The Darkest Thirst: A Vampire Anthology

Overview:

• Title: The Darkest Thirst: A Vampire Anthology
• Author: uncredited
• Year: 1998
• ISBN-10: 1891946005
• Publisher: Design Image Group
• Price: $15.95
• Pages: [8]+247
• Binding: Trade Paperback
• Type: Anthology
• Title Reference: The Darkest Thirst: A Vampire Anthology
• Notes:
  • The title page has "The Darkest Thirst" in large type over "A Vampire Anthology" in a much smaller type. There is no editor credit.
  • Amazon and some other web sites have this listed as edited by Thomas J. Strauch. The copyright is by Design Image Group which is also the publisher. Per the bio entry at the back of the publication Strauch is the publisher and he ended his bio entry with "No one on the Editorial Committee volunteered to issue him a rejection slip."
  • First printing per number line. Other than the 1998 copyright the printing date is not stated. The source for the 1998-04-00 date is Locus1.
  • There are 8 unnumbered pages before page 1. The last story ends on page 240. Pages 241-244 are numbered and have the author biographies. Page 245 is numbered and is blank other than the page number. Page 246 is also blank other than the page number and "The Darkest Thirst" centered at the top of the page. Page 247 is numbered and contains advertising for two other books from the publisher. Page [248] is not numbered and has "The Darkest Thirst" centered at the top of the page.
  • Priced for sale in Canada at C$19.50.
  • The cover art is not credited.
  • There's an uncredited introduction titled "The Darkest Thirst" on page [7] of the preliminary matter.
  • The author of "The Boy Next Door" is credited as d.g.k. goldberg in all lower case in the publication (Contents, Story, and copyright page). The author name was regularized for ISFDB.
  • "Waiting for the 400" includes the sub-title "A Northwoods Noir" at the start of the story but not on the Contents and copyright pages.
  • The book is divided into sections:
    • Dark Histories
      • Mercy
      • Before a Fall
      • Abba's Mark
      • The Debauched One
      • The Bleeding of Hauptmann Gehlen
    • Obsession (listed as "Obsessions" in the Contents)
      • The Boy Next Door
      • Waiting for the 400
      • On Line
    • The Hunted
      • Trailer Trash
      • Snare
      • How Brando Was Made
    • Redemption
      • The Alberscine's Vigil
      • Reconciliation
      • The Covenant of Il Vigneto
    • Arts & Letters
      • Nocturne a Tre in B-Double-Sharp Minor
      • For the Love of Vampires