Carmilla

by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Carmilla (1872) is Le Fanu's gripping vampire tale with a twist, the vampire is a young lesbian girl! Le Fanu's novel heavily influenced Bram Stoker's Dracula and inspired several films. It reminds us of the 2008 Swedish horror drama with the young girl vampire, Let the Right One In. We feature Carmilla in our collection of Halloween Stories and Gothic Literature Study Guide.
The image at right depicts the Vampire Carmilla stalking Bertha Rheinfeldt while she sleeps, by D.H. Friston, 1872