shows such as Dark Shadows DVD Collection 1, Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Collector's Set (40 discs), movies featuring vampires such as Dracula (75th Anniversary Edition) (Universal Legacy Series), the legendary actors who have portrayed the Count, and many more. The author indicates that she has put in lots of research into her work, with entries of vampires as depicted in various cultures, e.g. African, Indian, Asian, Southeast Asian, etc. Despite this, I felt that some of the entries could have done with more elaboration. I hail from Southeast Asia myself and am quite familiar with the mythology of the vampire in SEA. I was glad to note the author included entries on 'pontianak' (female vampire), though it is far from complete. There is no mention that the pontianak is partial to the frangipani tree (a tree that has fragrant blooms) and also the banyan tree, or the belief that the pontianak can be turned back into a mortal female by driving a nail into the back of the creature's head. Nor it is mentioned that the pontianak is usually the result of a female who dies in childbirth as believed by many villagers in Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.

That aside, I felt that the coverage on werewolves and other monsters was underwhelming. I gathered from reading this encyclopedia that the other monsters were mainly shapeshifters, skinwalkers, etc. but once again the coverage was not exhaustive and the entries that were provided were not detailed, especially with reference to non-European cultures. On the whole though, I felt that the author deserves some praise for putting in the research for this book as there really aren't that many books or encyclopedias out there on this subject. This is not only entertaining and informative but also provides ideas for writers, and the bibliography provided under some entries are an added bonus for those keen on more research.