Revised, updated, and enlarged, this vast reference is an alphabetic tour of the psychosexual, macabre world of the blood-sucking undead. Digging deep into the lore, myths, and reported realities of vampires and vampire legends from across the globe, many facets are uncovered--historical, literary, mythological, biographical, and popular. From Vlad the Impaler and Barnabas Collins to Dracula and Lestat, this exhaustive guide furnishes more than 500 essays, a vampire chronology, and 60 pages of vampire resources. Complete with detailed illustrations and photographs, the third edition of this popular authority includes a wealth of current events, including theTwilightphenomenon; contemporary authors of vampire romance; the growth and development of genuine, self-identified vampire communities; and prominent TV shows fromBuffytoTrue Blood.

J. Gordon Melton, PhD, is the director of the Institute for the Study of American Religions and a research specialist with the department of religious studies at University College–Santa Barbara. He is the author of more than 25 books, including The Church of Scientology, The Cult Experience, The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena, and Nelson’s Guide to Denomination. He lives in Goleta, California.