89 books like The Vampire Cinema

By David Pirie,

Here are 89 books that The Vampire Cinema fans have personally recommended if you like The Vampire Cinema. Shepherd is a community of 10,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Horror

Leon Hunt Author Of Mario Bava: The Artisan as Italian Horror Auteur

From my list on European horror films.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a Senior Lecturer in Film and Television with a particular passion for the horror genre – the first film books I ever read were about Horror. I'm also a confirmed Italophile. I became fascinated by Mario Bava – and later, Italian horror more broadly – before I saw his films from accounts and images of them in books and magazines. The films weren’t easy to see before video, DVD/blu-ray or streaming, and so I was on a mission over time to track them all down. This is how cult reputations often develop – from obscurity to re-evaluation – and that was one of the things I wanted to address in my book. 

Leon's book list on European horror films

Leon Hunt Why did Leon love this book?

This is possibly the film book I flick through more than any other, usually to check a review. 

Again, it covers the Horror genre broadly (year by year) but introduced me to a lot more European entries that I had never heard of, as well as horror films from Japan and other countries. I disagree with many of the critical opinions in the book but that doesn’t make them any less interesting.  

By Phil Hardy (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Horror as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is the best single volume book on the horror film, the definitive reference work devoted to the subject. It contains entries on every movie even remotely connected to the genre, whether it is a 19-century silent, a grade "Z" schlocker, or an "art" film by the likes of Fritz Lang or Ingmar Bergman. Each entry contains a full list of credits and a descriptive review. Hardy writes about horror movies with such enthusiasm and intelligence that you feel you're getting the low down on the genre from a sincere and learned friend.


Book cover of Euro Gothic: Classics of Continental Horror Cinema

Leon Hunt Author Of Mario Bava: The Artisan as Italian Horror Auteur

From my list on European horror films.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a Senior Lecturer in Film and Television with a particular passion for the horror genre – the first film books I ever read were about Horror. I'm also a confirmed Italophile. I became fascinated by Mario Bava – and later, Italian horror more broadly – before I saw his films from accounts and images of them in books and magazines. The films weren’t easy to see before video, DVD/blu-ray or streaming, and so I was on a mission over time to track them all down. This is how cult reputations often develop – from obscurity to re-evaluation – and that was one of the things I wanted to address in my book. 

Leon's book list on European horror films

Leon Hunt Why did Leon love this book?

An engagingly written, erudite, and intelligent critical history of horror films made in Europe from silent cinema to the modern day.

Rigby is one of the best scholars of the horror genre and gives closer critical attention to some of the classics produced in Italy, France, Spain, and Germany. You may not agree with all of his critical opinions, but his expertise is never in doubt. 

By Jonathan Rigby,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Euro Gothic as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Euro Gothic is the most extensive survey of Continental horror cinema ever published. From the Expressionist reveries of the Weimar Republic to the transgressive nightmares smuggled past the Franco regime, via surrealist Gallic fever-dreams and psychedelic shockers from Cinecitta, Jonathan Rigby applies his incisive scrutiny to the most important European horror films, ranging from the early years of the 20th century to the video revolution of the 1980s.


Book cover of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark

Leon Hunt Author Of Mario Bava: The Artisan as Italian Horror Auteur

From my list on European horror films.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a Senior Lecturer in Film and Television with a particular passion for the horror genre – the first film books I ever read were about Horror. I'm also a confirmed Italophile. I became fascinated by Mario Bava – and later, Italian horror more broadly – before I saw his films from accounts and images of them in books and magazines. The films weren’t easy to see before video, DVD/blu-ray or streaming, and so I was on a mission over time to track them all down. This is how cult reputations often develop – from obscurity to re-evaluation – and that was one of the things I wanted to address in my book. 

Leon's book list on European horror films

Leon Hunt Why did Leon love this book?

At 1128 pages, you are unlikely to find a more thorough or lavish account of Mario Bava’s career from his early days as a cameraman to his classic Horror films – the book is huge.

Lucas spent decades researching Bava and it shows in this monumental volume. How was I going to compete with this when I wrote my own book on Bava? I didn’t try – I took a different approach, but obviously this was an essential reference source for me.

By Tim Lucas,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mario Bava as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Introduction by Martin Scorsese. Foreword by Italian Horror Pioneer Riccardo Freda. This is the Complete Story of Mario Bava's life and careers as director, cameraman and special effects artist. Interviews with more than 100 actors, co-workers, friends and family members. The Definitive Study of each of his films: production histories, cast biographies, critical analysis, and video information. Never-before Published Photos including the only color shots taken on the set of BLACK SUNDAY. Original Mario Bava Storyboards - including the boards for the unfilmed project BABY KONG. Original Mario Bava Artwork - Some in Full Color! Bava's Secret Filmography: His uncredited…


Book cover of Italian Giallo in Film and Television: A Critical History

Leon Hunt Author Of Mario Bava: The Artisan as Italian Horror Auteur

From my list on European horror films.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a Senior Lecturer in Film and Television with a particular passion for the horror genre – the first film books I ever read were about Horror. I'm also a confirmed Italophile. I became fascinated by Mario Bava – and later, Italian horror more broadly – before I saw his films from accounts and images of them in books and magazines. The films weren’t easy to see before video, DVD/blu-ray or streaming, and so I was on a mission over time to track them all down. This is how cult reputations often develop – from obscurity to re-evaluation – and that was one of the things I wanted to address in my book. 

Leon's book list on European horror films

Leon Hunt Why did Leon love this book?

Curti is an Italian film critic who also writes in English and brings a singular expertise to Italian genre cinema.

The giallo, the Italian murder mystery, isn’t technically Horror but often incorporates it in gory murder scenes. A lot has been written about the genre, but there has never been a more thorough account than this one, as close to definitive as one might get, and it will certainly broaden your understanding of the giallo as well as introducing you to films and TV shows you might not have heard of before. 

By Roberto Curti,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Italian Giallo in Film and Television as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Since the release in 1929 of a popular book series with bright yellow covers, the Italian word giallo (yellow) has come to define a whole spectrum of mystery and detective fiction and films. Although most English speakers associate the term giallo with the violent and erotic thrillers popular in the 1960s and 1970s from directors like Mario Bava, Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci and others, the term encompasses a wide range of Italian media such as mysteries, thrillers and detective stories-even comedies and political pamphlets. As films like Blood and Black Lace (1964) and Deep Red (1975) have received international acclaim,…


Book cover of A Quick Bite

S. G. Blinn Author Of Rebellion

From my list on rebellious characters with a villainous twist of fate.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write what I see. Dark Fantasy has been the escape I have needed my entire life. It helped me understand hard topics such as war, greed, and loss. Working through a character's struggles has saved me from the darkest parts of my mind and guided me to where I can love myself.

S. G.'s book list on rebellious characters with a villainous twist of fate

S. G. Blinn Why did S. G. love this book?

A world exists around us that we never knew existed. When all you want is to be accepted, it is hard to find love.

I found that two people can find love regardless of what creature bore them. Family may not always understand what you want, but as long as there is trust and a little bit of humor, anything is possible. 

By Lynsay Sands,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Quick Bite as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

True love: good from the first bite ...

Etienne Argeneau can turn one human into a vampire in his lifetime - an honour his kind usually reserved for their life mates, to let their love life forever.

But it's all a bit more complicated than that. Rachel Garrett, a beautiful coroner, has just saved his life and now she's about to lose hers. Etienne has a choice: he can save her life in turn, and thus doom himself to an eternity alone, unable to create his own life mate. Or he can watch his saviour die in the name of…


Book cover of Blood: The Last Vampire

C.R. Fladmark Author Of The Gatekeeper's Son

From my list on urban fantasy with Japan-focused themes.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been interested in Japanese culture, mythology, and martial arts since I was a teenager. My favorite books are those where I become completely submerged, losing myself in the story and forgetting where the main character ends and I begin. Stories that focus on an ordinary person who gets pulled into another world while remaining firmly planted in their current world. Stories where the character has to learn new skills or discover special talents; a connection to the past or to another realm; or becomes part of some mysterious group operating outside of society. When I couldn’t find enough books that fulfilled my hunger for this specific genre, I decided to write some myself!

C.R.'s book list on urban fantasy with Japan-focused themes

C.R. Fladmark Why did C.R. love this book?

When I watched Blood: The Last Vampire, a Japanese horror film based on manga by Mamoru Oshii, I was hooked. I discovered Saya, and manga. Saya is a fierce and beautiful vampire killer who wears a modest Japanese school uniform while hunting. The vampires mostly look like normal people. Some are scared and run, others fight back. Either way, they die. I liked the contradicting image of the innocent-looking schoolgirl who is a ferocious killer, but the story was also thought-provoking. When Saya makes a mistake and kills an innocent person, it showed a dilemma most ‘hero’ stories don’t address. Are we either completely good or always evil? Saya is the inspiration for Shoko, the lead character in my novels, and she struggles with this. Can you serve the gods and also be a killer?

By Mamoru Oshii, Camellia Nieh (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Blood as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

At Yokota Base in Japan, American soldiers stand guard at the brink of the Vietnam War. Although they fear the enemy outside their base, an even more dangerous enemy waits within - bloodthirsty vampires walk among them. Appearing human, the beasts lurk in secret among the soldiers, waiting for the moment to attack. Saya, a fierce and beautiful vampire hunter, is sent to lead a team of undercover agents whose mission is to decide who is human and who is not, and wipe out the vampires before they can wipe out the base. But even though Saya is a powerful…


Book cover of The Vampire Prince

Susan Corso Author Of Ascending Apparition

From my list on chosen family romances.

Why am I passionate about this?

Wondering why I’m such a fan of chosen families? I have a family of origin, but when I think of true family, it’s not my siblings. It’s the people of my heart. My husband, my longtime editor, who I finally got smart enough to marry. A spiritual daughter in Boston; another in Kenya. A favorite ex-husband in Santa Fe. Another man who should've been my brother, and his beloved husband in Manhattan. For me, a real friend is someone who’d raze the State Department if I were stuck in a prison in Lima, Peru. Any one of these mentioned would. I always wanted a pseudonym so I write Boots & Boas under Vivienne Hartt Quinn.

Susan's book list on chosen family romances

Susan Corso Why did Susan love this book?

I fell over The Moretti Blood Brothers before I read J. R. Ward’s series. These are a little fluffier than hers. Romances, to be sure. Also, some bio brothers and some chosen. Again, loyalty through and through with a curious plotline about beginning to integrate the vampire Kingdom with humankind which is very cleverly done. Talk about allure. These are more like action films—fast, furious, sexy as all get-out and meant to be. I particularly like the backstories and the lineage issues. Royal bloodlines fascinate me. And still, the same backbone of loyalty, of taking care of business, and one another. Raven from Boots & Boas is known for saying, “Taking care of it means taking care of all of it.” Yep, these guys, too.

By Juliette N. Banks,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Vampire Prince as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Can Brayden protect the throne and win Willow's heart before it’s too late?

Powerful vampire prince, Brayden Moretti doesn’t want to be king, but his brother has fallen ill. With hostile vampire rebels threatening to take the throne, and no cure in sight, Brayden finds sexy, sassy Willow a delicious distraction. When he discovers she’s his fated mate he’s less concerned about giving up his playboy lifestyle, and more about what this will mean when she discovers who and what he is.

Done with men, Willow is focusing on building her freelancing business when she crosses paths with a gorgeous…


Book cover of A Bargain of Blood and Gold

Reni Stankova Author Of The Enemy of Heaven

From my list on MM fantasies in alternate worlds.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been an avid reader of MM literature in all its genres and sub-genres, since I was a teenager. Even now, MM fantasy titles are some of my favorite books of all time. I’d love to share my preferences with other readers so they could see the magic I see.

Reni's book list on MM fantasies in alternate worlds

Reni Stankova Why did Reni love this book?

Johnathan Newman is a novice hunter who teams up with a five-hundred-year-old vampire named Vic on a dangerous mission.

The town is plagued by mythological creatures in need of saving and they work together to solve the mystery. However, Vic’s secrets bring trouble, and their mutual attraction doesn’t make things any easier.

A Bargain of Blood and Gold is one of the best-written books I’ve ever read. There hasn’t been a book where every word was chosen so perfectly to my liking. It has the exact amount of descriptions and dialogue. The style is simply perfect.

Additionally, the characters were so vivid and fun to read. John and Vic had such distinguished ways of expressing themselves that I knew every time who was talking without being told.

They are easily one of my favorite M/M couples.

By Kristin Jacques,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Bargain of Blood and Gold as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A novice hunter with a mission. A five-hundred-year-old vampire with a strong sense of irony. A town plagued by creatures in need of saving.

When Johnathan Newman arrives in Cress Haven, the last thing he expects is for his life to be irrevocably changed. Sent by a clandestine league of vampire hunters to investigate a string of murders, signs point to a vampire lurking amid the townsfolk. Johnathan’s attempt to enlist the locals leads him to an unlikely partnership with Vic, the town's most eligible, enigmatic bachelor.

As the pair work to solve the mystery, Vic’s secrets come back to…


Book cover of The Couple Upstairs

Miranda Rijks Author Of What She Knew

From my list on twisty British psychological thrillers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m the author of 17 twisty psychological thrillers, many of which are Amazon bestsellers. Most of them are set in southern England where I live. My life was tipped upside down in 2015 when I was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. Although I have a masters in writing and was traditionally published for non-fiction, I hadn’t been brave enough to put my fiction out in the world. Cancer changed that. I’m now a full-time author, writing about scary things that happen to ordinary people. I’m also an avid reader of thrillers and enjoy nothing more than reading a book with an ending that makes me gasp!

Miranda's book list on twisty British psychological thrillers

Miranda Rijks Why did Miranda love this book?

Shalini Boland is one of the authors who got me hooked on psychological thrillers and when she releases a new book, it’s an automatic buy for me. The Couple Upstairs is set in Bournemouth (on the south coast) and features Nina and Zac who move into a new apartment. They quickly befriend their neighbours and soon all sorts of things start to go wrong. There’s a wonderfully claustrophobic feel to this book, plenty of twists and turns and a shocker twist at the end.

By Shalini Boland,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Couple Upstairs as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

I should never have become friends with the couple upstairs…

The first time I step inside this cosy apartment with its sash windows, just minutes from the sea, I think it would be the perfect place for me and my partner Zac to start again. A chance to leave our troubled past behind.

Chris and Vanessa, the couple upstairs, are so welcoming: smiles, flowers, a home-baked cake. It’s strange how he does all the talking, and she seems so shy, but I’m just thrilled to have new friends nearby.

But everything starts to go wrong… my business begins to crumble,…


Book cover of Shadow Kissed

Caitlin Denman Author Of She Awakens

From my list on fantasy to pull you out of your reading slum.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an ADHD author who struggles finding books that grasp my attention and keep it so I’m often left in a reading slump. I seem to read samples of countless books before I find something that really draws me in and can engross me. I’ve done the footwork, now you can reap the benefits of all my late-night searching. I hope you enjoy the books on my list as much as I did!

Caitlin's book list on fantasy to pull you out of your reading slum

Caitlin Denman Why did Caitlin love this book?

When I received this book I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. But after the first few pages I was hooked!

The book starts off with an attack on the main character's home and the action doesn’t stop there! I loved the interaction between the main male and female characters. I couldn’t get enough of them! If you love vampires, hidden royals, and sass for days this one’s for you! 

By Rebecca L Garcia,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Shadow Kissed as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Some fates belong to the shadows...


Olivia knows everyone at the guild is on high alert, but no one will tell her why. She's certain the death of her boyfriend is behind it, but the truth is far worse. Darkness has come to the mortal kingdom. When the guild protecting them is attacked by vampires, Olivia is swept away from the safety of her home when her mom and best friend are taken.


Before she can get away, she's captured by a vampire, Sebastian, who insists he's protecting her. But when she's taken to the City of Nightmares, the most…


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Interested in vampires, film, and Europe?

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