Carmilla

Atmospheric, sensual and utterly riveting, Carmilla is the novel that inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula. A true gothic masterpiece, this titillating tale is a key text in the history of vampire literature.

A haunting presence lurks among the secluded castles and rolling mountains of Styria, home to a lonely young woman called Laura. Upon the arrival of the mysterious Carmilla, Laura is instantly intoxicated. Upending the solitude Laura knows so well, the two young women form an intense connection that transforms her world. But a terrible truth begins to dawn on Laura and her father as they grapple with inexplicable events they only witness in the presence of Carmilla, who grows stranger and leaves more questions unanswered with the passing of each fitful day.

Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library, a series of stunning pocket-sized classics. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is introduced by Irish writer and academic Jarlath Killeen.

About the Author

Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu was born in Dublin in 1814. A member of a literary family, he was a writer of Gothic literature and is most famous for the mystery novel Uncle Silas. He studied law at Trinity College Dublin, where he contributed short stories to the Dublin University Magazine, and then went on to become a journalist. He was influential in the horror genre, known for the subtle techniques he used to build tension and suspense in his famous ghost stories. Carmilla, published in a collection called In a Glass Darkly in 1872, inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula, shaping the genre of vampire fiction we know today. Le Fanu died in 1873.