Vampire Nation
by Arlene Russo
John Blake, £17.99, ISBN 1 84454 172 X
Arlene Russo, editor of Bite Me magazine, surveys the UK vampire scene with mixed results in a book that reads like an extended fanzine. She distinguishes between those who merely adopt the lifestyle, and ‘real’ vampires, who take it seriously but are definitely not undead. Real ones subdivide into sanguinarians who, as the name suggests, consume blood, and psychic vampires, who conveniently absorb psychic energy from others. Real vampires are born not made, we are told. That means the condition can’t be transmitted, contrary to the fictional portrayals, so if it is inherited there are a lot of vampire families keeping quiet. The most interesting bits are the interviews, which Russo uses to explore different facets of the vampire scene, some decidedly racy. The ‘lifestylers’ are more talkative than their ‘real’ counterparts, which skews the responses. Our everyday image, drawn primarily from Bram Stoker and Hammer films, is of someone definitely dangerous to know, but the majority of the interviewees in the book proclaim themselves “safety-conscious and moral”.
It is suggested that real vampires craving blood can alleviate it with black pudding, and the virtues of vegetarianism are extolled – more Count Duckula than Nosferatu – making them sound surprisingly dull. Many sanguinarians have volunteer donors to satisfy their physical, or at least psychological, needs. Those who drink their own blood thinking that they can get energy from it misunderstand the first law of thermodynamics.
Given our conception of vampires stemming from European folklore traditions, it is surprising to find influences from Eastern philosophy, with references to prana. Similarly “ki wavelength” may be a mispronounced reference to chi, giving these princes and princesses of darkness a new age slant. The book has been carelessly proof-read, contains no index, and little analysis. Not a lot to get your teeth into.
Tom Ruffles
