The Mystery of the Haunted Vampire

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Sunday, January 16, 2005

The Mystery of the Haunted Vampire discussion

Thoughts? (Warning: spoilers. Please don't read until you finish the book.)

8 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Excellent story! Raises a lot of questions about the roles of destiny and free will. Just when you think you have it figured out...

Lilith, true to form, is a master of deception. (Why did some Republican viewpoints keep coming to mind while reading about her plans?)

Honestly, when you have a book-signing tour will you autograph my print-out copy?

"42"

1/18/2005 10:03:00 PM  
Blogger Carnacki said...

I'm glad you liked it, 42. How surprised were you by Lilith's plan? And were you surprised by Lucy's decision at the end? Did it trick you?

1/19/2005 01:40:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let me preface by saying that I hope I don't give away the plot details. If I do, please feel free to delete.

Lilith completely surprised me as I was expecting another Horror. I liked your description of her - especially her black wings. Carnacki's thoughts: "when my eyes, or mind, grew accustomed to her..."really impressed me. He not only had a physical manifestation to view, but was dealing with wrapping his mind around a pronounced non-corporal/spirit presence, thus magnifying Lilith's stature and power when compared to a mere mortal.

Lilith's plan sounded very feasible until you realize it is based on a faulty premise concerning God. I'm glad both Carnacki and Adena got it right, albeit for different reasons. Adena certainly has the priorities straight. (At first I was disappointed that the character of the rabbi got killed off even before he could make an appearance, but as I mentioned in an earlier comment, Adena does just fine.)

Lucy's actions did take me completely by surprise. You definitely got me there. And that's why I'm re-evaluating the relationship between destiny and free will.

Do you have any more books up your sleeve?

"42"

1/19/2005 08:55:00 PM  
Blogger Carnacki said...

I'm currently working on a sequel. The 23rd Psalm underlies much of this book and the Song of Solomon runs through the next one.

The Rabbi's death came as a complete surprise to me, too. I know that sounds strange since I wrote the book. I had a loose outline and had a rough draft of the ending to guide me.

As I wrote, I kept thinking, "The Rabbi will show up sooner or later."

I didn't know he was dead until Adena showed up at the door. It was as if the scene wrote itself and I thought it worked in terms of the story and Lilith's plot.

1/20/2005 08:10:00 PM  
Blogger Carnacki said...

Links. If you haven't checked out the links on the left, I'd like to particularly highlight two: North Yorkshire and Whitby 1. Both of those link to a wonderful photographer who hikes and takes pictures of the North Yorkshire region.

1/26/2005 05:11:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Absolutely adored the story! I had a hard time finishing it as I kept getting interrupted at the good parts (which was all of it. Don't really have anything to say other than the story was awesome.
Xyxzith

1/27/2005 01:47:00 PM  
Blogger Carnacki said...

Copyright pending

2/06/2005 08:32:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I liked the story. Let me tell you. It was great!
I liked how you built the tension. I didn't know how it was going to end, who'd die and who wouldn't. I was kept waiting until the end, like a good thriller; and the ending was satisfying, I wasn't let down.

Keep them coming!
It makes a good companion to Dracula, though you don't need to read Dracula to get "The mystery of the haunted vampire," it stands on its own.

My favorite line was when Dr. Armitage says "Her un-beating heart belongs to someone else." The Ophelia quote was good too.

My favorite character? Lucy wins hand down. Carnacki's good though, Jakob too.

Good twists in the story, rough and tumble, like real life.

The philosophical question re "Free will" is intriguing. Interestingly, the WB show "Charmed" which is about three witches battling demons in San Francisco, very recently had a story arc dealing with a world where free will doesn't exist. An utopia where everybody's "happy" and the troublemakers simply disappear. The arc ended with the re-establishment of Free will and the battle evil vs good.

When Lucy killed the captain I was shocked and thought she had changed sides, it was a relief when she battled Lilith.

I also liked the dark undertones of Lucy. She is not your quintessential Victorian heroine, full of perfume and vapors. She deals with the dark side and has to fight constantly not to slide into her evil side, like all of us.

3/13/2005 08:59:00 PM  

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