Book Review: The Dead Travel Fast by Eric Nuzum

It came to me the other day in a flash of clarity - I read at least two, sometimes more, paranormal-themed books in a week, and I should really be sharing some information about them. As a way of keeping in touch with you delightful readers, I've decided to make book reviews a regular addition to the Paranormal Paradigm. Suggestions for titles you'd like to learn more about or have yourself enjoyed are always welcome and I will do my best to accommodate them!

"The Dead Travel Fast: Stalking Vampires From Nosferatu to Count Chocula" by Eric Nuzum

While I don't really consider myself a fan of the vampire genre, I do feel I am pretty well-versed when it comes to the myths and legends surrounding this iconic "monster." At least I did before Eric Nuzum schooled me. After reading his quirky adventure into analyzing vampire lore and its effects on pop culture, I realized that what I knew before had barely scratched the surface of the mysterious bundle of facts and misunderstandings that surround these creatures who we love to hate.

Nuzum is by no means an armchair investigator. His research led him from seedy New York clubs brimming with "lifestylers", people who choose to live the vampire life - including drinking human blood, to a desolate island monastery in Transylvania where the remains of Vlad Dracul are said to rest. Nuzum even decides to take a giant step towards better understanding the motivations of the vampire by drinking a bit of his own blood, an experiment that goes gruesomely awry. While this may sound very serious at first, Nuzum's first-person journalistic writing style coats everything with a healthy layer of humor and more than a hint of sarcasm. 

The author's trek through vampire lore leads readers on a fact-filled historical journey through Bram Stoker's classic tale and all of the post-publication drama that accompanied it, the evolution of the vampire in the 20th Century from mysterious Count to B-Movie icon, and even an analysis of the cult favorite "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" series. Nuzum certainly leaves no stone unturned in his quest to discover why the vampire has humanity so caught up in his spell.

I admit, I laughed out loud (often at inappropriate times) throughout the book. My only complaint about "The Dead Travel Fast" is one that the author could not help, one that was purely a result of fate - the book was published before the "Twilight" craze turned vampire genre into some sort of Hindenburg spectacle. I can only imagine what sort of hilarity could have emerged!

Overall, I give this book two thumbs up. I give it a thrifty point bonus, too, because you can now pick up a copy at deep discount (only $5.58 each) from Amazon. You can learn more about Eric and his upcoming projects at his personal website.