The Vampyre

If you're looking to retrace history back to the roots of the dark and alluring vampire mythology, then Polidori's novella is the book for you. Accredited as one of the original Vampire fantasy novels, Polidori's novella 'The Vampyre', encapsulates the unprecedented horror of traditional vampire mythology, playing on the genuine superstitious fears of the general public at the time of publication. The plot of terror and blood, although somewhat predictable, was the first of its kind written in English prose and, thus, had a great deal of influence across the world, particularly due to its revolutionary re-imaging of the stereotypical vampire into an aristocratic seducer of women. The story itself is based on a fantastical tale told by a well-known Romantic Poet, Lord Byron, and immediately draws the reader into an exciting account of friendship, deceit, love and murder, taking it from a clichéd horror story into an intriguing and diverse sub-genre of fantasy. This novella perfectly introduced the world to a chilling and unique take on vampires, spawning one of the most popular sub-genres of fantasy and horror. Polidori's interpretation of the vampire myth was so revolutionary at the time of publication, it would subsequently be adapted to both film and opera.