Love in Vein: Tales of Vampire Erotica » (Reissue)

Poppy Z. Brite is the author of seven novels, three collections of short stories, and much miscellanea. Known for her horror fiction, at present she is working on a series of novels and short stories set in the New Orleans restaurant world. Her novel Liquor was recently published to general critical acclaim, and her followup novel, Prime, will be released in 2005. She lives in New Orleans with her husband Chris, a chef.

A sexy new repackaging of the extremely popular anthology of vampire erotica, edited by acclaimed author Poppy Z. Brite.

The classic horror tale is about fear. But in the last few years a new literature of the macabre has arisen, one that goes deeper than horror, beyond fear, to explore our darkest, most intimate hungers. The ones even lovers are forbidden to share.

Acclaimed dark fantasy author Poppy Z. Brite has brought together this genre's most powerful and seductive authors in an original collection of vampiric erotica, a shameless celebration of unspeakable intimacies. It is not for everyone.

But neither is the night.

BookList

Like scotch or very dry martinis, these 20 servings of "vampiric erotica" may be for many a resistible acquired taste. Those who do wind up enjoying this controversial new literature that goes "deeper than horror, beyond fear, to explore our darkest, most intimate hungers" may, however, find this anthology intoxicating. In it, the beast is beautiful, a situation probed by Charles de Lint, Gene Wolfe, and less-known others. Celebrating "unspeakable intimacies," the stories explore the subversive appeal of vampirism in all its manifestations as readers meet a color-blind veterinarian mysteriously--and, without regular refills, only temporarily--restored to a world of color by a strange elixir from a prostitute's third nipple; a vampire whose dying, mortal wife has nourished him for years by allowing him to hurt her, then draw her sensations of fear and pain from her for his own sustenance; and a pair of lesbians who literally copulate the father of one to death. Not as mainstream as Ann Rice, this anthology might be most comfortable in extensive and specialized horror collections.