Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

by Seth Grahame-Smith

Book Overview

Indiana. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446563080
• ISBN13: 9780446563086
• Release Date: March 2010
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.5" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

So Very Thankful

I had feared all hope was lost for those of us who respect the deep intellectual and moral substance the vampire "myth" has tackled throughout its life, but Seth Grahame-Smith has ingeniusly brought the undead back from the dead. These vampires do not adhere to the gutless wussification that has gone on lately with the teen crowd that thinks vampires are supposed to sparkle and share their feelings. I love this book; it brings together what one might think are two rather opposite subjects and seamlessly blends them to create something extremely entertaining. My only wish is that Lincoln would have somehow had the chance to behead the metro-sexual, effeminate Edward in this novel. Now that would be an action that would benefit the Union!

History and Horror

Grahame-Smith, Seth. "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter", Grand Central Publishing, 2010. History and Horror Amos Lassen I bet the majority of us did not know that Abraham Lincoln struggled with vampires or at least to Seth Grahame-Smith he did. I learned that honest Abe had a very personal mission to make sure that America would not succumb to vampires. First off, this is not a true story. The story is given to us seriously and the author shows the link between slavery and vampires and this gives us quite a read. It is an alternative history that is innovative and fun to read. Grahame-Smith is an excellent writer and creates a totally believable novel. The story is told through the journals of Lincoln which begin when he was a child on the night when he saw his mother die at the hands of supernatural beasts and he promised to devote his life to killing every vampire in America. He became friendly with an ancient vampire, Henry Sturges, who became his mentor and lifelong friend and who taught him to become a skilled hunter. Killing vampires becomes an obsession for him. The book reads like a carefully researched biography but it is not for the faint of heart. It is horror and full of gore but it is also full of some really good wit. Grahame-Smith gives us fascinating characters and he does so by bringing together the fictional with the real and historical. Lincoln is wonderfully drawn. The plot reads like it could actually have happened. Some may wonder if the book is an allegory about slavery and it can very well be. This is unlike any biography of Lincoln that any of us may ever read and I love the mixture of actual events into the plot. This is the kind of book that is hard to put down--it is wonderful escapism and a whole lot of fun.

A Masterpiece of Parody and Gore

Seth Grahame-Smith's second innovative alternative history horror novel is simply going to bowl you over and knock your socks off!! Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter is an adventure into the faux biographical journals of our 16th United States President, Abe Lincoln. Seth's unswaying and unnerving talent to create a totally believable world of blood thirsty vampires in the mid 19th century, will have the reader's head spinning with wonder and fright as Abe swings his axe to slay the devils of the South reaping revenge for the death of his dear mother. Presented in such an awe inspiring literary land of macabre, in addition to the cool photo edited sepia toned photographs that enhance the story's credibility, this book is a dynamite work of art. Not to be taken seriously in any shape or form other than Seth's talent to capture horror lovers and hold them spellbound from page one to the finish line, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter is a winner. Told through Abe's journals that began as a child the night he saw his mother die from the heinous acts of monsters he only dreamed of, he vowed that evening to devote his life to the killing of every vampire on American soil. Becoming a trained and skillful hunter, taught surprisingly from an ancient vampire that becomes Abe's lifelong friend, mentor and champion, Abraham will now rid the United States of vampires who deserve to be put to death for their unnecessary taking of the lives of innocent children. Lincoln becomes obsessed with keeping his chopping axe sharp and spends many years on his own private murderous manhunt. Cleverly disguised Southern gentlemen in dark glasses and top hats, are harvesting Negro slaves to be corralled and bred for the pure purpose of quenching their thirst. Mentor vampire Henry Sturges, uses Abe's vindictive ambition to inform Abe that it is his job alone to avenge the needless deaths and to do so by fighting the battle against slavery. Thus leaves us readers with a new truth behind Lincoln's crusade of abolition and the falsehoods we were told about the true cause of the Civil War. This book is told to us in a meticulously detailed biography format that encompasses Abraham Lincoln's tumultuous and melancholy life as he narrates his life story. His notebook writings start as a young boy who lost his mother to monsters, on to his teenage years chopping trees, building cabins, and on to his early career as a lawyer. Together Abe and Seth build Lincoln's story slowly of his advancement in societies inner social circles, leading right up to his brilliant approach to campaigning for state legislator, congress, and presidential candidacy. Detailed scenes on the battlefields of the Civil War with fanged foes and Abe's axe rolling heads, ending with a finale at Ford's Theater, the author recreates this alternative life of our Honest Abe with such amazing attention to detail you will almost find it authentic. This book is certainly NOT for the light of heart or weak-kneed rea

Interesting Concept; Flawlessly Executed! (Pun Intended)

When Pride and Prejudice and Zombies came out I was skeptical, but I read and thoroughly enjoyed the book, I particularly liked the retelling and the concept in general appealed to me. I purchased Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter for my kindle and liked it so much that I also got a hardcover edition. As with other reviewers, I agree that this book is a good read. It is an interesting concept that is flawlessly executed (pun intended). The author clearly went the distance to create a plausible melding of vampire mayhem and history. It was well researched and the history was on target. I was pleasantly surprised at just how good this book was. In this case the title is accurate, this isn't a textbook account of President Lincoln's life, so take it for what it is: a fun read. As a an avid history and horror reader, I really enjoyed this work and I look forward to see what the next project that Seth Grahame-Smith is going to come up with.

surprisingly excellent

I thought this would be a mindless & fun read, but it's a lot more than that. I was seriously surprised by how much better this book is than the title might lead you to think. The author clearly put a lot of energy into figuring out how best to meld history with horror/fantasy, and really did a terrific job. He (seemingly) effortlessly captured the deep melancholy of Lincoln's life. And the vampires are awesome...they are not the vampires of other current trends. His vampires are brutal and violent. The backstories he creates (the colonies, Lincoln's grandfather, etc) are terrific. I very highly recommend it. It was shockingly good, actually--well written, engaging, tight, no filler. A great read.