Booklist

Stephenie Meyer’s novels and the HBO hit series True Blood may be more fact than fiction according to this entry in the Vampire Library series. Robson writes with energetic flair as he lays out both folklore and real-world reports of bloodsucking beings. Expanding beyond familiar Transylvanian tales and stories of vampires in strictly human form, the author’s survey is global, from the Malaysian langsuyar, believed to be responsible for many newborn deaths, to the red-eyed, monstrous Latin American chupacabra, notorious for preying on livestock (its name combines the Spanish words for “suck” and “goat”). Pages washed with red stains and graphic artwork and photos underscore the subject’s inherent gore, which Robson frankly discusses throughout, including in the frequent sidebars, such as a vampire hunters’ detection guide, which outlines what to notice “at the graveyard” and “inside the coffin.” Young vampirefiction fans will find much to ponder here, while the accounts of contemporary murders with purported vampire links may emerge as the most chilling and grisly. Source notes and suggested reading bolster the title’s curricular use.