Fifteen chilling tales recount some of the earliest examples of vampire lore ever published. Gothic tales, traditional folklore, satire, psychological horror, and even romance set the stage for a diverse cast of undead characters, including the first ever black vampire story, gay vampires, lesbian vampires, psychic vampires, some old, some young, but all bloodthirsty This anthology also features the first vampire story ever set in the Carpathian region (The Mysterious Stranger, a possible influence on Bram Stoker), as well as Stoker's own story Dracula's Guest, excised by his publisher from his classic Dracula novel before publication.