The Secret History of Vampires

by Darrell Schweitzer

Garlic cloves and wooden stakes are no match for centuries of the undead's mischief and seduction. Here are thirteen original and imaginative stories that reveal the vampiric truths behind certain... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 075640410X
• ISBN13: 9780756404109
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Daw Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.8" x 6.7"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Not Free SF Reader

This anthology of alternate history with vampires is pretty entertaining, from the guy under the Vatican that the new Pope has to deal with, to Hollywood, Lenin and Saints and Devils. An eminently readable bunch of stories, in general. Secret History of Vampires : Under St Peter's - Harry Turtledove Secret History of Vampires : Two Hunters In Manhattan - Mike Resnick Secret History of Vampires : Smoke and Mirror - P. D. Cacek Secret History of Vampires : Garbo Quits - Ron Goulart Secret History of Vampires : Blood Of Dreams - Sarah A. Hoyt Secret History of Vampires : A Princess of Spain - Carrie Vaughn Secret History of Vampires : Harpy - Chelsea Quinn Yarbro Secret History of Vampires : Honored Be Her Name - John Gregory Betancourt and Darrell Schweitzer Secret History of Vampires : The Temptation of St Anthony - Brian Stableford Secret History of Vampires : Bohemian Rhapsody - Ian Watson Secret History of Vampires : Green Wallpaper - Tanith Lee Secret History of Vampires : Sepulchres of the Undead - Keith Taylor Papal Chr1st feeding. 4 out of 5 Teddy Roosevelt, NYC police commish, vs Demosthenes, vampire, and throw in a bunch of crooks. 3.5 out of 5 Houdini, spiritualist debunker helps out Arthur Conan Doyle after a long separation. 3.5 out of 5 Vampire cult reasons. 3.5 out of 5 Leninvamp, Stalinvamp, Americanreportervamp = rulerofworldvamps. 3.5 out of 5 Henry VIII saves his brother via spear-as-stake. 3 out of 5 St. Germain, in a shocker, rescues a woman in need. 3.5 out of 5 When you are a nearly turned by Cleopatra vamp, don't have dinner while trying your own conversion at a place that doesn't like poms, or vampires, and comes with stakes and priests for dessert. 3 out of 5 Devil blandishments not enough. 2.5 out of 5 Anti-vampire Chinese takeaway-fu. 3 out of 5 Napoleonic demon games. 3 out of 5 The Brotherhood of Ra works to remove the full-blooded vampire line in Khufu's time. 3.5 out of 5 3.5 out of 5

Predominately good

The Secret History of Vampires is an anthology. The stories insert the vampire mythos with actual historical figures. Under St. Peter's by Harry Turtledove is an interesting premise. I did find the point of view changes a bit confusing at times as he switches from one to the other. Two Hunters in Manhattan by Mike Resnick involves Teddy Roosevelt before his turn as president. Roosevelt incounters a vampire as he tries to clean up the streets as New York's Police commissioner. Smoke and Mirrors by P.D. Cacek involves Harry Houdini in his never ending search to truly find out about what is beyond the grave. Garbo Quits by Ron Goulart casts the great Greta Garbo as a vampire. He has an interesting style. I might look into more of his writings. Blood of Dreams by Sarah A. Hoyt casts the communist leader Lenin as a vampire. I couldn't really see what the author was trying to accomplish with this story other than an explanation of why Lenin is in a glass coffin. A Princess of Spain by Carrie Vaughn is a very entertaining account of Catherine of Aragon's marriage to Prince Arthur, the brother of Henry VIII. Harpy by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's entry used her very popular character St. Germain. As a vampire tale, she didn't really go into his vampirism that much. It was an interesting tale though on the fate of women in ancient Greece. Honored Be Her Name by John Gregory Betancourt and Darrell Scweitzer involves a missing archaeologist suddenly returning and the tale he has of Cleopatra and her court. It was OK, but I wasn't overly enthralled with the story. Ill-Met in Ilium by Gregory Frost involved a much changed account of the events in Homer's the Illiad. The story was too vast for a short story, and in essence was short changed. It was written in the epic poem style, but you didn't really get a feel for the story or characters. It ended up being rather dry. The Temptation of Saint Anthony by Brian Stableford was really about St. Anthony fighting the devil. The vampirism seemed thrown in just to meet the parameters of the anthology. Green Wallpaper by Tanith Lee, for me, was one of the weakest entries. It just seemed to go on and on, becoming repetitious on certain elements. The story involves Napoleon's last days in exile. Sepulchres of the Undead by Keith Taylor gave an interesting interpretation of why the pyramids were built.

The secret sanguine history no one knew... until now

The Secret History of Vampires is Daw's latest anthology. The premise of the anthology is to take very real historical events, and very real historical figures, and show the vampires lurking behind the curtains, shaping events. Thirteen stories follow this winding path and arrive at very different destinations, all of which are unique and intriguing. The quality of the writing and the stories in this anthology is amazing. Usually, in multi-author works at least one or two tales that lack the quality of the others. This is not the case here. Each and every story is phenomenal, worthy of being reread time and again. The complete list of stories follow: ** Under St. Peter's by Harry Turtledove ** Two Hunters in Manhattan by Mike Resnick ** Smoke and Mirrors by P.D. Cacek ** Garbo Quits by Ron Goulart ** Blood of Dreams by Sarah A Hoyt ** A Princess of Spain by Carrie Vaughn ** Harpy by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro ** Honored Be Her Name by John Betancourt and Darrell Schweitzer ** Ill-Met in Ilium by Gregory Frost ** The Temptation of Saint Anthony by Brian Stableford ** Bohemian Rhapsody by Ian Watson ** Green Wallpaper by Tanith Lee ** Sepulchers of the Undead by Keith Taylor All of the stories are original and creative. I personally love Two Hunters in Manhattan because it is about Teddy Roosevelt, and Harpy about Dracula and an improvised family in ancient Greece. I would recommend this to anyone who loves vampires, alternative history, actual history, anthologies, or anyone who loves a great book. This will be a wonderful addition to any collection, and a purchase you'll be happy you made. Highest recommendations.