Carmilla

Sapphic longing meets gothic horror in this cult classic whose "exploration of obsessive first love as] both exciting and monstrous" makes it "perfect for YA readers" and adult fans of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles (Kiersten White, author of The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein)

Steeped in the sexual tension between two young women, this is a beautiful, brand-new edition of the original cult classic which influenced Dracula and all the vampire stories that followed, including Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles.

In an isolated castle deep in the Austrian forest, Laura leads a solitary life with only her ailing father for company. Until one moonlit night, a horse-drawn carriage crashes into view, carrying an unexpected guest - the beautiful Carmilla.

So begins a feverish friendship between Laura and her entrancing companion, one defined by mysterious happenings and infused with an indeniable eroticism. But as Carmilla becomes increasingly strange and volatile, prone to eerie nocturnal wanderings, Laura finds herself tormented by nightmares and growing weaker by the day...

Pre-dating Dracula by 26 years, Carmilla is the original vampire story, a rediscovered classic of sexual tension and gothic romance.

About the Author

Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873) was an Irish writer of gothic tales, mystery novels and ghost stories, most famous for his novel Uncle Silas. Carmilla was first published in 1872 and has served as an inspiration countless books, from Bram Stoker's Dracula and Henry James' The Turn of the Screw to Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, and a slew of films such as Hammer Horror's Karnstein Trilogy.