Published 2010.The facts are stranger than anything you may have read, heard, or imagined before now! Vampires. They really exist, and this book rips away the myth to expose their habits and lifestyles. Vampires: The Occult Truth divulges actual first-person encounters with vampires of all types - the ancient undead of folklore, contemporary mortal blood drinkers, and the most dangerous creatures of all: psychic vampires, who intentionally drain the life force from their victims.
In Vampires, you'll find many never-before-published case histories of recent contacts with vampires and their victims, including those encountered in the flesh by the author himself. You'll read letters from modern vampires that tell of their hidden lives. You'll even learn a failsafe way to protect yourself from a psychic vampire attack.
Vampires: fact or fiction? Uncover the chilling truth about the legend that refuses to die. (book back blurb)
I went into this book thinking it was going to be another campy vampire book that while it had genuine vampire tidbits in it, was told like the rest of the books of its ilk. Thankfully I was wrong although I have to say that while it was refreshing getting away from the camp, Konstantinos was, at times, a little dry in the execution of his point and it was sometimes hard for me to get through. But those spots are pretty few and far between.
What I liked most about the author was that while he takes his subject of vampires very seriously, he doesn't force that on the reader. Throughout he's very insistent that you take what you will from what he tells you, draw your own conclusions and hear the stories with some grains of salt added in. He presents his theories concisely and without pretense and he doesn't force his own conclusions on you but encourages you to come to your own. I liked that.
With that being said, this isn't a book for the girlies looking for more vampire giggles. This is actually a pretty serious reference book for people looking for genuine vampire information not ripped from movies, TV or literature. While Konstantinos does reference those characters, he quickly brushes them away for being far too removed from the "actual" vampires of history. Those vampires are reanimated corpses, ghouls, demons, or thought to be. They're steeped in lore and exist more in the fear of the villages they spawn from than in the air itself. These are not creatures to woo by.
Now I have to say I am a believer of psychic vampires. I have a feeling one of my friends may be one without even realizing it. I'm always so drained when I'm done hanging out with her. If you've ever known someone to be like that, completely draining, chances are they're psychic vampires and they probably don't know it. As for "real" blood drinkers, I'm a little less convinced of those people. The letters that were included in the book just seemed pretty patchwork from movies and TV and whatever else they could grab from. I just think these people are so psychologically invested in the idea that they need blood that they've actually convinced themselves they need it. I'm sure they'd say otherwise but I'd like to see them sit with a psychologist. Not because I think they're crazy but because I think their need is more psychological than physical.
Ultimately this is a pretty good reference book to use if you're looking for some good, genuine vampire lore. You will get accurate depictions of vampires from folklore without all of that Hollywood taint. And if you're looking for genuinely terrifying vampires, you'll need that.
Contest time!
Want my copy? Just fill out the form below for your chance to win. Open to US residents 13 years of age and older only. One entry per person per email address. Duplicate entries will be deleted. The question must be answered in order for your entry to qualify. Answering the question gives me permission to post your answers on my website. Contest ends October 28th at midnight, EST.
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