Vlad (1st ed.)

Vlad is Vlad the Impaler, of course, whose mythic cruelty was an inspiration for Bram Stokers Dracula.

In this sly sequel, Vlad really is undead: dispossessed after centuries of mayhem by Eastern European wars and rampant blood shortages.

More than a postmodern riff on the vampire craze, Vlad is also an anatomy of the Mexican bourgeoisie, as well as our cultures ways of dealing with death.

Foras in DraculaVlad has need of both a lawyer and a real-estate agent in order to establish his new kingdom, and Yves Navarro and his wife Asuncin fit the bill nicely.

Having recently lost a son, might they not welcome the chance to see their remaining child live forever?

More importantly, are the pleasures of middle-class life enough to keep one from joining the legions of the damned?