The President's Vampire
Strange-but-True Tales of the United States of America

by Robert Schneck

Trade Paperback, 232 Pages, 0 Illustrations

$14.00, ISBN: 1933665009

Genre(s): Fortean

The President's Vampire is proof positive that an inordinate number of very strange things happen from sea to shining sea in the place known as the United States of America. It contains scrupulously documented accounts of ghosts, monsters, murderers, and hoaxes so improbable they will fascinate believers, skeptics, and anyone interested in the more obscure corners of American history and culture.

About the Author:

Robert Damon Schneck is a freelance writer and contributor to Fortean Times, Fate, and other magazines. Friends describe him as a "loveable, nocturnal, monomaniac."

CONTENTS

THE DEVIL’S MILITIA
Gloucester, Massachusetts, 1692
This story is not about ghosts exactly…

BRIBING THE DEAD
Morristown, New Jersey, 1788
The story of a fake sorcerer who got rich by convincing imitation ghosts to hand over a non-existent fortune.

THE GOD MACHINE
Lynn, Massachusetts, 1853
During the Industrial Revolution some people developed extraordinary faith in technology.

THE PRESIDENT’S VAMPIRE
Somewhere in the Indian Ocean, May, 1866
No matter how you feel about the current Administration, no one can accuse the president of being soft on vampirism.

ONE LITTLE INDIAN
Wyoming, 1932
A strange-but-true classic, continued.

A HORROR IN THE HEIGHTS
Baltimore, Maryland, 1951
Short colorful specters like Detroit’s infamous Nain Rouge  (“Red Dwarf”) are not unknown, but the classic phantom is a long-legged figure in black.

THE LOST BOYS
Newark, New Jersey, 1978
This is the story of a mass disappearance. There’s no reason to believe it was paranormal, but somehow that makes it worse; when it’s paranormal you don’t expect a solution.

THE BRIDGE TO BODY ISLAND
Wisconsin, 1990
This story is different from all the others in this book.
First, the source is a close friend. Second, though this might sound dramatic, readers who are genuinely frightened by the paranormal or troubled by obsessive thoughts should consider skipping this chapter.

What they're saying:

"Robert Schneck is one of the best of a new breed of investigators into the relatively unknown byways of our cultural history. Because he is thoroughly familiar with his subject, writes with deceptive ease and a clarity that both amuses and educates, and because he never forgets that at the heart of even the strangest or most frightening of mysteries there are real human beings with a story to tell, I recommend him as a trusted guide.”  — Bob Rickard, Fortean Times

"With the current proliferation of books about weird events, The President's Vampire is a diamond among briquettes. Robert Damon Schneck has done forteans and fans of the fantastic a tremendous service by picking little-known subjects and applying a scholar's research skills and a highly developed storyteller's art. The choice of stories in this collection, the degree of historical documentation, and a magnificent sense of wonder make this book a true original–possibly a classic. I'm eager to see more by Mr. Schneck." — Joseph A. Citro, author of Passing Strange

"The President's Vampire is unusual in that it succeeds in lining up many strange, seemingly unrelated happenings and making them all seem like part of some unguessed cosmic stage play. Marauding phantoms of every size and shade, a 19th Century vampire, an electric "God machine,"  these and more parade through Robert Schneck's colorful verbiage as vividly as images from an antique stereoscope. By the final chapter, which is guaranteed to make anyone think twice about Ouija Boards, readers will be convinced there is more this U.S. of A. than could ever be imagined in the mind of mortal man. Schneck does not force his own conclusions on these mysteries but provides something much more valuable ... thorough investigations garnered from many different angles and sources. A must-read for those brave enough to stand at the corner of Reason and Enigma and see what may tiptoe down the crosswalk. " —  Linda S. Godfrey, author of  The Beast of Bray Road, and co-author of  Weird Wisconsin

"The President's Vampire offers a taste of obscure and bizarre American history... Schneck chooses not to traverse tried and true American strangeness, but instead presents accounts so out-there that even the best-read collector of oddities will take notice... The President's Vampire is great fun with surprising depth."  — Mike Purley, Fortean Times, which calls the book "fabulous" and gives it a 9 out of 10.