<p>&ldquo;Carmilla&rdquo; is the 1872 Gothic vampire novella by Irish author Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, a leading writer of ghost tales and horror fiction of the Victorian era. His haunting and surprisingly modern &ldquo;Carmilla&rdquo; was one of the first works in the vampire fiction genre and was written decades before the publication of Bram Stroker&rsquo;s &ldquo;Dracula&rdquo; in 1897. Le Fanu&rsquo;s story has been widely influential and is notable for its depiction of homosexual desire between the female vampire and her beautiful, young victims. &ldquo;Carmilla&rdquo; is told from the perspective of a case study by Dr. Hesselius, a medical doctor who investigates occult phenomenon. The central character is Laura, a teenager living alone with her retired father in lonely castle in the forests of Austria. Laura longs for a friend her own age and, not coincidentally, a carriage accident brings the lovely and seemingly young Carmilla to Laura&rsquo;s home. Before long Laura&rsquo;s health declines and she is haunted by nightmares as she becomes the latest victim of the vampire Carmilla. To save her, Laura&rsquo;s father must battle the cunning and evil vampire for her life and soul. Frightening, entertaining, and hauntingly romantic, Le Fanu&rsquo;s Gothic adventure remains a classic of vampire literature. This edition is printed on premum acid-free paper.</p>