Dracula — Bram Stoker (1897)
Epistolary Gothic novel that codified the modern vampire mythos. Free full text via Project Gutenberg.
Classics (Public Domain & Canon‑Forming)
Carmilla — J. S. Le Fanu (1872)
Seminal novella of the female vampire; predates Dracula and shaped later portrayals.
The Vampyre — John Polidori (1819)
Early influential tale introducing the aristocratic vampire archetype.
Varney the Vampyre — Prest / Rymer (1845–47)
Victorian penny dreadful epic; sprawling, melodramatic, and hugely influential.
Dracula’s Guest & Other Weird Stories — Bram Stoker (1914)
Posthumous collection including the titular tale often linked to early drafts of Dracula.
Modern Fiction (1970s → Present)
Interview with the Vampire — Anne Rice (1976)
Opens The Vampire Chronicles; romantic, philosophical reinvention that reshaped late‑20th‑century vampire fiction.
’Salem’s Lot — Stephen King (1975)
Small‑town invasion tale; a modern American counterpart to Stoker’s classic.
I Am Legend — Richard Matheson (1954)
Post‑apocalyptic cornerstone blending science fiction and vampirism; massively influential.
Let the Right One In — John Ajvide Lindqvist (2004)
Bleak, intimate story of childhood, monstrosity, and isolation — basis for acclaimed films and a TV series.
The Historian — Elizabeth Kostova (2005)
Epistolary thriller & scholarly chase through the archives of Dracula lore.
The Passage — Justin Cronin (2010)
Viral apocalypse trilogy blending horror and epic fantasy scope.
The Strain — Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan (2009)
Outbreak‑driven horror that reimagines vampirism as parasitic contagion; first in a trilogy.
Anno Dracula — Kim Newman (1992 → series)
Alternate‑history series: Dracula marries the Queen and Victorian society adapts. Clever literary mash‑up.
Anthologies & Short Fiction
The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories — ed. Alan Ryan (1988)
Wide survey from 19th‑century classics to late‑20th‑century tales; handy starting point for short fiction.
The Vampire Archives — ed. Otto Penzler (2009)
Massive compendium with extensive bibliography; strong cross‑section of the tradition.
YA & Crossover
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown — Holly Black (2013)
Standalone urban‑fantasy take in which quarantined “Coldtowns” contain the infected and the glamorous undead.
Want a dedicated YA shelf (e.g., Twilight, Vampire Academy, The Vampire Diaries)? Say the word and I’ll add them with publisher links.
Non‑Fiction & Scholarship
Vampires, Burial, and Death — Paul Barber (1988)
Folklore‑centered, forensic approach to European revenant traditions; a standard academic reference.
The Vampire: A New History — Nick Groom (2018)
Panoramic cultural history from Enlightenment debates through modernity; excellent synthesis.
The Vampire: His Kith and Kin — Montague Summers (1928)
Classic (and eccentric) early survey; period piece with enduring historical value. Public‑domain text online.
In Search of Dracula — Radu Florescu & Raymond T. McNally (1972/1994)
Popular history connecting Vlad Țepeș to Stoker’s Dracula; heavily illustrated editions available.
RPG Sourcebooks (Cultural Influence)
Vampire: The Masquerade (5th Edition) — Core Rulebook
Seminal role‑playing setting that shaped vampire subculture aesthetics, politics, and terminology.
RPG entries included for influence on broader vampire culture; not traditional “books,” but pivotal texts.