Anthony Head, star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, investigates vampires from historical fiction through to terrifying modern-day realism. Vampires have been with us since the dawn of time and we all know about them, familiar to us since childhood as standard characters of fiction and guaranteed box-office attractions. But what exactly are these blood-sucking creatures? And why and how do they instill such fear? Anthony Head interviews scientists, historians and a vampire expert in an attempt to understand why there continues to be a widespread belief in vampires. In order to delve deeply into our fascination with folklore's deadliest monster, he travels to the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania, an area closely identified with the creature, and meets an expert who explains the intricacies of impalement. He investigates the story of the Blood Countess who bathed in the blood of slaughtered young virgins in order to retain her beauty. He also discovers how the stories of Dracula and Nosferatu have become intertwined with facts, and finally he looks at London's Highgate Cemetery where supposed supernatural vampirical activity has taken place.
—Sam Stockdale