Monsters and shape-shifters have always held a special fascination in mythologies, legends, and folklore the world over. From ancient customs to famous cases of beasts and vampires and their reflections in popular culture, 600 entries provide definitions, explanations, and lists of suggested further reading.

For centuries, folk tales about vampires, werewolves, zombies and the undead have captivated and spooked children. Vampires, Werewolves & Zombies collects 40 mythical characters from American, European, African, Chinese and Arabian folklore, ranging from such well known literary examples as Bram Stoker’s Dracula to Vulkodlak, a werewolf.

The situation is grave. Vampires are vamping. Werewolves are shape shifting. And zombies are lurching into the garden. Is this modern-day ferment of paranormal activity, ah, normal? Learn all about it in this nifty new guide to man's best fiends: VAMPIRES, WEREWOLVES, ZOMBIES: Compendium Monstrum. Fascinating facts revealed in the book include documented ''sparkling vampires'' in 19th-century folklore, why wolfsbane is sometimes known as ''Dumbledore's Delight'', and much more. Illustrated by Bruce Waldman, cartography by David Lindroth, additional historical images throughout.

"Make no mistake, this is a serious, scholarly, altogether professional book--but it also has all the elements of a Stephen King novel. Filled with real-life tales of mystery, misery, and psychological mayhem, it challenges us to realize the unfathomable and to reexamine traditional definitions of fact and fantasy. And Richard Noll proves a sure-footed guide as he crosses the boundary of standard psychiatric nomenclature into the world of identity transformation and blood obsession." "Meticulously researched and edited, the book brings together an international selection of contributions--historical and current--to reveal the depth and breadth of psychopathology as it manifests in vampirism, lycanthropy, and demonical possession. Mr. Noll's own explorations of the subjects weave together clinical, anthropological, and literary perspectives to create a rich and multitextured portrait of these psychiatric disturbances. As the labyrinthian nature of the human psyche unfolds within these pages, we are reminded again and again of the power of the beast that lurks beneath the surface of day-to-day existence." "This is not a book for the faint of heart. But for those whose thirst for knowledge compells them to question the unquestionable, it is a unique and provocative exploration of disorders that lie beyond the reach of current genetic, biochemical, and neurophysiological understanding."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

"Describes the features and abilities of vampires and werewolves, and how they may battle each other in a fight"--Provided by publisher.

My book is about a vampire named Sparkle Anderson, and she is a student in high school with her best friends. But her school is a vampire-only school. Their rival species are the wolves. All of a sudden, one of the wolf schools burned down, and they all end up in the vampire school, in the same school as Sparkle and her friends! You can already sense the drama there. But Sparkle falls in love with the wolf boy, Jason, who is very flirtatious and was a very good-looking boy, that is until she realizes that he has a secret of his own that he knew of and kept to himself. Then she starts to see this guy named Johnny, and she takes the chance with him in this new relationship. Now Sparkle is a special breed of vampire. She kept this secret from her friends ever since her mom and dad were murdered. She is a hybrid, both a vampire and a werewolf. Will she be able to keep this secret from her best of friends or will she be able to keep it for as long as she wants?

Three werewolf friends leave Earth and travel to the moon in a quest to become Kings of the Moon. Unfortunately, Moon Patrol captain Maggie Pilgrim has other plans, as does the hive of vampires living on the dark side!