The Vampyre (Fantasy and Horror Classics)

<p><strong>Before Dracula before Lestat there was Lord Ruthven: the true original of the modern vampire.</strong></p><p>Aubrey a young naive English gentleman befriends the enigmatic and compelling Lord Ruthven: a man of icy charm piercing eyes and a devastating reputation. Drawn by Ruthven's magnetic allure Aubrey accompanies him on a tour through the decadent capitals and shadowed landscapes of Europe.</p><p>But as they travel Aubrey begins to witness a terrifying pattern: beautiful women ruined and discarded and all who get too close to Ruthven meeting a sudden violent end. Aubrey soon realises that his traveling companion is not merely a libertine but something far more sinister: an ancient evil that survives by draining the life from the innocent.</p><p>Bound by a horrifying oath sworn over a dying corpse and tormented by his knowledge of the truth Aubrey returns to England. Now he must watch in impotent horror as Lord Ruthven--the monster he swore to silence--targets Aubrey's own innocent sister for his next victim.</p><p>Written by Lord Byron's personal physician John William Polidori and inspired by the legendary ghost story contest of 1816 <em>The Vampyre</em> established the vampire as a sophisticated aristocratic and seductive figure. This novella is a foundational classic of both Gothic literature and horror that continues to influence the genre today.</p>