Books: Vampyrrhic by Simon Clark

Something unpleasant is lurking under the streets of the North Yorkshire town of Leppington in Simon Clark's 1998 novel, Vampyrrhic. Unfortunately for the townsfolk, the creatures that have been hiding underground for centuries are about to surface.

When Dr. David Leppington returns to his childhood home to visit his elderly uncle, he checks into the Station Hotel, owned by the intense Electra Charnwood, who is referred to by one local as "Leppington's answer to Morticia Addams". However, he quickly begins to realise that the Station Hotel has more disturbing features than just an unconventional proprieter - mysterious noises eminate from the basement, guests disappear without trace and long-term resident Bernice is convinced that someone, or something, stalks up and down the landing outside of her room each night.

David Leppington tries to find scientific explanations for the strange events, but as disturbing childhood memories start to come back to him and he learns more about the history of his family, he realises that his fate and the fate of the town are inextricably linked.

Vampyrrhic is a contemporary vampire story from a writer viewed by many as one of Britain's newest masters of horror fiction. Stylistically, Clark's writing has much in common with Stephen King. It's certainly good to see a writer dispense with both the aristocratic image of vampires created by early horror writers and built upon in the numerous films and novels derived from Stoker's Dracula, and the romantic image of vampires popularised by Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. Clark's vampires are truly monstrous, sharing more in common with George Romero's living dead than with either Count Dracula or Lestat. There's no delicate sipping from the jugular here - just blood, gore and violence, and lots of it!

Clark also dispenses with the traditional vampire folklore that has restricted the vampire sub-genre and led both novelists and film directors into a world of cliches. In the 21st century, a pointy bit of wood just isn't efficient enough - so any self-respecting slayer should follow Clark's lead and head straight for the power tools.

Some sections of the novel do seem slightly unwieldy. Clark appears to be a big fan of repeating words and phrases for effect - sometimes this works, but at other times it doesn't. Early sections about the history of Leppington and the Leppington family seem too fantastical and slow down an otherwise well-paced novel. Some of the medical details given throughout the novel also seem highly dubious.

These points aside, however, Clark does succesfully breath new life into a subject that appeared to have been done to death, and vampire fans looking for a new approach to the undead should give Vampyrrhic a try.