Virtuous Vampires Author:Stefan Dziemianowicz (Editor), Robert Weinberg (Editor), Martin H. Greenberg (Editor) How can a vampire -- that centuries-old symbol of evil incarnate -- be considered virtuous? Is it possible that this loathsome insidious creature actually deserves our sympathy? The writers of the stories collected in this book think so. — In fiction, the vampire has actually come a long way since Bram Stoker. Today, readers can find vampires cri... more »ppled by self-doubt and tortured by angst. They may resemble their mortal victims or even be ethically or spiritually superior to them. In this collection, readers will encounter vampires who act benevolently, or even altruistically, toward their own kind and their potential enemy, humankind; they will see a human and a blood drinker unite against a common enemy; there are even "understanding" vampires who know when it is advantageous to suppress their natural hunger and respect social decorum. These vampires are, in a word, heroes.
Contents:
* Cloak / Robert Bloch
* Homecoming / Ray Bradbury
* Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep / Suzy McKee Charnas
* Yellow Fog / Les Daniels
* A Surfeit of Melancholic Humours / Sharon N. Farber
* This Town Ain't Big Enough / Tanya Huff
* Masquerade / Henry Kuttner
* Scarlet Dream / C. L. Moore
* Ever After / Susan Palwick
* The Healer's Touch / Susan C. Petrey
* Restless Souls / Seabury Quinn
* Pyotr's Story / Spider Robinson
* Following the Way / Alan Ryan
* The Hunger and Ecstasy of Vampires / Brian Stableford
* She Only Goes Out at Night / William Tenn
* Gentlemen of the Shade / Harry Turtledove
* The Spider Glass: an Edwardian Story / Chelsea Quinn Yarbo