"There are such mysteries which men can only guess at, which age by age, they may solve only in part."

—Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, in Bram Stoker's Dracula

Do such creatures as vampires really exist? Or are they simply a fiction created by the human imagination as a way to deal with irrational fears? The evidence presented in this book suggests that there is no easy answer to this question. It may no longer be possible to look at the question of whether vampires exist from either a purely superstitious point of view or from the viewpoint of literature, folklore, and mythology. The answer to the mystery of the vampire is not so black and white, and the question of the vampire's existence cannot be answered with a simple yes or no.

Developing a Critical Perspective

Your...