Have You Read This? The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman

Vampires have become such a trope in horror, they no longer belong simply to horror. Whether paranormal romance or in much-less-serious fiction like Christopher Moore’s Bloodsucking Fiends, vampires as a fictional monster have entered a unique place in our mythology. These days, many are seen as either dark, romantic figures or as parodies. Luckily, books like Dracul and Certain Dark Things show that vampires can be mysterious but also terrifying. Add to that list of horrifying vampire depictions Christopher Buehlman’s The Lesser Dead.

The Lesser Dead is written more like a very poignant memoir. Joey Peacock got his “clock stopped” at around age 14. Perpetually young, he also has quite the skill with Charming, or a vampire’s hypnotic powers, to make himself look old enough to enter nightclubs and to get fed without a lot of hassle. He’s lived for many decades, but he’s particularly enjoying the book’s setting of 1978 New York, where he’s discovered disco clubs and prime-time television. However, his freewheeling lifestyle is threatened when a new group of predators move in to claim New York as their own, and he and their little community must defend themselves against a threat for which their many years of unlife had left them ill-prepared.

Buehlman’s depiction of Joey Peacock could simply be a pseudo-memoir since he imbues Joey with such personality and charm (NOT the vampire’s hypnotic powers) that readers will want to read about his adventures without the major plot point of darker forces moving into his city. However, this book gets violent and gets horrifying very quickly, taking very sudden turns into some very dark places. Like many depictions of vampires, Joey’s life is a very romanticized version of vampiric existence (sleep all day, party all night, etc.) but his life is also ultimately a violent and bloody one, particularly when he and the rest of his brood that live under the city must defend their turf. It does not go well. There is blood, but there is also death. FINAL death. BRUTAL death. Buelhman ultimately crafted a book that is designed to not only make a reader uncomfortable, but also to break the reader’s heart. If you’re up for the emotional journey (perhaps freefall might be a better word), you should explore the dark places revealed in The Lesser Dead.