Why A 129-Year-Old Vampire Novel About Race And Sexuality Is Finding New Readers

Penguin Publishing The Blood Of The Vampire By Florence Marryat (Credits: Pinterest)

Long before vampire fiction actually became a thing, preceding the era of Twilight and Dracula, before the brooding immortals and bloodthirsty monsters became a whole thing, there was a little-known Gothic novel that was challenging all the norms. Fighting against the Victorian society was its heroine who was bisexual, biracial and capable of draining away all the life force out of those around her. Now, close to 130 years later, Florence Marryat's The Blood of the Vampire is back on the shelves and gaining all the spotlight, thanks to its re-release by Penguin Classics on October 13, 2026.

The book was originally published in 1897, the same year that Bram Stoker's Dracula came out too. While the latter gained all the attention and went on to becoming a defining figure of horror literature, Marryat's work gradually faded from popular memory and became only a nostalgia. Its latest edition brings back all the love to be given to a story that was remarkably unconventional for its time.

The novel is about Harriet Brandt, a young woman whose vampiric abilities set her apart from the familiar image of a creature…

Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/lifestyle