One of the best ghost story writers of the 1800s was Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. Fans of this type of literature are probably familiar with him, especially those who enjoyed an older style of writing.

“Carmilla” is arguably the best vampire story that predates Bram Stoker and Dracula. It contains some genuinely scary scenes. It also has strong lesbian elements.

I first read “Carmilla” back in high school, but that was so long ago that most of the details had fallen out of the holes in my head when I reread it for the first time last weekend. My memory was that I had really enjoyed it when I was a teenager, and I wasn’t disappointed this time. Continue reading →