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Book Review of Women of the Night

Women of the Night
reviewed on + 1568 more book reviews


Top notch collection.
I confess I got it mostly for the Nina Kiriki Hoffman, the Tanya Huff, and the Jane Yolen short stories, but the rest were also high quality.

From the slip jacket:
The story of the vampire is one that has been told and retold throughout the centuries, often undergoing radical changes along the way, until what once was a terrible, bestial creature of darkness has been transformed into a sensual, passionate creature that is often misunderstood by the world at large. Most often the realm of male authors writing about male vampires, over the last century the genre has seen a refreshing swing toward authors of both sexes exploring the other side of the vampiric gender -- the women of the night.

The sixteen stories collected within these pages are among the very best of their kind, from many of the best fantasy and horror authors writing today. From an encounter with a predatory spouse in a New England storm to a continuation of the Dracula story featuring a completely different tale of love, longing and loss, these stories explore both what it is to be female, human and vampire, and often all at the same time.

The selected stories include: "One for the Road" by Stephen King. The regulars at Tookey's Bar know better than to wander around Jerusalems' Lot; especially at night. But when a husband needs help during a snowstorm, they travel into the heart of the blizzard ... and an encounter with pure evil. "Sister Death" by Jane Yolen. Even the heart of a millennia-old vampire who accompanies the Angel of Death on his appointed rounds can be swayed by the yearning look of a young child. "Queen of the Night" by Gene Wolfe. The lady in white came for the boy in the dead of night, spiriting him away to her dark castle, where he would experience such things that would change his life forever... "Do Not Hasten to Bid Me Adieu" by Norman Partridge. The real story of what happened after the events of Bram Stokers novel Dracula is told against the vast, wild Texas frontier, as one of Dracula's hunters returns home to claim everything that is his ... including his one true love.


List of stories and authors:
One for the Road, short story by Stephen King
Snow, Glass, Apples, short story by Neil Gaiman
In Darkness, Angels, novelette by Eric Van Lustbader
The Cookie Lady, short story by Philip K. Dick
Food Chain, short story by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Victims, short story by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Cafe Endless: Spring Rain, short story by Nancy Holder
Bite-Me-Not, or Fleur de Fur, novelette by Tanith Lee (aka Bite-Me-Not or Fleur de Feu)
Queen of the Night, short story by Gene Wolfe
Yrena, short story by P. D. Cacek
Sister Death, short story by Jane Yolen
The Carpetbagger, short story by Susan Shwartz
This Town Ain't Big Enough, [Victory Nelson, Investigator] novelette by Tanya Huff
Claim-Jumpin' Woman, You Got A Stake in My Heart, novelette by Esther M. Friesner
Faith Like Wine, novelette by Rachel Caine [as Roxanne Longstreet]
Do Not Hasten to Bid Me Adieu, novelette by Norman Partridge