Carmilla

Widely regarded as a classic addition to vampire fiction, 'Carmilla' is usually referred to as a novella rather than a full-length book. However, despite its short length, this captivating story is deserving of a place on this list for its attention to detail as well as the haunting focus on the vampire, Carmilla, and her young prey, an heiress named Laura. Carmilla takes the disturbing idea of unknowingly living with a vampire and crafts a deeply sinister tale of obsession, misperception and fear. As one of the earliest novels about vampires, Carmilla is heavily influenced by the Gothic style of horror fiction. Despite the conservative time of writing, Carmillia is permeated with ground-breaking ideas, including lesbian relationships and female protagonists. However, it would be a mistake to label Carmilla as a pleasant tale of sensuality and friendship. The relationship between Carmilla and Laura is the bedrock of this novel and while their poignant discussions are sometimes innocent, Le Fanu succeeds in layering a constant feeling of suspense and menace to Carmilla's innocuous words. In a quarter of the length of other vampire fantasy novels, Le Fanu successfully creates an unforgettable character relationship between Carmilla and Laura, laying the foundations of the contemporary mythology of erotic and carnal bloodsuckers.