Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith is hands down one of the best historical fiction novels I've read. It portrays one of the greatest men in American history as a capable and agile vampire hunter. The premise of the novel sounds a bit "crazy" when you consider Abraham Lincoln as one of the most influential and sound men in our nations archives, but that is what makes the novel so great; the idea that a man such as Lincoln really could have been a part of ridding our society of deep dark secrets. (And a bonus in the book, Edgar Allan Poe makes a few appearances. I loved this detail in particular because I think many would believe Poe to be a vampire hunter, or even a vampire himself with how damaged and dismal his writing is, but alas, he's not. A friend and confidant of Lincoln's and fascinated with the vampirical activity of the time, but not a member of the clan.)

The book starts with the death of Lincoln's mother when he was nine years, a historically accurate detail. But her death is no longer the agony of human failings, but the work of a vampire. Avenging his mother's death is the foundation upon which drives Lincoln to continue his hunt. He trains to become a great hunter, and uses his political stance to further his goal of ridding American soil of vampires. One of the greatest details for me was the way Grahame-Seth handles the issue of slavery abolished under Lincoln's tutelage; why the North and South went to war takes on an entirely new meaning. While I understand this novel to be fiction, the details woven into the tapestry make each encounter and hurdle seem absolutely believable; depending on how much you believe in vampires.

The book reads in-between narrative and letters written by Lincoln's from his "journal." It is amazing how a "slight of hand" with literary information can paint the most mundane and simplistic ideas into a macabre of "man"slaughter. Grahame-Smith did not overlook a single detail of Lincoln's journey from small-town country boy to the Ford's Theater famous killing. The authenticity of events will leave you questioning which story is real - your high school textbook or Grahame-Smith's world.


I read this book over a year ago, but I wrote this review entirely from memory. The story is just that good. With the release of the film I thought it was good time to dig into my archives of books I hadn't shared with others.

This is a vampire story unlike any other you've read.

Seth Grahame-Smith is a New York Times best selling author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Unholy Night. His work is well-known in thriller circles. You can read more about him and his writing at The Official Site of Author Seth Grahame-Smith.

Found it entertaining how Lincoln's actual history got merged in with the vampire craze. Made history more interesting and caused me to look things up, that I normally wouldn't. For that, it was a success.

Next book!

I like to think Lincoln would be flattered