Q1. Hi Andrew. Why did you focus on the first half of the 19th century for your first vampire anthology? A1. I knew the first vampire short story written in the English language was "The Vampyre" by John Polidori. He published it in 1819. There was obviously fresh dirt, so to speak, for this period and I started digging. I wanted to start from the beginning just as I did with  The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849 , The Best Werewolf Short Stories 1800-1849  and  The Best G

In 1847, Blackwood's Magazine published an article titled: “Letters on the Truths Contained in Popular Superstitions – Vampyrism.” It presented numerous examples of supposed real vampires reported over the previous century. One was the famous vampire Arnod. The article described how skeptics would fare: “Your scepticism will abate pretty considerably when you see him stealthily entering your room, yet are powerless under the fascination of his fixed and leaden eye—when you a

Vampire stories in English from the early 19th century are rare, but those that exist offer fascinating glimpses into the roots of vampire fiction. One such story is The Vampire Arnod , published in 1849 in The New Monthly Magazine . Though it may not rank among the very best vampire tales of its time, it remains an intriguing piece for anyone interested in classic horror literature. The village near Belgrade where The Vampire Arnod is set The Context of Vampire Stories in Ea