The note about the compiler of this bibliography refers to her “passion for vampires”. If she has read or perused all the 779 listings in her work she must indeed be passionate about the subject. Patricia Altner is an American librarian with experience in the Cleveland Public Library and in various government libraries. She has specialised in bibliography and in this limp‐covered production she has linked this enthusiasm with her other passion. For the purpose of inclusion in this book, vampires are defined as “immortal (or longlived), blood‐drinking humanoids”. In other words, not everybody’s cup of tea!
It is now over 100 years since Bram Stoker’s Dracula was written, but Altner’s bibliography in the main lists material published only since 1987, though a few older titles are included. She lists the entries under five headings: novels, anthologies and novellas; young adult; additional readings; and a final section called “The unread undead”. Although it is described as an annotated bibliography not all the entries are in fact annotated. Where the annotations occur they vary in length very considerably. Obviously, the compiler has her favourites which she wishes to pass on to other readers.
The book carries a foreword by Thomas P. Ofcansky of Washington, DC, and Whitby, England. He is described as a scholar and vampire enthusiast. There is also an introduction by the compiler herself, and, of course, indexes of authors, editors and titles. There are some amusing illustrations drawn by Joan Temo. For those libraries which collect bibliographies of fiction this compilation should not be missed but, as hinted earlier, not every librarian will be attracted by it.
