Top 16 Best Vampire Books Updated 04 /2024

There are a lot of stories about monsters who go bump in the night, but vampires are one of the most popular. Not just because they live for ever. For one thing, books about vampires are fun to read. That's not to say that the vampire myth isn't a good one for literature and art. Writers and thinkers have used the vampire myth to look at the human condition through its mysterious origins and archetypal stories. The best vampire books are romantic, historical, philosophical, and mysterious, all of which make for a page-turner that will stay with you for a long time. Vampire literature is one of my favorite things to read. I'm always on the lookout for new books to read, and these top ten are must-reads for anyone who loves the genre or is just getting into it.

The Vampyre: A Tale

John William Polidori

The Vampyre was written in 1819, almost 100 years before Bram Stoker wrote Dracula. It was the first vampire book. He comes to England and becomes a part of an elite group of people. People start to learn more about him as they get to know him better. The book is written by John William Polidori and is based on an incomplete story by Lord Byron. It was written by Polidori (the real-life inspiration behind the Byronic vampire archetype). If you want to start with a gothic story that's also romantic, read this first.

Carmilla (Annotated)

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

While many people think of Dracula as the vampire bible, there were a lot of other stories that set the groundwork. It's one of them: Carmilla is one of the people. This short story was written in 1871. It tells the story of a young woman who becomes the object of another woman's obsessive desire. But the woman who's after you isn't just any woman. She's a vampire.

Dracula

Bram Stoker

Besides being everyone's favorite Halloween costume, Dracula is the father of all of the vampire fantasy series that we have since been given to read about. For people who love gothic novels in all their macabre and moody glory, this is the book for you.

Interview With the Vampire

Anne Rice

Interview With a Vampire is one of Anne Rice's best-known books. It's a little sexy, a little scary, and a lot of fun. If you read this book, you'll learn about a 200-year-old vamp who tells a brave journalist about his life. It's not just a story about a vampire, though. The book was made into a movie with Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise in it, which you should watch after you read it.

Dead Until Dark

Charlaine Harris

Not only did I watch every single season of True Blood twice, but I didn't even know it existed. Reading the book that inspired the HBO show will keep you hooked from start to finish. It is about Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress in a small Louisiana town who reads minds and dates a vampire. The plot is exciting, but it's the well-recorded setting and cast of characters that really make the story stand out from the rest.

Let the Right One In: A Novel

St. Martin's Griffin

In this Swedish novel, a young boy is bullied at school until he strikes up a friendship with the mysterious girl who moves in next door. There are sweet, tender moments, but Let the Right One In can also be a sinister, disturbing, and straight-up scary read—perfect for Halloween (or year-round) spooks. 

Fledgling: A Novel

Octavia E. Butler

In Fledgling, Octavia E. Butler tells a different kind of vampire story than most. Yes, it's hard to put down, and you could read it in one sitting. It also talks about race, sexuality, and identity. There are a lot of interesting things about the characters, language, themes, and plot in this book.

The Historian

Elizabeth Kostova

In her father's library, the protagonist finds out things she didn't want to know about her own family's history and that of Vlad the Impaler, the ruthless medieval ruler who in part inspired the story of Dracula. There have been many historians who have tried to figure out whether Dracula is a mythic character or if he was real. She also has the torch that has been passed down through the generations.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Seth Grahame-Smith

Suppose Abraham Lincoln not only saved the Union but also killed vampires. I want to talk about a hero for the country. Seth Grahame-clever Smith's reimagining of Abraham Lincoln's life is a mix of history and fantasy. In this story, there is only one major supernatural twist: When a vampire kills the mother of a nine-year-old future statesman, the story changes. To study the civil war and also be interested in the supernatural, buy this book.

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

Grady Hendrix

Released in 2020, this new book follows the members of a women's book club in Charleston, South Carolina, as they try to figure out who a mysterious man is and why he's in their town. People who like Stephen King and Steel Magnolias will enjoy this '90s-themed horror book. Amazon says it's a mix of Steel Magnolias and Dracula.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide To Slaying Vampires 

by Grady Hendrix

The Southern Book Club's Guide To Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix is one of the most talked-about vampire books of 2020. You don't want to miss it.

POPSUGAR, Indie Next, LibraryReads, Goodreads, and Amazon have named it one of the best books of the year. You might also recognize the title from bookstagram.

This vampire book is scary as hell and may be upsetting to some people because of domestic abuse, suicide, violence, and sexual assault.

If you read The Southern Book Club's Guide To Slaying Vampires before going to bed like we did, you might have some gruesome dreams as well.

Patricia Campbell's life in the South looks pretty bad, especially in a town where everyone's husbands think they're shaky, hysterical, and weak housewives. It's not fun, to say the least.

She keeps her life together only by reading books about true crimes.

Every time someone in the community starts to go missing, all the clues point to the new guy who moved in next door! People say James Harris is more like Bundy than Brad Pitt. Patricia thinks that.

Unfortunately, it's hard to prove that James is a vampire, especially when he's giving all of their families a lot of money.

Even though he doesn't seem to be satisfied, this vamp might not be able to stand up for himself. Not all of the women will be able to come out alive. Can Patricia save her family?

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