V Is for Vampire: The A-Z Guide to Everything Undead (Paperback)

by David J. Skal (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Nearly as comprehensive as the recent Madonna encyclopedia and of far greater long-term appeal, Skal's vampire vade mecum is also wonderful to read straight through, for each page contains its entertaining tidbits. All of the expected entries are here--Lugosi, Bela; Stoker, Bram; Nosferatu, etc. But they are trumped in interest by the more obscure items: Mad Monster Party, for instance, a 1967 "live-animation horror comedy with music," and many a foreign vampire movie, book, and story. The entry for the 1927 Lon Chaney movie London after Midnight is particularly entertaining, thanks to discussion of its status as a supposedly lost classic, unsubstantiated reports of which "keep cropping up like sightings of the Loch Ness Monster." Skal rakes up Karl Marx's vampire connection and Oscar Wilde's--which was more to be expected--too. Yet Skal notably refrains from desperate reaching to connect anything and everything to vampires and vampirism. His book is great fun and contains two must-have photos of, respectively, Bob Denver and Tiny Tim in Dracula drag. Mike Tribby

Product Description
This informative and entertaining pop-culture reference guide covers all aspects of vampirism--from the infamous lore about garlic, mirrors, and wooden stakes to fascinating descriptions of little-known books and films on the subject. Skal's look at the dark creature will recapture the imagination of millions and covers hundreds of topics related to vampires. Photos.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Plume (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452271738
• ISBN-13: 978-0452271739
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,407,682 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not David's Best., October 12, 1999

By	"chardean" (Bronaugh, MO United States) - See all my reviews

David Skal is one of the better writers on Horror Literature and Media.
However,in this particular book, he spends too much time analysing our love of vampires and the like,as an indication that we are sexually disturbed or have a streak of facism in our character.
Sorry David, but some of us just liked to be spooked!

2.0 out of 5 stars A is for Average, Much Better Vampire Resource Books Out There!, April 30, 2008

By	James N Simpson (Gold Coast, QLD Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Had high expectations for this one especially since it claims to be the A-Z of everything undead. Other than vampires though it really doesn't touch much on non vampire undead creatures so already the title is misleading from that fact alone. This book is very high school text book in appearance with the same cheap paper used for the pages that you'll remember for your school days and the dark photocopied look black and white photographs which obviously in most cases are scans of colored originals or stills from movies.

The book does provide a decent length list of vampire and vampire related novels, movies and TV shows but it is by no means comprehensive. There's also not much depth to the reviews. If you went by what was written you wouldn't be inspired to pick up classics like I Am Legend. If it was done properly you should be able to use this book to know what great reads are still out there that you haven't read yet.

As well as movies etc under each letter of the alphabet topics are also covered. AIDS would have been a good one but when brought up only compares AIDS impact on the world to that of a vampire in a fictional story and not the obvious if a vampire drank the blood or someone with AIDs what would happen to it?

Better entertaining and educational books on vampires out there are the brilliant Informania: Vampires or Spine-Tingling Tales. Encyclopedia Horrifica: The Terrifying TRUTH! About Vampires, Ghosts, Monsters, and More is also very good. Not vampires but on the undead theme, the The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead is another great buy.

3.0 out of 5 stars Incomplete, but still very enjoyable, May 11, 2000

By	Adam P. Lounsbery (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"V is for Vampire" doesn't hold a candle to David J. Skal's other books - nearly all of which are minor classics - and he knows it. He admits in his introduction to "V is for Vampire" that the book is neither all-inclusive nor complete. With that in mind, this "A to Z Guide to Everything Undead" is still very enjoyable to read, and is well-suited to relaxed browsing. The problem, however, is that a large number of people who will purchase this book are probably the kinds of horror fans who already know a great deal about the genre and will not be bowled over by anything less than a complete overview of everything they already know, as well as a number of things they don't. "V is for Vampire" is hit-and-miss, and seems more like a loose and disconnected series of notes for a larger book that was never actually finished. Also, several factual errors (a couple of which are quite egregious) destroy a smidgin of the book's credibility, and Skal often seems more interested in being flippant than in getting to the heart of what he is writing about (his misreading of George A. Romero's film "Martin" is especially wrongheaded). Nevertheless, "V is for Vampire" still furnishes a fairly comprehensive and enjoyable overview of the role of the vampire in nineteenth and twentieth century literature, art, and film. And it's a lot of fun.