Post by Silver on Jan 7, 2008 15:18:07 GMT -5
The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters by Rosemary Ellen Guiley, with a foreword by Jeanne Keyes Youngson President and Founder of the Vampire Empire
(from the back cover):
"Vampires, werewolves, and other shape-shifting monsters figure in mythology, folklore, and legend around the world. The dual nature of these creatures -- both human and monster -- has inspired enduring fascination, often expressed in film, literature, and superstition. Their capacity for violence and their hunger for human flesh and blood can instill powerful fear in the imagination, but today fear has yielded to interest, as demonstrated by the wild success of movies and books romanticizing the undead and other creatures of the night.
More than 600 entries presented in this encyclopedia provide a comprehensive range of vampires, werewolves, and related creatures. Topics covered include the supernatural and macabre aspects of the undead, superstitions about them and defenses against them from a wide range of cultures and beliefs, supposed 'true' historical accounts of such beasts, and the depiction of these creatures in the arts, entertainment, and pop culture.
Entries include
Also covered are major writers and researchers and their contributions to fact and fiction, as well as famous performers most closely associated with vampires {Christopher Lee and Bela Lugosi) and werewolves (Don Chaney Jr.). Featuring more than 100 illustrations, The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters is an authoritative references and indispensable resource for those who wish to learn more about these mysterious beings and their long and varied histories."
I personally, have found is useful and informative so far, and like the set-up of the entries and their format. At 352 pages and 8x11 size, it's a bit unweildy, but, encyclopedias usually are.
(from the back cover):
"Vampires, werewolves, and other shape-shifting monsters figure in mythology, folklore, and legend around the world. The dual nature of these creatures -- both human and monster -- has inspired enduring fascination, often expressed in film, literature, and superstition. Their capacity for violence and their hunger for human flesh and blood can instill powerful fear in the imagination, but today fear has yielded to interest, as demonstrated by the wild success of movies and books romanticizing the undead and other creatures of the night.
More than 600 entries presented in this encyclopedia provide a comprehensive range of vampires, werewolves, and related creatures. Topics covered include the supernatural and macabre aspects of the undead, superstitions about them and defenses against them from a wide range of cultures and beliefs, supposed 'true' historical accounts of such beasts, and the depiction of these creatures in the arts, entertainment, and pop culture.
Entries include
- An American Werewolf in London (1981)
- blood
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Bram Stoker's Dracula (film -- 1992)
- chupacabra
- extraterrestrials
- Hammer Films
- I Am Legend (1954)
- killing vampires
- lycanthropy
- Nosferatu
- Anne Rice
- shape-shifting
- vampire hunters
Also covered are major writers and researchers and their contributions to fact and fiction, as well as famous performers most closely associated with vampires {Christopher Lee and Bela Lugosi) and werewolves (Don Chaney Jr.). Featuring more than 100 illustrations, The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters is an authoritative references and indispensable resource for those who wish to learn more about these mysterious beings and their long and varied histories."
I personally, have found is useful and informative so far, and like the set-up of the entries and their format. At 352 pages and 8x11 size, it's a bit unweildy, but, encyclopedias usually are.