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A People's History of the Vampire Uprising

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A People's History of the Vampire Uprising

By: Raymond A. Villareal
Narrated by: Andrew Kishino, Christine Lakin, Jeff Bottoms, Jim Meskimen, Karissa Vacker, Maxwell Hamilton, Rene-Marie Villano, Robert Petkoff, Ron Butler, Taylor Meskimen
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About this listen

 'In a landscape littered with works on the ­undead, A People's History of the Vampire Uprising is a welcome addition. It is an accomplished book' - Weekend Australian

'The vampire novel we deserve right now' - Washington Post

A Boston Globe, New York Post and USA Today Summer Reading Pick

'I caught my breath, even from across the room. All I wanted to do was look into her eyes. It was as if she knew the reason I was there and that I was looking for her.'

The body of a young woman found in an Arizona border town walks out of the morgue. To the CDC investigator called in to consult the local police, it's a bizarre medical mystery.

More bodies, dead of a mysterious disease that solidifies their blood, begin disappearing from morgues nearby. In a futile game of catch-up, the CDC, the FBI and the US government realise that it's already too late to stop it: the vampire epidemic will sweep first the United States, and then the world.

Impossibly strong, smart, beautiful, and commanding, these creatures refuse to be called 'vampires', they prefer 'gloamings'. They quickly rise to prominence in all aspects of modern society: physically graceful at sports, endlessly enthralling on TV and incredibly intelligent at business - soon people are begging to be 're-created', willing to risk death if their bodies can't handle the transformation.

But just as the world begins to adjust, the stakes change yet again when a charismatic and wealthy businessman, recently turned, decides to do what none of his kind has done before: run for political office.

This sweeping yet deeply intimate fictional oral history - told from the perspective of several players on all sides of the vampire uprising - is a genre-bending, shocking, immersive and subversive debut that is as addictive as the power it describes.

'solid supernatural thriller' - Publishers Weekly

'a spectacularly creepy ecosphere, not to mention some genuinely horrifying frights... The start of a vampire epic and a strong contender in the genus of apocalypse fantasy.' Kirkus Review

'relentlessly clever' - Washington Post Action & Adventure Horror Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Scary Paranormal Fantasy Fiction Mystery

Critic Reviews

Raymond Villareal's sense of fun is palpable as he plays with legal thrillers, good-old dogged police work, international intrigue, hard science, dirty politics, and, yes, classic heart-stopping horror. Somewhere, Dracula himself is sitting up late into the day enjoying the hell out of this.
A wide-angle, wild, and weird exploration of politics, pop culture, and a diseased America. This tale of misguided hero worship and encroaching terror may be the perfect analogy for our own strange times.
People's History of the Vampire Uprising is that rarest of rare creatures, an absolutely unique work of the writer's art that, while drawing on several distinct streams of narrative style, emerges from all of those rivers without any parallels. The book becomes, among other gonzo things, a political parable for these lunatic times, a horror story, a trip down some of the darkest corridors of the ancient world, and, finally, an oddly epiphanic take on what it means, exactly, to be human.
Told in the jumbled, frenetic urgency of a discarded case file, this is the history of both a social movement and a vector for disease. Mr. Villareal's vampires are not the ones we find most comforting. They are not seductive or beautiful or tormented anti-heroes. No, they are more terrifying than anything like that, an infection that will spread throughout our body politic, our institutions, our history, and ourselves.
solid supernatural thriller
a spectacularly creepy ecosphere, not to mention some genuinely horrifying frights... The start of a vampire epic and a strong contender in the genus of apocalypse fantasy.
Reminiscent of World WarZ, Villareal provides a clever and socially insightful account of a potential vampire outbreak.
A People's History is, if nothing else, an original and interesting reinvention of the genre. The metaphoric aspect of this book is probably scarier than the Gloamings themselves.
... he has created a richly detailed historical account in modern times of how vampires sought integration into mainstream society.
Review
...ambitious, wildly inventive, and really quite chilling.
Told from the perspectives of several characters on all sides of the vampire uprising, this is an engaging read - both shocking and deeply intimate.
... an accomplished book that weaves theology, law and observations about Western society to produce a fresh take on one of humanity's oldest foes.
He writes with insight and authenticity ... In landscape littered with works on the undead, A People's History of the Vampire Uprising is a welcome addition. It is an accomplished book that weaves theology, law and observations about Western society to produce a fresh take on one of humanity's oldest foes.
All stars
Most relevant
This audiobook is a showpiece on how it should be done for narration through to story telling and execution a master piece and wonderful experience to both listen to and enjoy a must listene

An excellent production

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A really well written story, I really enjoyed the different points of view employed. The only (very specific and minor issue I had was some of the science stuff was not spot on and jerked me out of the story a bit, but this would only be relevant if you were a scientist who specialises in Haematology, which is what I am, but even then, was pretty close. I will say, however the Australian accents in the performance were appalling, to the point where I had to relisten to some parts to understand what was said - which is particularly bad since I myself am Australian.
Overall, it was a really well written story, and I have and will recommend it to others.

Great story, only minor issues.

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While the premise is interesting and the action compelling the book fails in its world building. Several logical issues abound when imagining people's response to creatures that subsist on human blood. The author also shows noticeable ignorance of non-Western religions or cultures, in how he depicts places like China reacting to vampires. Moreover the likening of vampires to people with a disability is odd, since they also gain media attention for their power and physical prowess. It's unclear whether the author is making an unpleasant comparison between our society's minorities and vampires, or whether he's merely showing the vampires callously (but inexpertly) taking advantage of societal structures. Either way the rise of the vampires seems extremely implausible.

Neat idea poor execution

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.