This book sets the writings of Merimee, Le Fanu, Stoker and Verne in the context in which they were written - namely the response to Balkan, Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian politics. Gibson analyzes their works to reveal that the vampire acts as an allegory of the Near East through which constitutes a challenge to the 'orientalism' argument of today.
'[Gibson] successfully engages the growing scholarship on vampire literature and postcolonial theory... this is an innovative, important approach to vampire narratives and to Stoker's work. Highly recommended.' - R. D. Morrison, Choice
'Gibson's beautifully researched and historically grounded text adds another complex voice to the discourse about gothic literature in general and vampire narratives in particular.' - English Literature in Transition
'Gibson's beautifully researched and historically grounded text adds another complex voice to the discourse about gothic literature in general and vampire narratives in particular.' - English Literature in Transition