Title: The Vampyre: Being the True Pilgrimage of George Gordon, Sixth Lord Byron

Author: Tom Holland

Date of First Publication: 1995

Place of Publication: Little, Brown UK

Type: Novel

Characters: Lord Byron; John Polidori; Claire Clairmont; Mary Shelley; Percy Shelley

Themes: BYRONIC HERO; POSTHUMAN; QUEER

Critical Summary: Tom Holland writes a simple story– one where Lord Byron is a vampire. The novel begins in contemporary London with a woman (Rebecca Carville) arguing with a lawyer in attempts to get the rights to access the crypt of St Jude’s Chapel. Rebecca wants a surviving copy of Lord Byron’s memoirs hidden in an old dilapidated crypt. As the story progresses, she gains access to the crypt and finds more than just memoirs; she finds an undead Byron, whom spends most of the book detailing his life events. Byron explains when he meets Dracula’s counterpart, Vakhel Pasha, who grants Byron all the stars within his dreams in exchange for his humanity. In the last part of the book, he attempts at fitting in with society and being a human. In these moments, the story resembles Frankenstein as the reader learns of Byron’s needs and restrictions as a vampire. Additionally, Byron wants to resurrect a creature– a vampire bride.

First, the theme “Queer Frankenstein” is notable due to the bisexuality Byron takes part in within the text. Secondly, Lord Byron stands in as the Byronic Hero. He is intelligent, filled with dark mysteries, and sustains a level of brilliance not many could master. Lastly, the theme of Last Man and Posthuman appears as it revolves around a man who turns into a vampire. The sense of the sublime, the vast incomprehension of the metamorphosis from man to unman carries a heavy weight on Byron, especially as he ponders over what he wishes for his own Frankenstein creature.

Administrative Notes: Kyle Kwak, CSUF; Alexandra Roman CSUF (editing)