Salem's Lot

by Stephen King

Salem’s Lot is the second of Stephen King’s books, first published in 1975. King has said that this horror novel was inspired by the most famous vampire book, Dracula and what would happen if Dracula returned in the 20th century.

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“Salem’s Lot is a very scary book…the vampire in Salem’s Lot is more like a true creature. It’s an absolute bloodsucker, just intent on eating and killing the people in this small town. Anyone who has seen the series from the 1970s will know it’s just so frightening. There’s a scene with a little boy at the window, flying…It’s very dark and grim and gritty. There’s also a priest who doesn’t have the wholesomeness you see in other portrayals of priests.” Read more...

The Best 20th-Century American Horror Books

V. Castro, Novelist

The book, according to the author

“It is dated in many ways but I still like it well enough to number it among my favorites. I like the picture it draws of a small New England town; I like its sense of deepening menace; I like its strong intended echoes of Dracula and of the E.C. Comics where the vampires ripped and snarked and tore instead of sipping delicately like wine-snobs at a vicarage tasting party.”

Stephen King, introduction to 2005 paperback edition of Salem's Lot