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The Last American Vampire

Review

The Last American Vampire

Like ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER, the previous novel in Seth Grahame-Smith’s speculative historical horror series, THE LAST AMERICAN VAMPIRE will instantly suffer the indignity of being misjudged as B-movie-style fiction or a monster mash-up. You would be doing yourself a disservice if you judge this book merely by its cover --- or title.

What Grahame-Smith has accomplished once again is a novel incredibly ambitious in scope that hits on all cylinders. It gives us the story of vampire Henry Sturges, as told to the author himself, and the role he played throughout centuries of historical events. To begin with, by placing himself as a character here, Grahame-Smith does a brilliant job of blending fact with fiction --- sort of the literary version of watching a film like The Blair Witch Project and speculating what was real and what was merely the fictional creation of the author or filmmaker.

"This novel is a wonder to behold, even if you see vampire fiction as light fare. The history involved is credible and spot-on, and the speculative job of blending the tale of immortal vampires throughout these events is nothing short of amazing."

Henry was introduced in ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER and formed an allegiance with the famous American President who had been hunting down vampires since his teens. Lincoln, Henry and other immortals were part of a group that called themselves “The Union” and were sworn to protect mankind. At the beginning of the novel, when Henry meets with Grahame-Smith to share his history, he ruminates that “nothing kills a vampire as quickly as the past.” His recollections begin with his resurrection of the recently assassinated President. Having failed to protect his friend from John Wilkes Booth's fatal bullet, he proceeds to “make” Honest Abe an immortal by passing on to him his vampire curse.

Confused and shocked, Lincoln accepts his death and rejects his revival. He promptly throws himself into a fire to escape his new fate --- leaving Henry alone once again. Henry travels to Europe where he befriends mortals and vampires alike as he continues his mission to protect mankind from evil vampires. He works with Bram Stoker and Arthur Conan Doyle to thwart Jack the Ripper --- a nefarious individual who ironically is the immortal vampire that was Henry’s own maker.

Henry touches upon one historical event after another, leaving his mark everywhere he goes. He was the impetus for theater manager Bram Stoker's writing of the novel DRACULA, as well as inspiring the work of famous inventors/writers such as Nikola Tesla and Mark Twain. However, it was a series of events taking place in the New World era that saw the colonization of America from the Native Americans that would form a deadly relationship that will follow Henry through time. His “making” of a woman named Virginia Dare --- the actual female who saved Pilgrim John Smith --- will create a nemesis that haunts him throughout history.

THE LAST AMERICAN VAMPIRE races through time from event to event, including both World Wars, Russia's October Revolution, the fatal Hindenburg flight and JFK's assassination. Along the way, Henry is surprisingly reunited with Lincoln --- who did not perish by burning --- and the two colleagues become active participants in all the events mentioned, and much more. All the way, their work is shadowed by Henry’s New World creation, Dare, who always seems to be a step ahead of them.

This novel is a wonder to behold, even if you see vampire fiction as light fare. The history involved is credible and spot-on, and the speculative job of blending the tale of immortal vampires throughout these events is nothing short of amazing. Seth Grahame-Smith is on the verge of taking off to meteoric heights as he is not only involved in bringing more of his novels to the big screen, he is rumored to be reworking Stephen King's IT for the big screen, along with remakes of Ray Bradbury's SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES and Chris Columbus' Gremlins. Enjoy THE LAST AMERICAN VAMPIRE and witness an enormous talent with boundless imagination.

Reviewed by Ray Palen on January 23, 2015

The Last American Vampire
by Seth Grahame-Smith

  • Publication Date: September 1, 2015
  • Genres: Fiction, Horror
  • Paperback: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
  • ISBN-10: 1455502111
  • ISBN-13: 9781455502110