Otto Penzler’s new anthology The Vampire Archives is a collection of 86 of the scariest vampire tales of the past few hundred years; the book pulls pieces from an eclectic group of writers who range from Lord Byron to Stephen King. Inside you’ll find classic tales (Bram Stoker’s “Dracula’s Guest”) mixed in with lesser known works, and few contributions that might surprise you.

“I think one of the best stories in the book is a Gahan Wilson story, ‘The Sea Was West As Wet Could Be,’” Penzler explains. “But Gahan Wilson is famous for being a cartoonist. He does a cartoon for every issue of Playboy and just about every issue of the New Yorker. Wonderful, horrifying cartoons. And hilarious.”

More of what Penzler has to say —  about everything from Neil Gaiman’s foreword to the reason why tweens love Robert Pattinson — after the jump. Read More »