Customer Reviews

Vampires Aren't Pretty

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Once upon a time, I was a huge vampire fan...then vamp tales turned from horror to romance, and I switched undead teams, becoming a zombiephile...but I didn't lose my interest in vamps - I just didn't want the soap operas or the glitter.

Vampires Aren't Pretty delivers twelve original horror stories featuring very diverse versions of vampires from a talented group of writers - there is definitely a story for every kind of vamp fan.

TEMPEST IN A SEWER by Gail McAbee is told from the POV of someone hunting the "hemo-challenged." I found the explanation of the vampirism more fascinating than the plot, but the story was pretty good with a surprise ending.

CRITIQUE by RB Clague was one of my favorites: an author of a vampire novel-turned-movie is kidnapped for portraying vampires as romantic...HAHAHA...nice!

JULIAN by David Landrum was the absolute BEST STORY in the entire collection. The plot is completely awesome, with old vampire vs. new vampire. Even if someone doesn't like vampire stories, I'm sure they will love this one!

DEATH'S EAGER BRIDE by Jeremiah Coe (author of Uncivil Dead) was about a vampire wanna-be stalking a real vampire, and the predator becomes the prey.

DON'T FEED THE... by Chantal Boudreau (author of Elevation) centers around a park ranger who suspects that recent bear attacks might be something else, especially when his own niece goes missing.

THE SUCKIEST BUNCH OF SUCKS by John Lemut had such a gross vampire for one of the main characters, I almost threw up in the beginning. In this story, two vampires fighting over the same territory drive a business owner to desperate measures when he loses customers because of his new clientele.

THE SHIFTER by Mark Jones featured an unusual form of vampirism, with rather sporadic narration that will keep you guessing about the events.

VAMPIRE RITUAL by Greg Austin will appeal to the sci-fi crowd, taking place in 2038 AD, and offering a very futuristic view.

EXTREME HELSING by Gary Mosca was a fantastic novella unto itself. A descendant of Van Helsing gets his own reality TV show; I would love to see this story turned into a graphic novel - definitely the meat of the collection that you can really sink your teeth into.

DARK CARNIVAL by Mary Parker was another favorite, revealing the downfall of an entire village in less than one night. I thought this was the most frightening tale in the entire collection.

GOOD VAMPIRES by Michelle John was a campy tale about vampires in a high school that claim to be "good."

I want to make this very clear: ALL OF THE AUTHORS deserve props for expanding the vampire genre into a more favorable direction within horror. Unfortunately, only a handful of stories grabbed me by the throat, and left a lasting impression. When it comes to horror anthologies, I want a collection that is more than just an interesting read - I want stories that will leave me craving more from the authors.

After reading Midnight Movie Creature Feature, May December Publications raised my expectations for horror compilations, and anything less won't satisfy me anymore. I would be interested in what a hardcore vamp fan would say about this collection, and despite my three-star rating, I already know a few people I will be recommending this anthology to, so we can compare our thoughts on the stories.