The Vampyre

The Vampyre is a foundational work of vampire fiction, first published in 1819. John Polidori, who travelled with Lord Byron and was present during the celebrated 1816 summer gathering at Villa Diodati, transformed the vampire into an unsettling figure moving through fashionable society. The novella follows the disturbing influence of the mysterious Lord Ruthven. This edition presents the original story with its atmosphere of fascination, suspicion and social danger.