This is a little collection of Victorian vampire stories, all with short passages about the authors before you delve into a world full of mysterious smoke, fluttering bats, and sharp-toothed victims. Some of them are rather bland, but most of them are quite good. Several in particular have such romantic, poetic language that they are a joy to read. Ironically, Bram Stoker's short story finishes off the collection, despite being (in my opinion) one of its weaker offerings. The contrast between vampirism represented in different cultures and styles was interesting, from Russian folklore to English horror stories. Also included is a fascinating chapter on vampires in general, which was full of interesting information. Fun read!