Carmilla: The Original 1872 Vampire Classic

Carmilla: The Original 1872 Vampire Classic

“You are mine, you shall be mine, you and I are one for ever.” Carmilla, an 1872 Gothic horror tale by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu, was one of the first works of vampire fiction. Laura lives alone in a remote castle deep in the Austrian wilderness, with just her elderly father for company. Until one starry night, a mysterious carriage crashes outside their castle, delivering an unexpected guest: the stunning Carmilla. Laura is immediately drawn to Carmilla and relieved to have some companionship of her own age. But as Carmilla becomes more secretive and temperamental, prone to uncanny nocturnal wanderings, Laura begins to feel ill, having terrifying dreams as her health deteriorates night after night. Carmilla , written 25 years before Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897), is the first vampire narrative to feature sexual tension and gothic romance. It established a standard for vampire and gothic mystery fiction and inspired Dracula.