The Vampyre Library

I’d like to start by saying what I am doing is not new. My project is far from the first of its kind, and it certainly isn’t the most extensive. People before me have sought to catalogue books relating to the subject of vampires, and I hope people after me will do the same. There are definitely folks who have libraries with a much broader scope than mine—texts that explore everything from the vampire of folklore, to fiction, to the very real communities of people who connect deeply with the vampire archetype. There are folks with books in many languages, and difficult to come by academic works that I may never be able to access.

My goal is to keep my library small and intimate, focusing a tight lens on material written specifically by, for, and about what folks call real vampires, human living vampires, or the vampire subculture. At the present moment, I am not seeking to include texts about the vampire of folklore or fiction unless those works also deal, at least in part, with the real life vampire subculture.

All the books I have catalogued in The Vampire Library are works I personally own a [typically physical] copy of. These are books I could, and often do, pull off a shelf and consult should I need to.

In late 2021, I found myself needing some information and history relevant to the vampire culture and when I went to pull up some of the websites I used to frequent when I first awakened, I found that so many of them have gone offline or have been abandoned for a decade or more. I was in need of information and my usual online haunts were inaccessible. I reached into my book shelf and was able to pull out a couple of books I bought when I first came up, and thankfully got what I needed, but the experience really shook me. I started to look into some of the other books I was aware of and many of them were out of print or difficult or expensive to acquire, many others were more obscure and I likely wouldn’t have been able to find them if I hadn’t already known to look for them. Thankfully, I was also surprised by works that didn’t exist when I was younger, but the sense of loss still struck me. So I set out to acquire and catalogue what I could, maybe even with the goal of having enough copies of things one day to lend some out to folks in need of resources.

As a vampire who is also a pagan and a witch, I have always been surrounded by people who do not have a strong grasp of vampirism, if they even know it is a real experience that people claim. At best, many folks around me hear “psychic/energy vampire” (and to be clear, that is not the only type of vampire out there) and they think of exhausting, draining, emotionally manipulative, abusive, and toxic people that suck the life out of a room or try to disrupt the magic and progress of others. Most people around me have no idea that there are conscious vampires who are engaging with their need and feeding practices in a safe, ethical, consensual and healthy way that not only benefits them, but their donors and environments as well. Most people don’t know that things like feeding, filtering, and other vampiric energy work is a skill to be developed and practiced just like any other psychic, magic, or energy related skill or talent. People don’t know that many vampires interact with energy and healing modalities differently to non vampires. The energy healers in my life largely do not know about psychic vampirism in people, let alone how they might need to adjust in order to interface with it as a healer.

Part of the goal of the library is to make a broader community, outside of vampires themselves, aware of our nature, our needs, and the ways we do and do not relate to the world and energy around us.

I’m years away from the project building to a point where my physical catalogue might become accessible to others, but compiling works in a single place is a good starting point to help vampires and non vampires alike.

In addition to books and periodicals, I hope to expand the library to include lists and links to podcasts, YouTube channels, documentaries, interviews, and other media pertaining to the vampire subculture and experiences. I’d love to be able to archive and preserve things in a way that keeps them from being entirely lost should something happen to their original hosting platform.There are so many different expressions and viewpoints under the human living vampire umbrella, and I hope to eventually showcase them all.

There are no hard and fast rules in vampirism, and so many people claim that archetype as part of their identity. Vampirism is rich and complex and while I don’t necessarily agree with everyone’s approach, so much of the culture is falling away, and I want to document and present as many interpretations and expressions as I can. Present all the information and moving parts for people, vampire and non vampire alike, to draw their own conclusions and act accordingly.

The Library is in its infancy and ever growing, I’m always adding new texts as I go. Even if I don’t meet my ultimate goals, compiling these titles into one small, simple list is important, especially for younger vampires or non vampires who need a starting point on their research journey.

It should be noted that the inclusion of a text here is archival and does not equate to endorsement of the material or authors. Not every book here will agree with the others or align with my personal experiences and that is okay. The purpose of this catalogue is to provide as complete of a picture as possible as well as document the history of our subculture and the vampiric experience. Some books will be more anecdotal, some more academic, others more spiritual, some these are zines, newsletters, and surveys that have sociological and historical value. I strongly encourage you to read as much as you can and form your own opinions and thoughts.

I present to you, The Vampyre Library