Traces the development of drama from the Greek and Roman theater to the present, and discusses theaters, set and costume designs, actors, actresses, and playwrights

In the predecessor to this book, The Universal Vampire: Origins and Evolution of a Legend, Brodman and Doan presented discussions of the development of the vampire in the West from the early Norse draugr figure to the medieval European revenant and ultimately to Dracula, who first appears as a vampire in Anglo-Irish Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, published in 1897. The essays in that collection also looked at the non-Western vampire in Native American and Mesoamerican traditions, Asian and Russian vampires in popular culture, and the vampire in contemporary novels, film and television. The essays in this collection continue that multi-cultural and multigeneric discussion by tracing the development of the post-modern vampire, in films ranging from Shadow of a Doubt to Blade, The Wisdom of Crocodiles and Interview with the Vampire; the male and female vampires in the Twilight films, Sookie Stackhouse novels and TrueBlood television series; the vampire in African American women’s fiction, Anne Rice’s novels and in the post-apocalyptic I Am Legend; vampires in Japanese anime; and finally, to bring the volumes full circle, the presentation of a new Irish Dracula play, adapted from the novel and set in 1888.

Since the publication of John Polidori’s The Vampyre (1819), the vampire has been a mainstay of Western culture, appearing consistently in literature, art, music (notably opera), film, television, graphic novels and popular culture in general. Even before its entrance into the realm of arts and letters in the early nineteenth century, the vampire was a feared creature of Eastern European folklore and legend, rising from the grave at night to consume its living loved ones and neighbors, often converting them at the same time into fellow vampires. A major question exists within vampire scholarship: to what extent is this creature a product of European cultural forms, or is the vampire indeed a universal, perhaps even archetypal figure? In this collection of sixteen original essays, the contributors shed light on this question. One essay traces the origins of the legend to the early medieval Norse draugr, an “undead” creature who reflects the underpinnings of Dracula, the latter first appearing as a vampire in Anglo-Irish Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula.In addition to these investigations of the Western mythic, literary and historic traditions, other essays in this volume move outside Europe to explore vampire figures in Native American and Mesoamerican myth and ritual, as well as the existence of similar vampiric traditions in Japanese, Russian and Latin American art, theatre, literature, film, and other cultural productions. The female vampire looms large, beginning with the Sumerian goddess Lilith, including the nineteenth-century Carmilla, and moving to vampiresses in twentieth-century film, literature, and television series. Scientific explanations for vampires and werewolves constitute another section of the book, including eighteenth-century accounts of unearthing, decapitation and cremation of suspected vampires in Eastern Europe. The vampire’s beauty, attainment of immortality and eternal youth are all suggested as reasons for its continued success in contemporary popular culture.

Meet Drake. He's a vampire! He sneaks around at night. He likes to drink blood! But don't scream. Drake's not real. He's one of the monsters you meet in stories. He just wants to tell you about vampires. Find out what turns people into vampires. Meet the different kinds of vampires around the world. And learn how to stop these creepy creatures. You'll have a chilling time with this monster buddy!

Product Description: The Romanian region of Transylvania is overshadowed by the terrifying specter of Dracula. This book delves into the origin of the Dracula legend, including the historic figure of Vlad Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler. It also introduces actual places in Transylvania that may be connected to this frightening character...read more

Product Description: A thrilling treasury of vampire lore!Since the seventeenth century, people have been frightened, mesmerized, and fascinated by the terrifying tales of vampires. In this book, you'll uncover the history and mystery behind these bloodthirsty monsters with folklore, mythology, and poetry from every tradition in the world...read more

Product Description: The lusty vampire, the sympathetic werewolf, the tragic banshee are just a few of the dark and frightening creatures you'll discover in Banshees, Werewolves, Vampires, and Other Creatures of the Night. Huffington Post Weird News columnist and author Varla Ventura takes readers on a wild ride through the shadowy hills of rural Ireland, the dark German forests, and along abandoned farms and country roads across the world to discover some of the most frightening and freak-tacular tales, tidbits, and encounters with all those beasties that go bump in the night...read more

A basic but fun exploration of vampiresblood-sucking creatures that can live foreverincluding how they come to exist, their weaknesses, and memorable examples from pop culture.

Product Description: Vampires exist. And in every culture with a legend about bloodsuckers that rise from the grave to prey upon the living, there are rules and rituals for how to destroy them. How to Kill a Vampire is the first book to focus specifically on all known ways to prevent vampirism, protect oneself against attacks, and ultimately how to destroy the undead, as documented in folklore as well as horror film, TV, and books...read more

Product Description: Looks at vampire legend and lore from around the globe, including the vrykolakas of Greece, the Loogaroo of the Caribbean, and the Brahmaparusha of India.

Product Description: Book annotation not available for this title.Title: Vampires and Other BloodsuckersAuthor: Owen, RuthPublisher: Bearport Pub Co IncPublication Date: 2013/01/01Number of Pages: 32Binding Type: LIBRARYLibrary of Congress: 2012042198

Product Description: The world of the supernatural is full of mysteries. Readers will explore the world of the undead and discover the origin of vampires and why people fear them so much. Topics such as how to kill a vampire, how to keep vampires away, and more are brought to light...read more

Product Description: WHEN DARKNESS FALLS… WHEN THE UNDEAD RISE WITH A HUNGER FOR BLOOD… WHEN THE HUNT IS ON—AND YOU ARE THE PREY… WILL YOU BE READY? In the inevitable event of a vampire attack, the average citizen will be forced to engage in vicious hand-to-hand combat...read more

Product Description: Romancing Death sheds the light of God on the popularity of vampirism in today’s pop culture. This fascinating exposé of the dark realities behind romanticizing the occult in our current culture reveals the naked truth about how the church has not addressed the needs of people young and old who fill the holes in their souls and spirits with evil rather than good...read more

Product Description: Interred in shadows no more, the vampire mythos is illuminated in this captivating exploration of one of the world’s most sinister―and feared―creatures. Join Brian Righi as he unearths the truth behind myths and beliefs, both ancient and modern...read more

Product Description: Vampire myths beyond the popular tales of Count Dracula and Edward Cullen exist, and readers uncover many of them in this book. From a Serbian village to an American town, readers go on a journey to discover the most incredible vampire legends ever told...read more