Scottish Vampire article

Article in the Scotsman ...

Russo explains how many of Rice's readers developed a yearning to be a part of this seductive nocturnal world. And so the vampire lifestyler was born - people who adopted only the outward aesthetics of the bloodsucker ... The sexual gratification involved in bloodplay has led to a crossover with the more extreme fetish scene ... Why vampires? Why not choose to emulate zombies or werewolves?

Um.

Strange & Norrell

Finally borrowed a copy ... it's interesting. I'm not sure that I want a copy of my own to re-read, though I'm still thinking back over the story. Be prepared if you read it yourself - it's not a quick book to digest, and the stage is rich enough that it takes quite a while to set it up.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell won the Hugo for best novel this year (2005). Another story set in the same universe - and after the events of this novel - is in the works. EDIT: unsurprisingly, there's also an attempt underway to adapt the book to film.