11 Vampire Anthologies and Short Story Collections For Bite-Sized Terror

Ellen Datlow knows what scares you. And she knows that drinking blood is only one way to drain someone of their essence.

With stories from a wide range award-winning authors featuring deadly, twisted, and gruesome tales, this anthology is perfect for anyone who knows monsters can look ordinary. 

If you read Blood and Other Cravings and needed more, Ellen Datlow is back with an inventive follow-up to her first vampiric anthology. A Whisper of Blood was nominated for a World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology in 1992.

This collection of eighteen stories reimagines vampires and stretches the boundaries of how we have imagined these mysterious creatures of the night. 

Another World Fantasy Award nominee, Blood is Not Enough explores the variation from Bram Stoker to Anne Rice and beyond. Vampires can be gothic or erotic, terrifying or seductive.

And each one of the seventeen stories in this anthology expands on these classic interpretations of vampires and expands on them in creative and clever ways.  

Before vampires sparkled, they were terrifying. This collection of stories from some of the biggest names in horror is going old-school.

Their vampires are violent. They want your blood, and they aren’t afraid to tear you to shreds in order to get it.

With stories from Charlaine Harris, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kelley Armstrong, Brian Keane, Tim Lebbon, and more, these vampires will have you rethinking your quest for immortality and remind you to never invite strangers into your home. 

Vampires have been around since the dawn of time. And just like humans have evolved over the years, it’s time vampires did the same.

Featured in this anthology are eleven stories from some of YA’s leading voices, all bringing fresh blood to the vampire trope. These stories have everything from vampires coming out to vampires wanting more than blood and everything in between.

You’ve never met vampires quite like these. And it will leave you wanting more. 

Ever since vampires were brought out of folklore and introduced onto the literary page, they have been cemented in our stories. Alan Ryan has taken the very best of these stories, told throughout the ages, and brought them all together in one stunning collection.

 Going back as far as 1816 through the 1980s, these stories highlight vampires in all their gory glory. This anthology also includes an appendix with vampire novels and movies listed (up to 1989) so that you can immerse yourself in all things vampire. 

Senior editor of Prime books, Paula Guran, has compiled the ultimate collection of vampire stories.

Whether you’ve read these stories before or are just finding them now, each one takes you into the terrifying imaginations of some of today’s leading voices in vampire fiction. 

Filled with bite-sized vampire stories that add unique elements to the genre, this Shirley Jackson-nominated anthology is a must-read for any vampire fan.

With stories from Neil Gaiman, Garth Nix, Tanith Lee, Cassandra Claire, and Holly Black, to name a few, these lush worlds and unforgettable characters will sink their teeth into your skin and refuse to let go long after you close the cover. 

Vampires are known for their fluidity on the page. They dissipate into fog, turn into bats or wolves, blend into modern society, and become one with the shadows of the night.

That’s why they can appear in horror, speculative literature, fantasy, and science fiction. John Joseph Adams takes the best of vampire literature, ranging from Neil Gaiman to Anne Rice, Kelley Armstrong to Stephen King.

It’s the perfect collection for the insatiable vampire lover. 

Five authors well-versed in the vampire space bring you never-before-read stories, including the vampire hunter Anita Blake and everyone’s favorite telepathic waitress and vampire lover, Sookie Stackhouse.  

Just because you can’t go in the sun, doesn’t mean immortals should be excluded from summer fun.

With thirteen stories featuring paranormal creatures on vacation, including a brand-new Sookie Stackhouse story, readers get a glimpse of monsters letting loose ranging from quirky to grotesque.