Macdonald offers a look at the Romantic period framed around the life of Polidori, doctor, novelist, and student of religion, the law, politics, and philosophy. He explains how Polidori fashioned his vampire after his employer, Lord Byron--the aristocrat, traveller, and seducer--a version that differs greatly from the vampire of folklore. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

John Polidori’s novella The Vampyre (1819) is perhaps ‘the most influential horror story of all time’ (Frayling). Polidori’s story transformed the shambling, mindless monster of folklore into a sophisticated, seductive aristocrat that stalked London society rather than being confined to the hinterlands of Eastern Europe. Polidori’s Lord Ruthven was thus the ancestor of the vampire as we know it. This collection explores the genesis of Polidori’s vampire. It then tracks his bloodsucking progeny across the centuries and maps his disquieting legacy. Texts discussed range from the Romantic period, including the fascinating and little-known The Black Vampyre (1819), through the melodramatic vampire theatricals in the 1820s, to contemporary vampire film, paranormal romance, and science fiction. The essays emphasise the background of colonial revolution and racial oppression in the early nineteenth century and the cultural shifts of postmodernity.

In 'The Diary of Dr. John William Polidori, 1816', the reader is taken on a journey through the personal journal of the renowned 19th-century writer and physician, John William Polidori. The book showcases a unique blend of literary genres, combining elements of Gothic fiction and personal memoir. Polidori's intricate and detailed writing style immerses the reader in the tumultuous events of 1816, including his time spent with Lord Byron and the creation of his famous novella 'The Vampyre'. This book offers a rare glimpse into the inner thoughts and struggles of a talented writer during a pivotal moment in literary history. Polidori's masterful storytelling and vivid descriptions bring the era to life, engaging readers in a captivating narrative that blurs the lines between reality and fiction. The Diary of Dr. John William Polidori, 1816 is a must-read for fans of Gothic literature, literary history, and those interested in the life of a fascinating historical figure.

MARY SHELLEY's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus grew out of a parlor game and a nightmare vision. The story of the book's origin is a famous one, first told in the introduction Mary Shelley wrote for the 1831 edition of the novel. The two Shelleys, Byron, Mary's stepsister Claire Clairmont, and John William Polidori (Byron's physician) spent a "wet, ungenial summer in the Swiss Alps." Byron suggested that "each write a ghost story." If one is to trust Mary Shelley's account (and James Rieger has shown the untrustworthiness of its chronology and particulars), only she and "poor Polidori" took the contest seriously. The two "illustrious poets," according to her, "annoyed by the platitude of prose, speedily relinquished their uncongenial task." Polidori, too, is made to seem careless, unable to handle his story of a "skull-headed lady." Though Mary Shelley is just as deprecating when she speaks of her own "tiresome unlucky ghost story," she also suggests that its sources went deeper. Her truant muse became active as soon as she fastened on the "idea" of "making only a transcript of the grim terrors of my waking dream": "'I have found it! What terrified me will terrify others."' The twelve essays in this collection attest to the endurance of Mary Shelley's "waking dream." Appropriately, though less romantically, this book also grew out of a playful conversation at a party. When several of the contributors to this book discovered that they were all closet aficionados of Mary Shelley's novel, they decided that a book might be written in which each contributor-contestant might try to account for the persistent hold that Frankenstein continues to exercise on the popular imagination. Within a few months, two films--Warhol's Frankenstein and Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein--and the Hall-Landau and Isherwood-Bachardy television versions of the novel appeared to remind us of our blunted purpose. These manifestations were an auspicious sign and resulted in the book Endurance of Frankenstein.

Why have vampires become such a feature of modern culture? Can vampire-like conditions be explained by medical research? Is there a connection between vampirism and Freud? The Psychology of Vampires presents a captivating look at the origins of vampires in myth and history, and the psychological theories which try to explain why they fascinate us. It traces the development of vampires from the first ever vampire tale, written by John Polidori in 1819, to their modern cultural legacy. Together with historical detail about Polidori’s eventful life, the book also examines the characteristics of vampires, and explores how and why people might identify as vampires today. From sanguinarians who drink blood, to psychic vampires who suck the energy from those around them, The Psychology of Vampires explores the absorbing connections between vampirism and psychology, theology, medicine and culture.