Vampire Hunters: An Incomplete Record of Personal Accounts Reviewed by Logan Lynch

Vampire Hunters: An Incomplete Record of Personal Accounts (Speculation Publications) is an aptly named collection of gory testimonies from ancient Greece to current-day Kiribati, edited by LCW Allingham and River Eno. The collection is a masterclass in edging, constantly hinting at new dangers to come while denying the reader full knowledge of those dangers. With titillating stories from Gwendolyn Kiste, A.C. Wise, TT Madden, and more, this collection playfully teases readers with snapshots of vampiric history that ask more questions than they answer. 

“All the Devils at Once” by Gwendolyn Kiste follows underappreciated hunter Valeria as she picks up the slack of famous-but-incompetent Van Helsing after he enters her village. After seeing how they praise him, Valeria uses Van Helsing’s reputation to enact revenge on her neighbors. Kiste’s characterization of Valeria epitomizes the experience of remarkable women who are cast aside for average men. In cynical prose, Kiste delivers an exquisite serving of revenge and catharsis.

In “Sick” by A.C. Wise, Mia Caldwell recounts her atypical relationship with vampire Godfrey. In a tone that resembles religious mania, Mia meticulously tortures Godfrey in a series of purifying rituals, aiming for his eventual redemption and freedom. Wise uses gripping prose to construct an intimate, cult-like environment you can’t get enough of. Through Mia, Wise presents a morbidly refreshing take on vampire hunters and their dark urges. 

TT Madden’s “Bad Blood” is an evidence catalog of cassette tape transcripts and other items from Etta May’s first hunt after her father’s death. Led by her uncle Aaron, Etta May and a crew of other hunters encounter vampires that resemble humanoid leeches near a hospital. With clear references to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, Madden unyieldingly validates African American mistrust of doctors. Presented in fragments of resonant evidence, Madden’s writing paints a fine, bloody picture.

While this collection’s intentional incompleteness was occasionally frustrating, it also left me yearning for more of the stories I loved. Utterly tantalizing, Vampire Hunters is impossible to forget. 

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Logan Lynch is studying English Language and Literature at Stevenson University and a Baffling Magazine Associate Editor for Neon Hemlock. They are also the Editor in Chief at The Greenspring Review, Stevenson’s literary and media magazine, where you can find some of their writing. They live in Maryland.