5 Free Vampire Themed Horror Books

5 Free Vampire Themed Horror Books

Before vampires were brooding teens who sparkle in sunlight and always rushes to the aid of damsels in distress, they were a little more sinister and horrifying. Stalking around in the dead of the night and feasting on the blood of the innocent were more their modus operandi instead of attending high-school. There is however good news for anyone in the mood for some classic vampire literature that will have you double checking that your doors and windows are locked at night. This is because you’ll find plenty of free ebooks featuring these bloodsuckers portrayed in a more terrifying manner. Here are just five free vampire themed horror books to sink your teeth into.

Varney The Vampire

 by Thomas Preskett Prest

A lot of the characteristics that people associate with vampires can be traced back to Varney The vampire, which was published in 1847. Everything from the fangs to the puncture wounds his teeth inflict on the necks of the people he bites influenced later vampire stories, including Dracula. The story itself is quite epic and gruesome, featuring a vampire named Sir Francis Varney that preys on the Bannerworth family.

The Vampyre

a Tale by John Polidori

The Vampyre is another example of very early vampire horror and is credited by many as being the first modern vampire story ever published. Although it was initially erroneously attributed to being the work of Lord Byron, Polidori actually came up with the idea during the same meet-up where Mary Shelley began the process of writing Frankenstein. The Vampyre tells of the encounter that a young Englishman named Aubrey has with a British nobleman named Lord Ruthven. It quickly becomes apparent that Ruthven is a vampire, but Aubrey doesn’t realize this until it is too late.

Dracula

by Bram Stoker

No list of vampire novels could ever be complete without Dracula, which was written by Bram Stoker, an Irish author. The famous count needs no introduction, but this novel is about how he tries to leave his home in Transylvania to find new victims in England. This is the novel that got many readers hooked on vampire lore and despite its age, it has lost none of its creepiness.

The Room In The Tower

by E. F. Benson

The Room In The Tower is an imaginative short story about a young man who continually dreams about a terrifying room in a tower where he has to sleep while visiting a friend’s house. Things take an interesting turn when the man visits a friend and discovers that everything that happens to him there matches his nightmares. While his friend’s family doesn’t match that of the people in his dreams, he is chilled when they offer him a room in the tower and he wakes up in the middle of the night to discover a sinister figure looming over him. The Room In The Tower is short, but gripping, and features an unexpected twist to the typical portrayal of vampires.

The Vampire Maid

by Hume Nisbet

The Vampire Maid is an interesting entry in the vampire fiction genre as it was written by an author who wasn’t just a novelist, but also an artist. This brief tale is ideal for anyone in the mood for a quick vampire story and features a narrator who seeks solace in the country from the stress of city life. The last thing he expects to find is sick, but pretty girl living at the cottage on the moor where lodges. Strangely enough, the longer he stays the healthier the girl becomes.