Here's my review of Vampire Slayers: Stories of Those Who Dare to Take Back the Night, edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. It's collection of short stories by various authors. It claims to be part of "The Slayer Series." I've yet to see anything else in that series, but, then, I haven't looked really hard, yet, either.

This was actually a quite good book. Very entertaining. And it had absolutely nothing to do with Buffy. I don't know if it was inspired by Buffy or not, but there is no mention of her or the tv show anywhere in it. Oops. I take that back. The show is mentioned in the introducion. My bad.

First is "The Last Grave of Lill Warran." This was an interesting tale of a young woman who had been killed as a possible werewolf, then rose as a vampire. That's assuming I properly understood what I read. It's a pretty good story.

"Midnight Sun" is a story (as several in this book are) about a time when the vampires have just about taken over the world. There is a small outpost of humans in what I think was the South Pole (Antarctica). They are attacked by an army of vampires who have found a way to survive in the sun. Some kind of super sunblock. Heheh...now why hasn't anyone thought of THAT before??

"Revelations in Black" was one of my favorites. This guy finds a book in an old shop. The owner won't sell it to him but lets him borrow it, claiming that his late, insane, brother wrote it from an asylum. The man reads it, and is then mysteriously drawn to a house where he find exactly what he just read about. It's creepy and good.

"Nellie Foster" is a pretty simple short one about a local woman who takes it upon herself to kill the town vampiress who is feeding on their children.

"Special" was another of my favorites, although it was a bit risque. Jim is apparently a human who works for the vampires, helping them capture women for breeding and, well, pleasure. He finds one that he really likes and decides to rebel. Good ending, this one.

"God-Less Men" is another favorite. A preacher's daughter is killed by a vampire. The preacher has an indian "slayer" brought in to kill the vamp. Surprise who the vamp is.

"Stragella." Another favorite. Lots of good stories in this book. This one's about a sort of "ghost ship," only with vampires, the leader of whom is a female who calls herself, well, Stragella.

"We Are Dead Together." A short one that involves a lady who plans to sacrifice herself to kill a whole theater full of vampires.

"This Town Ain't Big Enough." My absolute favorite one! About a cop whose girlfriend, an ex-cop, is now vampire. She has moved back to town, but there is another vampire hunting in her territory. In this story, vamps don't share territory. The other one is much older and stronger. She goes after her anyway.

"Duty." This one was kind of sad. It's about a guy who rides his bike around and has the "duty" of extenguishing babies who are "turning." What a horrible job.

"Midnight Mass." A drunk Catholic priest and a Jewish Rabbi team up to take back a parrish from the vampires, who are led by another, turned, Catholic priest. Very strange, but good, story.

That's it. Good book. I give it the ol' two thumbs up!

Currently still reading Years of Minutes, by Andy Rooney.

Also reading The Laughing Corpse, by Laurell K. Hamilton.

ANXIOUSLY awaiting next week's "Angel" episode. Looks like a real trip! Also anxiously awaiting the release of season 5 of BtVS.

Oh, yeah!!! And didja hear?? They've started releasing "Looney Tunes" on DVD boxed sets!! WOOHOO!!! The first set has "Rabbit of Seville" in it!! Yay!

Missed anything?
The Beatles--Abbey Road/Alice Cooper--Killer - July 04, 2012
The Beatles Eponymous Album - June 26, 2012
Autism's False Prophets - February 12, 2011
Santana--Guitar God? - November 11, 2010
Tribute To the Red Sox - September 29, 2010