“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” by Seth Grahame-Smith – The Hidden Menace

Most of us know Abraham Lincoln as the president who abolished slavery and then got shot by a then-famous actor while attending a play at the opera. The more you look into his life, the more it seems that he was above ordinary men, and the secret journal discovered by Seth Grahame-Smith only confirms that suspicion. 

In that journal, Lincoln discusses a part of his life no one knew about, the one where he learned his mother was slain by a vampire. With the help of his height, his unparalleled strength and his mighty axes, Lincoln sets out on a bloody and gruesome adventure to rid the world of the vampire menace, and most importantly, to avenge his mother’s death.

For those who haven’t heard about it, there is a movie which came out last summer titled the same as the book, and needless to say, it received much more attention than its written counterpart. If you have already seen the movie, then you know what to expect from the book… however, as is usually the case, the novel provides more insight to what is happening, into Lincoln’s life and thoughts, and of course, the vampire menace.

Grahame-Smith actually went a long way to make sure that the possibility of a vampire menace was well-integrated into our concept of the real world and of how life worked back then. While it certainly may be an unorthodox concept, it was flawlessly executed as a feat of modern literature. 

If you are thinking about reading it, then let me make one recommendation: think of it being more of a comedy than anything else. Sure, there are some grim moments and bloody moments in it, some historical lessons and even somewhat philosophical thoughts, but at its essence it is the exploration of a ridiculous and far-fetched scenario about the life of Abraham Lincoln, and it should be read as such; don’t expect any revelations or a story that will change your perspective on life. 

I like to call these kinds of books the junk food of literature; when done right and eaten once in a while, it can be a very satisfying experience. 

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Seth Graham-Smith Personal site Seth Graham-Smith born as Seth Jared Greenberg is an author of American origin who has written a number of bestsellers as well as screenplays, in addition to which he produced films and television shows. His most famous work to date is, unsurprisingly, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.