The Barnes & Noble Review
Abraham Van Helsing, the archetypal vampire hunter in Bram Stoker's Dracula, is "arguably one of the most well-known yet least explored characters in literature," according to Jeanne Cavelos, editor of this brilliant anthology featuring stories about the iconic vampire slayer.
From the wilderness of 19th-century China to the back alleys of 1965 England, with stories that depict Van Helsing from an introspective young boy to an undead monstrosity, the strength of this anthology is in its incredible diversity. The authors vary as much as the story lines; from world-renowned writers like Tanith Lee, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Kathe Koja, and Kristine Kathryn Rusch to bevy of talented newcomers, The Many Faces of Van Helsing is arguably the strongest collection of supernatural stories to be released in years.
Notable selections include J. A. Konrath's "The Screaming," a blood-curdling tale about two drug-addicted thieves who decide to rob a haunted mansion. When they enter the house, they hear tortured screams coming from the root cellar and, hoping for someone to victimize, investigate. "Venus and Mars" by Christopher Golden pits a hard-nosed vampire hunter against a nest of underage prostitute vampires and their pedophile hosts in Los Angeles. In Thomas Tessier's "The Infestation at Ralls," Van Helsing must save a private girls' school from a demon unleashed.
Fans of contemporary bloodsucker novels like Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake saga should make it a point (no pun intended) to read this excellent anthology. Wooden stake and crucifix not included. Paul Goat Allen
