The Vampire: A New History by Nick Groom review – an undead family tree

Nick Groom concludes this invigorating study of vampires by suggesting that we should try to be a bit more like them. Thankfully this doesn’t entail hanging shiftily around blood donor banks or having your cuspids filed to a point (that’s a thing apparently – although heaven knows where you’d find a dentist who’d oblige). Rather,...

Older than Dracula: in search of the English vampire

The story of Count Dracula as many of us know it was created by Bram Stoker, an Irishman, in 1897. But most of the action takes place in England, from the moment the Transylvanian vampire arrives on a shipwrecked vessel in Whitby, North Yorkshire, with plans to make his lair in the spookily named Carfax...

The Chilling History of 15 Halloween Traditions

Now a night of frolic for children, this autumn holiday is actually a mashup of old rituals remembering the dead and celebrating the spirit world, with a bit of mischief thrown in. Courtesy of Reader's Digest.

Five Mythical Monsters From the Edges of the Map

The season of ghouls and goblins upon us, and the monsters that show up often reflect our fear of the unknown. Across the street, my neighbors drape orange lights around tattered black clothes that stream from ghoulish skeletal masks. Pumpkins appear carved to reflect a kind of hunger that speaks to nature: We will all...

Monster Monday: Selkie

We all know about vampires and werewolves, or at least we think we do. The legends and myths that inspired these monsters are sometimes surprisingly different, but no less chilling. In this series of posts, Monster Monday, we'll investigate the monsters that have informed our modern notions, as well as some lesser known monsters. Today,...

Monster Monday: Cat Sidhe

We all know about vampires and werewolves, or at least we think we do. The legends and myths that inspired these monsters are sometimes surprisingly different, but no less chilling. In this series of posts, Monster Monday, we'll investigate the monsters that have informed our modern notions, as well as some lesser known monsters. Today,...

Monster Monday: Knockers and Bluecaps

We all know about vampires and werewolves, or at least we think we do. The legends and myths that inspired these monsters are sometimes surprisingly different, but no less chilling. In this series of posts, Monster Monday, we'll investigate the monsters that have informed our modern notions, as well as some lesser known monsters. Today,...

Monster Monday: Domovoi

We all know about vampires and werewolves, or at least we think we do. The legends and myths that inspired these monsters are sometimes surprisingly different, but no less chilling. In this series of posts, Monster Monday, we'll investigate the monsters that have informed our modern notions, as well as some lesser known monsters. Today,...

Monster Monday: Tailypo

We all know about vampires and werewolves, or at least we think we do. The legends and myths that inspired these monsters are sometimes surprisingly different, but no less chilling. In this series of posts, Monster Monday, we'll investigate the monsters that have informed our modern notions, as well as some lesser known monsters. Today,...