The Vampire in Science Fiction Film and Literature

Vampires have been a popular subject for writers since their inception in 19th century Gothic literature and, later, became popular with filmmakers. Now the classical vampire is extinct, and in its place are new vampires who embrace the hi-tech worlds of science fiction. This book is the first to examine the history of vampires in science fiction. The first part considers the role of science and pseudo-science, from late Victorian to modern times, in the creation of the vampire, as well as the “sensation fiction” of J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Bram Stoker, Arthur Conan Doyle and H.G. Wells. The second part focuses on the history of the science fiction vampire in the cinema, from the silent era to the present. More than sixty films are discussed, including films from such acclaimed directors as Roger Corman, David Cronenberg, Guillermo del Toro and Steven Spielberg, among others.

Paul Meehan is the author of several books on science fiction, film noir and horror films, and a contributor to the Noir City Sentinel, the journal of the Film Noir Foundation and to The Palgrave Handbook of the Vampire. He lives in San Francisco.

Paul Meehan

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 236
Bibliographic Info: 58 photos, filmography, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2014
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7487-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1654-4
Imprint: McFarland

Introduction 1

Part I: Origins
One. The Scientific Origins of the Vampire Myth 8
Two. The Science Fiction Vampire in Literature 24

Part II: The Films
Three. Plagues of Blood 70
Four. Mad Scientists and Vampires 91
Five. The Psychic Dimension 119
Six. Vampires vs. High Technology 134
Seven. Bloodsuckers from Outer Space 182

Epilogue: The Vampires We Need 209
Filmography 213
Chapter Notes 219
Bibliography 221
Index 223

• “very interesting, well-written, and well-illustrated…highly recommend”—WFOS-FM
• “the first full-scale examination of the history of the vampire in the science fiction genre”—ProtoView