The Vampyre: A Tale

A young Englishman meets a mysterious nobleman in London society and agrees to travel with him across Europe. What follows is a journey into terror, as the cold, charming Lord Ruthven proves to be something far more dangerous than a dissolute aristocrat, and a solemn oath leaves the young man unable to warn the people he loves. First published in 1819, The Vampyre is one of the earliest vampire stories in English, written by John William Polidori, the physician who accompanied Lord Byron to Lake Geneva in the summer of 1816 that also produced Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

The tale presents the vampire as a sophisticated, seductive figure of high society, an image that later Gothic fiction took up again and again. Set in London, Rome and Greece, it blends travel, society and supernatural horror, and explores secrecy, innocence and the power of rank.

This edition contains the complete text of The Vampyre together with the material printed with it in 1819: an extract of a letter from Geneva about Byron's circle, a short introduction on vampire superstition, and an account of Byron's residence on the island of Mitylene. It also includes a new introduction, a character guide, a summary of the story, a discussion of its themes, a glossary, and questions for reading groups.