You’re probably thinking, “Aw, geez! Not another freakin’ vampire novel!” But look again. It’s got “a go-go” in the title. More importantly, it’s by Victor Gischler. And that means we’ve got something altogether different here. Sure enough, VAMPIRE A GO-GO, the follow-up to his excellent GO-GO GIRLS OF THE APOCALYSPE, is not only a loving spoof of the horror genre, but also one of the cleverest, funniest and finest novels to come along in a long time.
The central character is Allen Cabbot, a graduate student at Gothic State University. Personal distractions have caused his grades to slip of late, but his skills at research are well-known, so he is given a chance to save his academic career by assisting faculty member Dr. Evergreen’s study of Kafka in the Czech Republic.
But soon after arriving in Prague, a whole bunch of strange things happen. There’s that long, heavy, oblong box Allen delivers to Dr. Evergreen’s apartment. Why does it smell like it’s filled with dirt? Before he has time to dwell further on that, he is abducted by a radical coven of witches and wizards called the Society, which is being pursued by a group of heavily-armed Jesuit priests.
The Society and the Jesuits, we learn, know the true nature of Dr. Evergreen’s work in Prague, and both groups are determined to stop it. Poor Allen is caught in the middle of this mess, not knowing the good guys from the bad, nor what everybody is trying to prevent from happening. Apparently, it has something to do with the balance of magical power, and could endanger the entire world.
The entire narrative is told by a ghost. It’s the ghost of Edward Kelly, a historically documented alchemist who was held prisoner in Prague Castle in the service of Emperor Rudolph II. It was Kelly’s contributions and observations to the secret of the Philosopher’s Stone, several hundred years ago, that laid the foundation for the events that now involve Allen and the others.
Gischler switches back and forth between Kelly’s recollections of the experiments with the Philosopher’s Stone in the late 1500s and the story of Allen, the Society and the Jesuits in the present day. Such abrupt shifts in time and settings would be the kiss of death for other authors, but Gischer keeps the writing so lively and funny that you willingly go along with him at the risk of missing something.
Along with the alchemists, ghosts, witches and wizards, the author tosses in zombies, golems and a werewolf who much prefers the term lycanthrope. And, yes, there is a vampire — a real undead hottie who bites her victims way below the neck.
Gischler seasons this entire crazy stew with plenty of suspense and just enough graphic violence to satisfy your hardcore horror fan. Above all else, he keeps you smiling and laughing with his effortlessly cynical wit through the array of twists and turns that lead to the climatic and unexpected conclusion.
Not your usual horror novel. Then again, Gischler is not your usual horror author — thank heavens! So whether you’re a devoted follower of horror fiction, or one who avoids stories about the undead or even magic, do yourself a huge favor and read VAMPIRE A GO-GO. It’s another twisted triumph from one of the most consistently creative writers working today. —Alan Cranis
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• GO-GO GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE by Victor Gischler
• SHOTGUN OPERA by Victor Gischler
Related posts:
- Bookstores offer free VAMPIRE HUNTRESS samplers
- Blood Lines: Richard Matheson’s Dracula, I Am Legend, and Other Vampire Stories
- Q&A with VAMPIRE ZERO’s David Wellington
- The Vampire Tarot
- The Vampire of Ropraz
