| Title | : | Vampires: The Recent Undead |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1607012545 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781607012542 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 431 |
| Publication | : | First published March 15, 2011 |
Contents
La Vampiresse • (1999) • by Tanith Lee
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown • (2009) • by Holly Black
This Is Now • (2004) • by Michael Marshall Smith
Sisters • [Ottawa and the Valley] • (2002) • by Charles de Lint
The Screaming • (2004) • by J. A. Konrath
Zen and the Art of Vampirism • [Women of the Otherworld Short Fiction] • (2009) • by Kelley Armstrong
Dead Man Stalking • (2008) • by Rachel Caine
The Ghost of Leadville • (2009) • by Jeanne C. Stein
Waste Land • (2002) • by Stephen Dedman
A Gentleman of the Old School • [Count of Saint-Germain] • (2005) • by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
No Matter Where You Go • (2010) • by Tanya Huff
Outfangthief • by Conrad Williams
Dancing with the Star • (2008) • by Susan Sizemore
A Trick of the Dark • (2004) • by Tina Rath
When Gretchen Was Human • (2001) • by Mary A. Turzillo [as by Mary Turzillo ]
Conquistador de la Noche • [Kitty] • (2009) • by Carrie Vaughn
Endless Night • (2008) • by Barbara Roden
Dahlia Underground • (2010) • by Charlaine Harris
The Belated Burial • (2009) • by Caitlín R. Kiernan
Twilight States • (2005) • by Albert E. Cowdrey
To the Moment • by Nisi Shawl
Castle in the Desert: Anno Dracula 1977 • [Anno Dracula] • (2000) • by Kim Newman
Vampires in the Lemon Grove • (2007) • by Karen Russell
Vampires Anonymous • by Nancy Kilpatrick
The Wide, Carnivorous Sky • (2009) • by John Langan
©2011 Paula Guran (P)2011 Audible, Inc.
Vampires: The Recent Undead Reviews
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Zen and the Art of Vampirism - Zoe POV. Hans and Brigid show up wanting to take over Toronto after Katrina destroys New Orleans. Zoe changes their mind ;)
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This is a retrospective of vampire fiction published 2000-2010.
I liked the introduction. It was a good description of the evolution of vampire fiction.
I'll only rate the ones I particularly liked.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown * Holly Black - 3.5 stars
This Is Now * Michael Marshall Smith - 3 stars
Sisters * Charles de Lint - 4 stars
The Screaming * J.A. Konrath
Zen and the Art of Vampirism *Kelley Armstrong - 5 stars
La Vampiresse * Tanith Lee - 4.5 stars
Dead Man Stalking * Rachel Caine
The Ghost of Leadville * Jeanne C. Stein - 5 stars - I want to read the novel the character is writing.
Waste Land * Stephen Dedman
Gentleman of the Old School * Chelsea Quinn Yarbro - 4 stars
No Matter Where You Go * Tanya Huff - 5 stars
Outfangthief * Conrad Williams
Dancing with the Star * Susan Sizemore
A Trick of the Dark * Tina Rath - 3.5 stars
When Gretchen was Human * Mary Turzillo
Conquistador de la Noche * Carrie Vaughn
Endless Night * Barbara Roden
Dahlia Underground * Charlaine Harris - 5 stars
The Belated Burial * Caitlín R. Kiernan
Twilight States * Albert Cowdrey
To the Moment * Nisi Shawl - 3 stars
Castle in the Desert: Anno Dracula 1977 * Kim Newman - 5 stars
Vampires in the Lemon Grove * Karen Russell
Vampires Anonymous * Nancy Kilpatrick - 3 stars
The Wide, Carnivorous Sky * John Langan -
I bought this because I saw that Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, Carrie Vaughn, and Charlaine Harris contributed stories. Some of these stories were not new for the book. It was like a compilation of stories, already published, to fit a certain idea.
I started out reading from the beginning of the anthology (rather than just skipping to the authors I wanted to read).
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black (2 stars)--not bad but I didn't care for it. Story of a teen trying to overcome odds. Being the teen she is, she decides to fight this epic battle alone and w/out any help or support (because no one will help). In the end she has a choice to martyr herself and save her friends or save herself.
after that I just decided to skip to my favorite authors
Zen and the Art of Vampirism by Kelley Armstrong (4 stars)-- story of Zoe and how she handles being bullied. Pretty cute and clever.
Dead Man Stalking by Rachel Caine (2 stars)--already read this. Shane is kidnapped in an attempt to get him to become a vigilante.
Conquistador de la Noche by Carrie Vaughn (4.5 stars)--the story of Rick and how he came to be who he is
Dahlia Underground by Charlaine Harris (3 stars)--this story occurs immediately following All Together Dead. I honestly don't remember Dahlia from the other stories but that just probably means I was skimming or didn't enjoy the story very much. This one was short and sweet. Dahlia is rescued from the bombed out hotel by humans. She proves herself useful and resourceful in assisting the humans (and vampires) catch the crooks. The ending is my favorite because of the irony of how the situation changes for her and who her new friends turn out to be.
I gave up after that. I may pull it out again to give it another go. I may not -
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown~Holly Black 3 stars
This was interesting, and the world building is what I've come to expect out of Holly's work. Though I wasn't crazy about Matilda, and her rash decisions. I do wonder what ever happened to Dante?
9-14-2017
Twilight States by Albert Cowdrey 3.5 stars
Double Hexed (Stormwalker 2.5) by Allison James 2 stars -
I really enjoyed this. All of these stories are a very fresh modern take on the vampire, and not predictable at all. Some had some very interesting and unexpected twists. I actually felt like some could've been full on books themselves, and wanted more when the story ended!
I like that these stories aren't centered on romance and explore themes of independence and the non-romantic bonds of friendship and family. I like the way morality and the grey areas of "right" and "wrong" are explored, and I like that vampires are treated and portrayed as monsters.
My favorites were "The Coldest Girl in Coldtown," "Sisters," "The Screaming, "La Vampiresse," and "Conquistador de la Noche."
I recommend avoiding "Outfangthief" if you don't want to read about sadistic torture and rape. It's the only story I could've done without.
I highly recommend this collection for anyone who enjoys vampire stories. -
Vampires: The Recent Undead is a book of short stories. Inside, I was introduced to a lot of authors that I had never read before (one of the reason I like collections like this). There were some very good stories in this anthology. Among my favorites were "The Coldest Girl in Coldtown," by Holly Black, "Sisters," by Charles de Lint, "Zen and the Art of Vampirism," by Kelly Armstrong, "The Ghost of Leadville," by Jeanne C. Stein, "No Matter Where You Go," by Tanyah Huff, "Conquistador de la Noche," by Carrie Vaughn, "Endless Night," by Barbara Roden, and "Dahlia Underground," by Charlaine Harris. A couple of these authors, I have read before, but there are others of which I will be looking for more.
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A collection of reprinted Vampire stories form the 1st decade of the 21st century. I borrowed it to read and in some cases reread stories by authors I follow such as Charles De Lint, Charlaine Harris, Tanya Huff. I enjoyed the Kim Newman detective story as well as the Doc Holliday story by Jeanne C. Stein. so if you enjoy vampire stories or just want to sample the variety available, dive in and enjoy.
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Some really excellent stories by some well known authors. However I found onw or two not to my liking and found that the stories by the bigger authors (i.e. Charlaine Harris and Tanya Huff) were continuations from their series' and may not be easy to follow if you hadn't read their more popular series. Other than that I enjoyed the majority of it and even discovered some new authors to add to my ever growing TBR list.
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Paula Guran delivers a brilliant collection of vamp shorts that's sure to please everyone. The range of vampires from traditional to unconventional and unexpected really shows how fantasy authors have turned the definition of a vamp into something fresh, fun, and in some cases, pretty scary or badass. I enjoyed almost all the stories; one or two didn't keep my blood pumping, but the others definitely got my temperature rising. This is a collection to sink your teeth into!
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It was a good anthology, with quite a few unknown authors to me. Some stories were quite original and some quite scary. I especially liked an interesting take on vampires in the last one.
Generally I would recommend it to find out if you like an author or not, but I can't be very objective as I'm not a big fan of anthologies. :) -
OUTSTANDING! An excellent compiliation, and the story selection was diverse in type and tone. This collection offers up a wide array of viewpoints and perspective on the "vampire situation". Sometimes monster, sometimes hero, sometimes tragic figure, The Recent Undead is an excellent read, and each selected story is strong on its own.
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Read for select stories by authors I read. Not read in full.
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Disappointed that so many stories appeared elsewhere first. I prefer all original anthologies.
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Each of these was a different type of vampire, lots of good ideas from the authors.
Black - I'd already read something about Coldtown
Smith - Three guys lamenting growing older with no purpose
de Lint - Will sisters learn to live together after one turns later than the other
Konrath - Van Helsing is turned but takes revenge
Armstrong - Zoe is leaving her turf as another vampire claims it, or is she
Lee - Vampirism, or mental illness, who's to know
Caine - A Morganville short with Shane, his dad, and his vampire friend Michael
Stein - An old time vampire story from the wild west
Dedman - Psychological story of a vampire hunter in a box
Yarbro - A reporter and a monetary donor to a blood bank
Huff - a cop and a vampire help each other even through dimensions
Williams - A mother looking for her daughter and savage surgery
Sizemore - Movie star and vampire have a telepathic connection
Rath - Between the world wars a delicate, sickly girl watches out the window
Turzillo - Estranged mother working in a bookstore goes after her daughter after turning
Vaughn - Along with Coronado, many men came to a new land, for good or evil
Roden - a sea voyage and a substitute cook for the crew
Harris - Company # 34 rescues Dahlia from the wreckage of a bomb, she is "eternally" gratefull
Kiernan - eyes sewn shut for burial, a newly made vampire awaits the dawn
Cowdrey - bookshop owner and recluse takes victims between dimensions
Shawl - a cruise ship, a pregnant vampire, and saving passengers from an explosion
Newman - a gumshoe and a vampire search for a missing step daughter
Russell - lemon grove and old vampires leaving each other and their surroundings
Kilpatrick - an anonymous blog where "victims" and "Vampires" meet on line
Langan - a set of current soldiers are treated for injuries and PTSD and they find a new mission -
Vamps for Halloween! I love the chick on the cover with blood dripping down her chin... my kind of book...! Some of my favorites in this book of great YA short stories were:
A Gentleman Of the Old School- I was so tickled to find out that a Count of some renown is currently living in wealthy comfort in a nearby ritzy neighborhood, I am guessing in a mansion in Shaughnessy, here in Vancouver... wheee!!! I wonder if I will ever meet him one day...
As well, I have been tickled to find the best of some of my favourite YA authors' have included stories from within their created worlds. Authors I love like Holly Black and her "Coldest Girl in Coldtown", my fave Canadian Tanya Huff pens a short based from her "Blood Price" books, and a story from the Sookie-verse from True Blood Queen, Charlaine Harris! All of the stories were supernatural, vampy, and interesting; all authors were easy to read and made it a pleasure to look forward to reading the next story.
I got a whole whack of these horror shorts from Paula Guran for the Spoopy season; I got them from the library at the same time as the Stephen King's so I think she was near him alphabetically... har har! -
Great compilation--only one story that left me flat. Second person doesn't work well in fiction. I'd also like to dock a quarter star for all the typos in the last two pieces. Why, after all this wonderfulness, did the editors give up? But it didn't really mar the experience, so I guess the five star rating can stand.
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As with any collection of short stories by various authors, it's a mixed bag. For me, it tended to go down hill but many of the stories are worth the read. Don't be shy about skipping past one that doesn't appeal.
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I started reading this as research because of a manuscript that came across my desk, but stayed because I enjoyed the writing and the variety of vampires. As in any short story collection there are some stories I think are stronger than others, but it also comes down to taste.
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It is what you would expect from a collection of Short Stories about Vampires. Some as absolutely incredible-others are hard to make it through. Regardless, this will become part of my Halloween tradition.
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I liked the Holly Black story. I like short stories when I’m not in the mood for a long story. It wasn’t the best collection but it wasn’t the worst either. I suggest it if you’re looking for small stories with a bite.
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Cool collection of vampire short stories.
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I liked some of the stories, but overall, it was meh.
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felt like an uneven collection to me, though I quite liked many of the early stories in this anthology.
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Good as a taster to guide you to which 'vampire' writer you may be interested in reading next!!!
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Only read Kelley Armstrong
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This book was filled with some interesting and entertaining stories, but others were just weird or boring.
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Better than I expected. A very diverse & interesting collection of stories. 2.68 stars...
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black * * *
Not a bad story. This is the tale of a girl trying to resist vapirism. She sacrifices to save others, and uses the consequences as a lesson to others.
This Is Now by Michael Marshall Smith * *
Ech! This was a depressing story about has-beens & wasted life.
Sisters by Charles de Lint * * * *
An interesting story about sisters, and whether they will let vampirism come between them.
The Screaming by J.A Konrath * *
An odd tale where a druggie has an unexpected encounter with Van Helsing.
Zen and the Art of Vampirism by Kelley Armstrong * *
Ugh. Kind of a weird tale of a vampire territory dispute.
La Vampiresse by Tanith Lee * * *
This story feels more like a like a postscript. Essentially, it is a reflective look at forgotten being - a blending of Transylvania and old Hollywood.
Dead Man Stalking: A Morganville Vampires Story by Rachel Caine * *
For some reason, Rachel Caine's stories don't suit me much. This one was better than some, but still not my cup of tea... In this story, Shane has another run-in with his past.
The Ghost of Leadville by Jeanne C. Stein *
Famous gunslingers, saloons, vampires, and... Not my kind of story at all!
Waste Land by Stephen Dedman * * *
That just has to be a nom de plume, right? What are the odds?? Any way, this brief end-of-the-world snippet was strange, but interesting...
A Gentleman of the Old School by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro * * *
Hmm... A femme reporter interviews a suave, philanthropist with a secret. Not bad, I guess.
No Matter Where You Go by Tanya Huff * * *
A vampire makes an unexpected trip to another world with a few teenagers.
Outfangthieg by Conrad Williams *
An extremely strange fugitive story.
Dancing with the Star by Susan Sizemore * * * *
Vampires, ghouls, an actor, and a psychic dance make up this enjoyable little romp!
A Trick of the Dark by Tina Rath * * * *
A sickly girl watches a vampire walk by her window in the evenings.
When Gretchen was Human by Mary Turzillo * * *
What if Vampirism was a cancer that made its hosts immortal?
Conquistador de la Noche by Carrie Vaughn * * * *
Ok, I love some specific selections of Vaughn's work, especially Voices of Dragons... Still, I didn't think I liked this story at all. I was wrong. A former conquistador is unwillingly changed into a night walker by an evil friar. Truly worth the read!
Endless Night by Barbara Roden * * *
A group of men set out to explore the Antarctic. Along the way, they pick up a very interesting companion.
Dahlia Underground by Charlaine Harris * * * *
An extremist group of vampire-haters launch an attack on humans & vamps alike. The vampires the turn their minds to retribution. I'm not really a fan of Harris's Sookie series, but I do tend to really enjoy her short stories.
The Belated Burial by Caitlín R. Kiernan * *
A vampire endures a ceremonial burial. Odd.
Twilight States by Albert Cowdrey * *
This appears to be almost part of a memoir for a weird, psychotic dream vampire.
To the Moment by Nisi Shawl * *
A short tale that featured a pregnant vampire (really??) on a ship.
Castle in the Desert: Anno Dracula 1977 by Kim Newman * * *
A retired private investigator needs the help of an ancient vampire to try to save a young girl.
Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell * *
A very weird story about an old vampire couple in Italy.
Vampires Anonymous by Nancy Kilpatrick * *
So, weird vampires with "known" histories are contributing to a blog to entice new victims in.
The Wide, Carnivorous Sky by John Langan * * *
In the aftermath of a vicious attack, a few survivors (soldiers) attempt to reconstruct and explain the event lest they have to face the "Shadow" again. -
As always with a collection of short stories; there are some you like, some you don’t and some you forget almost immediately. But I have to say this was one of the best collections I’ve read. Only a few I didn’t care for. And I’ve found a few new authors to check out.
