- Paperback: 260 pages
- Publisher: Xlibris Corporation; New edition edition (August 2000)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0738811416
- ISBN-13: 978-0738811413
- Product Dimensions: 21.7 x 14.1 x 1.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 399 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
A fast-paced satire, dark and bloody, strange, flawed, interesting, "politically incorrect," destined to be ignored by the mainstream media. -- Science Fiction Chronicle, May 2001
A libertarian perspective inspired by Ayn Rand, Ronald Reagan's witticims, and a quirky sense of humor. A welcome relief. -- Nuketown.com, January 2001
A riveting, unique, superbly written horror novel, very highly recommended for all fans of the vampire genre. -- Internet Bookwatch, May 2001
A satiric horror fable about life in Communist Romania...with Sipos's own personal (and sometimes ornery) twist. -- Insight magazine, August 7, 2000 (a publication of The Washington Times)
Combines political dystopia, horror, espionage thriller, black comedy, even a Boy Meets Girl story...with real substance. Worth a look. -- Prometheus, June 2000 (the newsletter of the Libertarian Futurist Society)
Combines political dystopia, horror, espionage thriller, black comedy, even a Boy Meets Girl story...with real substance. Worth a look.(Prometheus, June 2000 (the newsletter of the Libertarian Futurist Society)) -- Prometheus, June 2000
One part Rambo, one part Blade and one part Catherine Zeta Jones... might make for a very successful video game. -- The Eagle, September 5, 2000 (a publication of American University)
Reads as if written by Orwell, Stoker, Kafka, and Swift sipping spiked martinis over at King's place. Masterful and distinct. -- Inner Sanctum, March 2001
Sipos mainly adheres to [historic] reality, giving Vampire Nation depth and giving the subgenre of vampire fiction a worthy addition. -- Necropsy, Spring 2001 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
A libertarian perspective inspired by Ayn Rand, Ronald Reagan's witticims, and a quirky sense of humor. A welcome relief. -- Nuketown.com, January 2001
A riveting, unique, superbly written horror novel, very highly recommended for all fans of the vampire genre. -- Internet Bookwatch, May 2001
A satiric horror fable about life in Communist Romania...with Sipos's own personal (and sometimes ornery) twist. -- Insight magazine, August 7, 2000 (a publication of The Washington Times)
Combines political dystopia, horror, espionage thriller, black comedy, even a Boy Meets Girl story...with real substance. Worth a look. -- Prometheus, June 2000 (the newsletter of the Libertarian Futurist Society)
Combines political dystopia, horror, espionage thriller, black comedy, even a Boy Meets Girl story...with real substance. Worth a look.(Prometheus, June 2000 (the newsletter of the Libertarian Futurist Society)) -- Prometheus, June 2000
One part Rambo, one part Blade and one part Catherine Zeta Jones... might make for a very successful video game. -- The Eagle, September 5, 2000 (a publication of American University)
Reads as if written by Orwell, Stoker, Kafka, and Swift sipping spiked martinis over at King's place. Masterful and distinct. -- Inner Sanctum, March 2001
Sipos mainly adheres to [historic] reality, giving Vampire Nation depth and giving the subgenre of vampire fiction a worthy addition. -- Necropsy, Spring 2001 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Book Description
A young American visits Communist Transylvania during the closing years of the Cold War, discovering that Communism is vampirism, and a man is better dead than undead. This dark fantasy/satire (of both Nicolae Ceausescu's Rumania and of Communism itself) combines the insights of Ayn Rand with the black comedy of Kurt Vonnegut.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Subtle it is not!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Vampire Nation (Paperback)
The idea of this story is entertaining. The writing is just too bad. It does not suggest in a subtle way that communism is vampirism, it blatantly states it-over and over! I finished the book-I always do. However, I almost never get rid of a book once I have finished it. this one, though, I couldn't wait to finish and bring to the used bookstore.
5.0 out of 5 stars
For readers of any political stripe,
By
This review is from: Vampire Nation (Paperback)
For whatever reason, it often seems that literary talent seems to go hand-in-hand with left-of-center politics. Hence, for a political conservative such as myself, it is often difficult to find novels that are enthralling, enjoyable reads that don't require one to gnash his teeth whenever the author decides to mix a little political propaganda into the mix. However, occasionally, the intrepid right-wing reader is lucky enough to come across an exception to the rule and Thomas Sipos' often frightening, frequently hilarious, and -- in the end -- disturbingly haunting Vampire Nation is one such beautiful exception.Set in the late '80s, Vampire Nation follows Henry, intrepid American screenwriter, into Romania where he discovers that the decaying communist regime is actually made up of decadent vampires. Somewhat forcefully recruited by an enigmatic woman, Henry is soon part of a violent conspiracy to assassinate Romania's ruler, Nicolae Ceausescu. Over the course of one night, Henry is forced into a netherworld where communist vampires live off the blood of the "common man" and where the country side is haunted by the ghosts of innocent men, women, and children sacrificed in the name of "the people." The analogy between vampirism and communism is very explicit but also very believable. As a writer, Sipos has a definite knack for creating dark images and many of the book's sequences will remain in the reader's head long after the final page has been turned. However, what makes this political book work is the fact that Sipos doesn't simply rest on his politics. Instead, the book's anti-communist message is mixed in with a thrilling, fast-moving story that will capture the interest and imagination of any reader, regardless of that reader's ideology. As scary as Sipos' vampires are, this is also, at-times, a laugh out loud novel and Sipos shows a wit that would make several better known writers envious. He has created a truly likeable and sympathetic everyman in his protaganist and its hard not to get caught up in Henry's adventures and his unlikely romance with a woman who might save his life or kill him, depending on the circumstances. All-in-all, this is an impressive, intelligent tour-de-force and truly both one of the best horror novels and one of the best books period that I've had the pleasure to read in a long time.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Frightfully close to reality,
By Bright Eyes Bushy Tail "Happy As A Lark" (Walla Walla, WA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Vampire Nation (Paperback)
I lived in Romania during the last 15 years of communism and yes, the atmosphere pervading the book is awfully close to reality. The dark misery and total fear, the orphans, the total surveillance, they are all true. All telephones in Romania did carry microphones, as did ashtrays in some restaurants. The grotesque behavior of the ruling class - Nicu Ceausescu pissing on the oysters, and many others, are witness accounts described in "Red Horizons: The True Story of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescus' Crimes, Lifestyle, and Corruption", by I.M.Pacepa, from which the author borrows happily, even in terms of actual words said. (Pacepa was the chief of Romanian espionage and defected to the West; his book is available on Amazon as well). All geographical and architectural descriptions are correct too. Vampirism is an elegant explanation that gives totalitarianism a sense of logic. I almost wish it were true, at least things would have made much more sense. I can't stress that enough - except for the actual drinking of blood and the heroes' attempt to kill Ceausescu, the book is almost a documentary one. Overall, I enjoyed reading it, the adventures of Henry and Anya are fun. I only gave it 4 stars because 5 stars should be reserved for the rare masterpieces of literature.
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