It is time for another short fiction review about a chapbook featuring an undead monster, but his time the monster is a vampire and not a zombie. Vampire books are a risky proposition these days, in my opinion, but still worth trying. This one was also co-written by an author whose short works I have read before, Joleene Naylor , and I had mixed opinions of what I read from her. With all of this running through my head, I started “101 tips for travelling with a vampire revamped” by Joleene Naylor and Jonathan Harvey.
Now I was surprised when I started this that it is not a story but rather a numbered list of “advice” points for those who travel with a vampire. The list is done in a humorous manner and covers topics such as travelling by car, boat, plane, and train as well as what to pack and how to select a motel. Most of the points are given and then backed up with a short remark aimed to make the reader chuckle. When the 101 points have all been read, the reader is then given a bonus list of 25 tips for living with a vampire. The chapbook finishes with a preview of the authors’ other works.
That summary was short and to the point so a lack of enthusiasm might be detected. The truth is that I really did not find this list very interesting or funny. The jokes were very clichéd and the list form just does not work for me. I was expecting a short story about a vampire and got this list of things that I really did not care much about to begin with. On a positive note, the reader is treated to that answer to that age old question that is on everyone’s mind: how to vampires go to the bathroom? Well, not really an answer, but a little insight into the topic as it is touched on in tip 23.
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