The vampire is "one of the most powerful avatars of our fears and our dreams," Rachel Caine (author of the Morganville Vampires series) observes in her introduction, and Vampire Art Now is loaded with dozens of different takes on their archetypal resonance. From portraits of Hammer film icons Christopher Lee and Ingrid Pitt to near-cherubic Keane-eyed waifs with fangs poking out from their lips, from lesbian lovers to savage, snarling beasts, there's a vampire to suit everyone's taste (especially if your taste runs toward goth, high fantasy or blood-drenched gore). The artwork ranges from simple black-and-white drawings to lush paintings, polymer sculptures and digitally manipulated photographs, and each illustration is accompanied by a paragraph from the artist; some choose to discuss technique, while others focus on the backstories of characters they've clearly come to adore. Though not for the squeamish, Becket-Griffith and Becket's selections vividly demonstrate the genre's diversity. --Ron Hogan, founder of Beatrice.com