Upcoming Books on Vampires

Time for a new segment I like to call "Upcoming Books on Vampires". Snazzy, ain't it?

It'll cover as-yet-unpublished non-fiction vampire books I come across. Kinda like I did here. The format'll be similar to that post, but entries devoted to a single upcoming book (like Bell's) will also get the segment title, from now on.

But it doesn't mean I'm gonna cover any old new book, either. Like, let's face it, the children/young adult stuff is a dime a dozen. Not to mention generally thin on content. So, the rule is, it's gotta be over a hundred pages. I'll try and incorporate non-English works here, too.

Also, I'll be guesstimating how good the books are. Nothing set in stone, here, of course. Essentially, why they have interested me enough to put 'em on here.

So, with all that in mind, let's get this show on the road.

Title: The Encyclopedia of Vampires and Werewolves
Author: Rosemary Ellen Guiley
Release Date: June 30, 2011
Worth the Wait? Not quite a new book, per se, but it'll certainly feature new content. It's the second edition to Guiley's 2004 book, The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters. Unless there's been a misprint, looks like the "other monsters" have been kicked to the curb. Not that I'm shedding tears over it, mind you.

Although the original ain't as scholarly as Melton's Vampire Book, it still makes for an entertaining read.

Title: The Vampire Defanged: How the Embodiment of Evil Became a Romantic Hero
Author: Susannah Clements
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Worth the Wait? I like the concept of charting the vampire's evolution from villain to hero. Sure, it's been done before, but not as explicitly as this title indicates. It'll also be interesting to see what context the book is written in, in light of its publisher's output:

Our main areas of focus include biblical studies, theology, ethics, cultural studies, and church history. We also publish textbooks on Christian education, mission, and ministry as well as integrative works in a variety of liberal arts disciplines, such as literature, communication, philosophy, and psychology.

Title: The Vampire Film: From Nosferatu to Twilight
Author: Alain Silver & James Ursini
Release Date: September 15, 2010
Worth the Wait? Just like Guiley's book, this is actually a further edition. In this case, the fourth. The original was simply called The Vampire Film (1975) and subsequent editions were accompanied by a subtitle to reflect contemporary movies. Hence the "Twilight" amendment.

Should be a pretty good book, going by the content of the original and other editions. Practically guaranteed, in fact (depending on how well they handle the new stuff). A fairly safe bet.

Title: Vampyre Sanguinomicon: The Lexicon of the Living Vampire
Author: Father Sebastiaan
Release Date: September 1, 2010
Worth the Wait? Not sure on its precise relation to his 2008 book, Sanguinomicon: The Vampyre Lexicon, but it's clearly an attempt to create a lingua franca within the "real" vampire subculture. As I've said before, it ain't really my scene, but I'm sure there'll be some value in this book. From a sociological perspective, at least.

Title: Wanted Undead or Alive: Vampire Hunters and Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil
Author: Jonathan Maberry and Janice Gable Bashman
Release Date: August 31, 2010
Worth the Wait? Hmm. "Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil." A lil bit too try-hard for me. This sounds like the epitome of Maberry's vampire "field guides", along with The Vampire Slayers' Field Guide to the Undead (2001), Vampire Universe (2006), and They Bite! (2009). So I'll give the guy kudos for sheer output.

However, his books, jam-packed with info, lavishly illustrated, are very, very much on the mainstream, pop culture, consumerist side of things. You won't find much of a scholarly nature in these things. So let's say I'm somewhat apprehensive.