The Vampire's Bedside Companion

The Vampire’s Bedside Companion brings together vampire lore, reported evidence and fictional invention, moving between Transylvanian tradition and modern British legend. Its opening material visits Sighisoara, the Black Church and Bran Castle, while later sections consider whether vampires can exist, the broad distribution of vampire beliefs and the symbolic reading of the vampire through psychoanalysis.

Peter Underwood also examines the origins of Dracula, describes a vampire talisman and investigates the reported vampire associated with Highgate Cemetery. The book concludes with four original vampire stories, including “Domdaniel to Claim His Own”, “Dies Irae” and “Mirror Without Image”, followed by a selected bibliography. The result is part folklore survey, part case-based enquiry and part literary collection.