The top 10 vampire books
From the eternally enthralling tale of Dracula, to femmes fatales spooking in the name of feminine sexuality, horror author Lauren Owen selects her favourite vampiric tales
The vampire is naturally versatile: as a literary figure, it has taken on many forms, adapting for new generations and successfully making the jump into film, television, and comics. Modern readers can now find vampires in every conceivable genre, from paranormal romance to gritty horror, from contemporary humour to historical pastiche. But the vampire is also versatile in what it signifies. Dracula, of course, is the prime example – it can be read as a story of sexual transgression, invasion fears, resentment of women’s increased freedom, repressed homoeroticism – with many other interpretations besides.