The Vampyre; a Tale
by John William Polidori
Original Title: The Vampyre; a Tale
Author: John William Polidori
Publication Date: 1 April 1819
Genres: Fiction, Horror, Short fiction
File version: 1.0
This classic vampire story has inspired generations of authors, from Bram Stoker to Charlaine Harris. A young English gentleman of means—Aubrey is immediately intrigued by Lord Ruthven—the mysterious newcomer among society's elite. His unknown origin and curious behaviour tantalizes Aubrey's imagination. But the young man soon discovers a sinister character hidden behind his new friend's glamorous facade.
When the two are set upon by bandits while travelling together in Europe, Ruthven is fatally injured. Before drawing his last breath, he makes the odd request that Aubrey keep his death and crimes secret for a year and a day. But when Ruthven resurfaces in London—making overtures toward Aubrey's sister—Aubrey realizes this immortal fiend is a vampyre.
John William Polidori's The Vampyre is both a classic tale of gothic horror and the progenitor of the modern romantic vampire myth that has been fodder for artists ranging from Anne Rice to Alan Ball to Francis Ford Coppola.
Originally published in 1819, many decades before Bram Stoker's Dracula, and misattributed to Polidori's friend Lord Byron, The Vampyre has kept readers up at night for nearly two hundred years.
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