"Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter"

“Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter”

Written by Seth Grahame-Smith

Review written by Diana Iozzia

As much as I mocked the idea of this novel for years before reading it, I have found a new favorite within “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter”. I have recently been branching out into books within the “alternate history / science fiction” genre. I started falling in love with this sort of genre when I read “Dread Nation” by Justina Ireland, which follows main characters Jane and Katherine, two black teens in post-Civil War Baltimore, in a world where the fallen soldiers have begun to rise from the dead as ‘shamblers’, similar to zombies. So, as I came across “ALVH” again, I thought to myself that I might enjoy the story, since it incorporates the Civil War and a beloved literary monster. As a large fan of most vampire folklore, I picked it up and fell in love.

“ALVH” is told in many different types of format. First, we are told of a young teenage Seth Grahame-Smith, the author who has portrayed himself, who has been approached by a mysterious vampire, Henry. Henry has lent Seth the diaries of Abraham Lincoln, so he may write a book about when Abe was a vampire hunter and most of his life before and after. Then, we are launched into a sort of biography about Abraham Lincoln, peppered by the entries from the diary, letters, and altered photographs and art.

I believe that the best thing about this book is that it doesn’t feel like a big fantasy vampire story. It has such amazing depth to it. We love Abe, as we meet him as a young child, to see the heartache and death he endures, as he rises to become an important politician. Then, we have the weavings of a vampire history, telling us all about the interesting aspects of these vampires, the friends and enemies Abe makes, and the gruesome horror, all creating this fantastic epic. Abe is a hero, in the ways that real Americans know and as a vampire killer. The novel is told in three ages of Abe, as a child / teen, as a young adult, and after he rises to political power.

There are so many amazing aspects of this story that have to be recognized. As well as it is horrifically bloody and stomach churning, this is a great piece of horror. The vampires are absolutely terrifying. The world that Grahame-Smith has taken and made his own with his great alterations is so encompassing and interesting. It’s absolutely fascinating to learn about the true historical aspects of Abraham Lincoln’s life and see it explained as if vampires had existed in this world. The novel is so thoroughly researched and explanatory, that you feel that this is a real biography, that this really could have happened. A funny aspect that I was not a fan of at first but grew to like is the footnotes. Grahame-Smith adds in footnotes, explaining small details and giving his thoughts. An important one to note was his making a point how Abe’s language changes as he grows older and more haunted. This was really interesting to read through and notice how he reacted in certain situations and the words he would use.

Now, I have to mention one of my favorite parts of this story. We have a wonderful chapter explaining how Abe met Mary Todd and courted her. This felt like a romantic scene come to life. If you’re a fan of “Hamilton”, think the two scenes that incorporate “Helpless” and “Satisfied”, when Eliza and Angelica meet Alexander for the first time. Actually, a lot of this book reminded me of “Hamilton” in a way.

An element of this book that threw me at first was the incorporation of other famous historical people and events that I would not have expected. In this journey, we see historical representations of Marie Laveau’s house, Edgar Allan Poe, John White from Roanoke, and more. We also have a very interesting explanation behind John Wilkes Booth. Also, in the absolute conclusion of the book, we see a familiar character from this story encounter another very interesting historical figure. Won’t spoil that.

In conclusion, I firmly believe this is a new favorite book for me. I enjoyed this so much more than I really thought I would. This is a fantastic edition into the ‘alternate history’ / fantasy / science fiction genre, and I cannot wait to read the other books by this author. Read this as soon as possible. By candlelight, at midnight. But have a wooden stake next to you, just in case...