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The
President's Vampire
is proof positive that an inordinate number of very strange things
happen from sea to shining sea in the place known as the United States
of America. It contains scrupulously documented accounts of ghosts,
monsters, murderers, and hoaxes so improbable they will fascinate
believers, skeptics, and anyone interested in the more obscure corners
of American history and culture.
Robert Damon Schneck is a
freelance
writer and
contributor to Fortean Times, Fate, and other
magazines. Friends
describe him as a "loveable, nocturnal, monomaniac." |
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THE PRESIDENT’S VAMPIRE
Strange-but-True Tales of
the United States of America
by Robert Damon Schneck
An Anomalist Books Original
Trade Paperback,
$14.00
ISBN: 1933665009
232 pages, illustrated, index
Order from AMAZON here:
or from
Barnes & Noble or your local bookstore |
Contents:
THE DEVIL’S MILITIA
Gloucester, Massachusetts, 1692
This story is not about ghosts exactly…
BRIBING THE DEAD
Morristown, New Jersey, 1788
The story of a fake sorcerer who got rich by convincing
imitation ghosts to hand over a non-existent fortune.
THE GOD MACHINE
Lynn, Massachusetts, 1853
During the Industrial Revolution some people developed
extraordinary faith in technology.
THE PRESIDENT’S VAMPIRE
Somewhere in the Indian Ocean, May, 1866
No matter how you feel about the current Administration,
no one can accuse the president of being soft on vampirism.
ONE LITTLE INDIAN
Wyoming, 1932
A strange-but-true classic, continued.
A HORROR IN THE HEIGHTS
Baltimore, Maryland, 1951
Short colorful specters like Detroit’s infamous Nain Rouge
(“Red Dwarf”) are not unknown, but the classic
phantom
is a long-legged figure in black.
THE LOST BOYS
Newark, New Jersey, 1978
This is the story of a mass disappearance. There’s no reason
to believe it was paranormal, but somehow that makes it
worse; when it’s paranormal you don’t
expect a solution.
THE BRIDGE TO BODY ISLAND
Wisconsin, 1990
This story is different from all the others in this book.
First, the source is a close friend. Second, though this
might sound dramatic, readers who are genuinely
frightened by the paranormal or troubled by obsessive
thoughts should consider skipping this chapter.
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What they're saying. . .
"Robert Schneck is one of the best of a new breed of investigators into
the relatively unknown byways of our cultural history. Because he is
thoroughly familiar with his subject, writes with deceptive ease and a
clarity that both amuses and educates, and because he never forgets
that at the heart of even the strangest or most frightening of
mysteries there are real human beings with a story to tell, I recommend
him as a trusted guide.”
– Bob Rickard, Fortean Times
"With the current proliferation of books about weird events, The President's Vampire
is a diamond among briquettes. Robert Damon Schneck has done forteans
and fans of the fantastic a tremendous service by picking little-known
subjects and applying a scholar's research skills and a highly
developed storyteller's art. The choice of stories in this collection,
the degree of historical documentation, and a magnificent sense of
wonder make this book a true original–possibly a classic. I'm
eager to see more by Mr. Schneck." – Joseph A. Citro, author of Passing Strange
"The President's Vampire is unusual in
that it succeeds in lining up many strange, seemingly unrelated
happenings and making them all seem like part of some unguessed cosmic
stage play. Marauding phantoms of every size and shade, a 19th Century
vampire, an electric "God machine," these and more parade through
Robert Schneck's colorful verbiage as vividly as images from an antique
stereoscope. By the final chapter, which is guaranteed to make anyone
think twice about Ouija Boards, readers will be convinced there is more
this U.S. of A. than could ever be imagined in the mind of mortal man.
Schneck does not force his own conclusions on these mysteries but
provides something much more valuable ... thorough investigations
garnered from many different angles and sources. A must-read for those
brave enough to stand at the corner of Reason and Enigma and see what
may tiptoe down the crosswalk. "
– Linda S. Godfrey, author of The Beast of Bray Road, and co-author of Weird Wisconsin
"The President's Vampire offers a taste of
obscure and bizarre American history... Schneck chooses not to traverse
tried and true American strangeness, but instead presents accounts so
out-there that even the best-read collector of oddities will take
notice... The President's Vampire is great fun with surprising depth."
– Mike Purley, Fortean Times, which calls the book "fabulous" and gives it a 9 out of 10.
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