I have been curious about this one for a while. I enjoy reading stories that are dark, disturbing or kinky, and I enjoy reading erotica... so what's not to like about this? I can relate to the sex appeal of the vampire genre, but I'm curious how it will play out in this book.

The only vampire books I can recall reading before are the Anne Rice novels, which I thought were terribly-written.

I surprised myself by really liking this book, despite that fact that it wasn't what I expected at all. While there was sex in these stories--they were definitely part of the "sexy vampire" subgenre--I didn't find them erotic in the least. At least, they didn't actually turn me on the way traditional erotica does. I thought they would. I guess that means I don't have a vampire fetish.

Nonetheless, the writing was much better than I expected. I thought it would be terrible, like much of the erotica I have read (and all of the vampire stories). I especially enjoyed the sense of chase, of the hunt--even the adversarial relationship between vampire and prey. In fact, I think the stories I enjoyed most were not written from the vampire's point-of-view, so they weren't about hunger and desire at all. They were about trying to escape from, hunt down, or kill the vampire. The stories White Chapel, Triptych di Amore, The Alchemy of the Throat, and Love Me Forever were favorites of this variety.

The story Queen of the Night was delightfully weird, featuring a boy raised by ghouls. In the final story, A Slow Red Whisper of Sand, I was captivated by the hero's doomed efforts to save his love from "turning."

Mailing to another BookCrosser as part of the "Erotica" bookrelay. Sorry--now that I've read it, I'm not sure it belongs there. I hope you like it anyway!

Book arrived today... looks GREAT! Thanks so much, Flashgirl. TBR.

From the front cover:

Beyond the Thrill of Desire Lies the Ecstasy of Hunger
LOVE IN VEIN
TWENTY ORIGINAL TALES OF VAMPIRIC EROTICA
Edited by America's new bestselling dark fantasy author
POPPY Z. BRITE

From the back cover:

"Brite's vision is disturbingly dark, deliciously erotic, sweetly savage, and uniquely her own."
-- Dan Simmons, author of Carrion Comfort

The classic horror tale is about fear. But now there is a controversial new literature of the macabre that goes deeper than horror, beyond fear, to explore our darkest, most intimate hungers. The ones even lovers are forbidden to share.

Acclaimed dark fantasy author Poppy Z. Brite has brought together this new genre's most powerful and seductive authors in an original collection of vampiric erotica, a shameless celebration of unspeakable intimacies. It is not fore everyone.

But neither is the night.

LOVE IN VEIN

POPPY Z. BRITE is the bestselling author of the novels LOST SOULS and DRAWING BLOOD and numerous short stories, including the World Fantasy Award nominee, "Calcutta, Lord of Nerves". Born at the peak of the sixties, she has worked as a gourmet candy maker, and artist's model, a mouse caretaker, and an exotic dancer. She lives in New Orleans.

Mailed today.

thanks for this one nwp, looks interesting (although i am unsure why i have it) - not complaining though... should fill my need for all things vampiric for a while :)