Vampire$ (1990)

HALLOWEEN REVIEWS 2025

by John Steakley

A team of vampire hunters has a spectacular success exterminating a nest of bloodsuckers in the Texas countryside, only to be visited later that evening by a master vampire who does some exterminating of his own. 

Team leader Jack Crow and one of his lieutenants are the only survivors, and this novel tells the story of how they put together a new team and go back on the offensive. 

I absolutely loved this book and was frankly amazed during a review of online reactions to find that so many people hold it in low regard.

"Vampire Hunters" (Finnish)

 The very things that it is often criticized for were strong points to me. 

"Vampires" (Italian)

Some disliked the writing style, which often consists of rambling, run-on, almost stream-of-consciousness sentences–particularly during action–but I found it a very effective choice for evoking a breathless, panicked tone for scenes of chaos and violence. 

"Vampires" (Spanish)

The pacing was criticized as well, particularly several extended interludes that filled out the backstories of some of the characters, but I found these sections compelling and useful for fleshing out the world of the novel. 

"Vampires" (Russian)

Some criticized the characters for vacillating between men’s-adventure macho and self-doubting moping, but I found this very effective for portraying the anguish of traumatized warriors who cannot give up the fight. John Steakley does a fine job of dramatizing the camaraderie of the team, and both Jack’s guilt and his love for the people who fight and die under his leadership shines through. 

John Steakley

I do agree that the end is a bit of a mess, which prevents the book from being a complete success, but it comes closer than most.