Prisoners of the Night

You may be looking for the vampire-themed con Prisoners of the Knight.

Zine
Title:	Prisoners of the Night
Publisher:	Mkashef Enterprises
Editor(s):	Alayne Gelfand
Date(s):	1987-1999
Series?:
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	multimedia
Language:	English
External Links:
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Prisoners of the Night is a het and slash vampire anthology originally titled "Children of the Night."

There were eleven issues.

flyer from Datazine #55 for three of the issues

This zine was unique in that it paid its contributors.

A 1992 Submission Request

From a submission request for the sixth issue, published in On the Double #23:

Original characters only (no media related characters). Only vampire themes. Erotic/sensuous of either homosexual or heterosexual nature is acceptable. No gore or sex for sex sake. Unique visions of the vampire are sought. No standard "counts" or "countesses"! Send SASE for guidelines. Pays one cent per word of fiction. $2.00 per poem, art fee negotiable. All submissions <must> include a SASE. Deadline for #6 is April 1, 1992.

2014 Comments from the Editor

I still love the process [of fanfic]. I love the editing. I love taking authors who could barely put words on the page and having them just soar. I also did a semi-professional non-fan publication called Prisoners of the Night, which was an erotic vampire anthology of original characters. I had a couple of people come in very early on who were, y'know, shy and retiring about doing— And they're now professional publishers, I mean writers. One of them actually dedicated her book to me. Which was so sweet, and so fulfilling. You know, I'm kind of in the mother role, almost the grandmother role, now. So it's reversed, when I— I came in real young, and now I've got a couple of young friends who are just getting into stuff.

Issue 1

cover issue #1, cover by Gayle F.. The publisher was inspired to approach Gayle for the cover after seeing her artwork in Out of Bounds.

Prisoners of the Night 1 was published in 1987 and contains 156 pages. The front cover is by Gayle F..

The interior art is by Shellie Whild, Alayne Gelfand, Alfred Klosterman, Chris Soto, M.B. Simon, Caro Hedge, and Alice Rathbone.

The characters of Tom and Clarisse from "Of Vampires and Gentlemen" appear in issue #8 of The Holmesian Federation.

From the editorial:

Late one night...I got a phone call from my friend Robin Hood. "Alayne," she said, "I'd really like to read a good vampire zine." "Great," I agreed, "go right ahead." "No," she continued, "you don't understand. I want to read the zine, not edit it." Great, I thought and hung up. A few minutes later, by now it was 1:00 AM, she calls back. "Children of the night." "What?" "Children of the night. The name of your vampire zine." And the rest is history.

Obviously the title has changed, due mostly to my having written a poem titled "Prisoners Of The Night", but also as a result of lying awake one night in London last October talking over the title of the zine with Robin and our friend Janet. So, POTN is it, by popular demand.

During the production of this zine, I've had an amazing revelation. I believe vampires as a race aside and apart from the Human Race can, and very likely may, live...uh...exist on this planet. This revelation came upon me as a result of working with an entirely new section of writers than I'm use to dealing with. (My roots, editing and otherwise, are in STAR TREK...adult STAR TREK....) I've discovered that the definition of 'erotic' is highly subjective and that it varies most not between one person and the next as much as between the sexes. It really surprised me to receive some of the stories I did from men...and it worried me that some of them are actually loose on the streets! As a result of this revelation, or maybe just because of the way things fell into place, most of the stories in POTN are written by women. I have two authors who are men as well as one poet and one artist and I am very pleased with their work (translated, guys, that means I'm not talking about you, but about those men whose stories I turned down). So, I think that if the sexes (which I feel are separate species) can and have co-existed, such as it's been, all these years, it's perfectly possible that yet another species of humanoid life also exists among us. Think about it....

• Prisoners of the Night, poem by Alayne Gelfand (inside cover)
• In Darkness, poem by Dwight E. Humphries (4)
• Vampire Watcher, fiction by Wendy Rathbone (5)
• Lamia by Dallance McCasland (27)
• Ghost-Granted, poem by Jordon Brade (28)
• Eye of the Night, poem by Ellen Thacher (29)
• The Five of Swords/The Three of Swords (30)
• The Ties That Bind by Peter S. Gilmore (31)
• The Ten of Coins, poem by Wendy Rathbone (38)
• Of a Time, fiction by A.L. Hughes (39)
• One More Customer, fiction by Wayne Rile Williams (53)
• The Uninvited, poem by Jordon Brade (55)
• Vampire Persuasion, poem by Wendy Rathbone (57)
• Time Lost, poem by Dwight E. Humphries (58)
• Of Vampires and Gentlemen, fiction by A.R. Morlan ("A lonely vampire meets the most intriguing man of his long life and vast experience; a man who is a vampire of a different kind — In contemporary 1980s San Diego, a young woman discovers the hidden secrets of the mesmerizing man she’s met at a local bar and yearns to become part of that mystery — An eternally young woman searches the centuries and the continents for that which she found elusive in life; for her other half, for a touch of happiness, for herself — At a gay bar in Soho, England, a young man runs into mystery, sensuality, vampirism and love — The rape of a young woman results in a strangely wondrous birth, beauty, love, fulfillment, and tragedy — Meet Tom Chapman, a stable boy in rural England near the turn of the century who encounters Clarisse, a sophisticated, beautiful woman from the continent who is much more than she at first appears to be...") (59)
• Shade, poem by Lisa Joas (68)
• No Choice At All, fiction by Sue-Anne Hartwick (69)
• Where Only Two Watch, poem by Dallance McCasland (79)
• The Falling Tower, poem by Wendy Rathbone (80)
• The Night Keeper, fiction by Alayne Gelfand (81)
• The Dark Side of the Sun, fiction by S. Warner (93)
• Vampire Dreams, poem by Wendy Rathbone (99)
• Werelings, poem by Alayne Gelfand (101)
• Mage, poem by Dwight E. Humphries (102)
• Shadows in October, fiction by Robin Hood (103)
• Insomnia #2, poem by Dallance McCasland (114)
• Of Dark and Bright, fiction by Tina Rhea (115)
• Alteration, fiction by Tina Rhea (128)
• Darkness, fiction by Tina Rhea (135)
• The First Time Ever, fiction by (151)
• The Autumn People, poem by Wendy Rathbone (155)
• Ebon and Scarlet, poem by Dallance McCasland (156)

• 

  from issue #1, Alfred Klosterman

• 

  from issue #1, Chris Soto

• 

  from issue #1, M.B. Simon

• 

  from issue #1, Alayne Gelfand

• 

  from issue #1, Alfred Klosterman

• 

  from issue #1, Alfred Klosterman

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

This fanzine delivers everything promised. Being an avid Vampire fan, I just couldn't resist picking up this gem at Media*West... The first story, Vampire Weather [sic?], is a chilling tale set in the city of San Diego. here we meet Tavia, a lonely, unhappy woman who longs for more. She meets and falls in love with Durand 'enduring one.' Everyone calls him Dante, and Tavia knows he has come for her. The writing in this story really comes to life as we are guided, very carefully thru their relationship. Rathbone allows you to experience the utter lonliness that Dante feels. The helplessness of their relationship is both touching and cold. I really enjoyed this story even though I knew that Tavia and Dante could never have a 'human' relationship... 'The Ties that Bind' is your more typical vampire tale. We find Jack and Alice out in the a back alley arguing with each other arguing about Jack's friends. He drunk and becomes abusive towards her. Jack is left out in the alley alone... or so you would think. A stranger has been watching everything. He speaks with Jack in a soothing tone and empathises with him. Jack feels safe and comforted as he dies happily. So who was that stranger and what about Alice? Only the reader will find out! 'Of a Time' is an exciting tale of a young student, Anthony Tennello, who is doing research for a beautiful woman named Genevieve. She is trying to mark and catalog historical articles. He applies for the part-time job and gets it. As is is going through some of the items, he runs across a diary written partially in English and French. As he begins to read the diary, he is taken by several entries. He slowly starts to unravel a tale of love and death. As he begins to put two and two together, he realizes that that the woman in the diary, and the one he is working for are one and the same. The only problem is that the diary was written in 1782. A wonderful story with a somewhat surprising ending. 'The Night Keeper' is probably one of my most favorite stories in the zine. It is a beautifully woven tale about a woman named Kaare. She is different -- she knows this, and she doesn't mind. You read about her initiation into vampirism, about her first lover and teacher, and about her having to leave. This is a very sensuous story, lovingly played out, and very exciting. My choice for Best of Zine. 'The Dark Side of the Sun' is a tale of love and incest. Raped by a vampire, she gives birth to a vampire son. She finds small animals during the day for him to feed on, and he grows into a handsome young man. He begins to have feelings for her that he can't understand, and one evening he makes love with her and transforms her into a vampire like himself. They become lovers and are quite happy with each other. As the years pass, he notices she is not as content as she once was. She longs to see the sunshine and daylight. She makes her decision, and eventually, so does he. Very nicely written. There are several other stories in the zine. Each story is unique and explores all sides of being a vampire. I was really impressed by the diversity of each story in this zine. The layout is clean, the graphics are perfectly matched with each story, and the artwork and poetry are well-mixed throughout the zine. I would recommend this zine to anyone interested in this area.

Issue 2

Prisoners of the Night 2 contains 144 spiral bound pages and was published in July 1988. It has a cover by Marilyn Cole.

cover issue #2, by Marilyn Cole -- this image scan is from the publisher's web page

cover of issue #2, appears to be a reprint, publisher unknown (possibly the original creator)

• Waking The Vampire by Wendy Rathbone: (Alexis is young, Alexis is newly a vampire. Valerian is there to help & guide him, to introduce him to the ways of their kind... to the delights, to the privileges, and to the horrors.)
• Dream Journal by John Soule (A series of dreams after his wife's death has started Thomas O'Keefer writing in a journal of his own nocturnal wanderings.)
• Plus fiction, poetry & art by: Baylor Adams, Leo Bigley, Taerie Bryant, Cathy Buburuz, William Crook, Cathy Deaubl, Michael Drax, Alayne Gelfand, John Grey, Sue-Ann Hartwick, Stefanie Kate Hawks, Caro Hedge, Robin Hood, Dwight Humphries, Robert Jamison, Alfred Klosterman, Hugh Knox, Suzan Lovett, Cybel Harper, Anne Kay Schwaeder, Marge Simon, Chris Soto.

Issue 3

Prisoners of the Night 3 was published in 1989 and contains 120 perfect bound pages. Artwork by John Borkowski, M. B. Simon, K. Lidenmoth, Ann Mara McConachy, A. Kosterman, Ree Young, Marilyn Cole, and Gayle F.

cover of issue #3

• Three on Montague by John Grey
• Whatever Happened to Candice? by Baylor Adams
• The Language of the Hot Plates by Sonia and Naomi Hughes
• A Terrible Fruit by Alayne Gelfand
• Love and Forgiveness by Wendy Rathbone
• More Rare Than Blood by Della Van Hise
• The Better Feast by Dan Persons
• Nightchild by Cathy Buburuz
• The Witch of Hearts by Alayne Gelfand
• Heartburn by Robin Hood
• other unknown content

Issue 4

Prisoners of the Night 4 was published in 1990 and contains 116 pages

cover issue #4, cover by Marilyn Cole

The art is by M.B. Simon, Alfred Klosterman, John Borkowski, Bucky Montgomery, Janet R. DuPuy, Jim Garrison, Tristan Alexander, Cathy Buburuz, and Alayne.

• Funeral Wreath, poem by Marlys Bradley Huffman (3)
• In the Dark by Taerie Bryant (5)
• Annie's Stranger by Elaine Cole Crombie (12)
• A Vampire Dreams, poem by Ann K. Schwader (12)
• Wooden Eyes, fiction by Naomi and Sonia Hughes (13)
• Stigma, poem by by Jacie Ragan (29)
• Hello Lilianne by Wendy Rathbone (30)
• The Heart of the Vampire, poem by by Time Gene Rice (31)
• Kiss and Make Well, poem by by Jacie Ragan (32)
• From a Need to Linger by John Grey (33)
• Summer Wind, poem by by Alayne Gelfand (37)
• Persecution, poem by by Justice Howard (38)
• The Bite, poem by by Michael A. Arnzen (39)
• Dark One, poem by by John Grey (40)
• Nightcast by Wendy Rathbone (41)
• Tasting Summer by Lisa Lepovetsky (46)
• Clowns in the Dark by by Charles A. Gramlich (47)
• Sunset, poem by by Ree Young (48)
• Obligation by by Joyce M. Rattray (49)
• Moon Goddess, poem by by Wendy Rathbone (51)
• Journal Vampire, poem by by G. Sutton Breiding (53)
• The Demon by Taerie Bryant (55)
• Slut Succubus, poem by by Justine Howard (67)
• Unholy Night, poem by by John Grey (68)
• As He Changes, poem by by John Grey (69)
• Angel and the Rose, poem by by Mark Overby (70)
• Alternaties by Ann K. Schwader (71)
• The Vampire Child, poem by by Jacie Ragan (79)
• Interlude, poem by by Tiffany Lynne Runyan (81)
• Tara, poem by by Cathy Buburuz (82)
• The Visitor by Taerie Bryant (83)
• Heart Engravings/Heat Engravings II, poem by by Cathy Buburuz (85)
• Carnations, poem by by Denise Dumars (86)
• Hitchwhorer, poem by by M.B. Simon (87)
• Sea Burial, poem by by Ann K. Schwader (88)
• To Sacrifice the Sun by Alay Gelfand (89)
• Foreplay, poem by by Wendy Rathbone (96)
• Poor Relation, poem by by Taerie Bryant (97)
• The New Death, poem by by Wendy Rathbone (99)
• Memories, poem by by Ree Young (101)
• The Transcendence, poem by by Baylor Adams (102)
• Life Support by Sonia and Naomi Hughes (103)
• One a Night With a Vampire, poem by by John Grey (114)
• Daydreams, poem by by Jacie Ragan (115)

• 

  from issue #4, Tristan Alexander

• 

  from issue #4, John Borkowski

• 

  from issue #4, Alfred Klosterman

• 

  from issue #4, M.B. Simon

• 

  from issue #4, M.B. Simon

• 

  from issue #4, Janet DuPuy

• 

  from issue #4

• 

  from issue #4, Jim Garrison

• 

  from issue #4, Bucky Montgomery

• 

  from issue #4, M.B. Simon

Issue 5

Prisoners of the Night 5 was published in 1991. Cover by KOZ.

cover of issue #5, KOZ

• Poetry: My Love Comes Dressed Only in Eternity by Charlee Jacob, art by Bridget McCoy
• Fiction: Loose Change by Kay Reynolds, art by Marilyn Cole
• other unknown content

Issue 6

Prisoners of the Night 6 was published in 1992 and contains 82 pages.

cover of issue #6, Janet DuPuy

It has art by M.B. Simon, Bridget McCoy, Jim Garrison, Alfred Kosterman, Ree Young, Marilyn Cole, Donald Schank, Jim Garrison, Cathy Buburuz, William Carr, Debra Ostrokolowicz, Janet Dupuy, Eugene Gryniewicz, and Cathy Miller Burgoyne.

From the zine:

Are the ramblings of a schizophrenic girl only drug-laced fantasy? Or is there more to commonly perceived "reality" than most of us can sense? A lone vampire suffers the loneliness of a beautiful woman... until he discovers the one gift that can set them both free; They called "Wither"... so when she heard the term used for the area near the river, how could she not see for herself what all the fuss was about?; The rock band, "Gradual Seduction of the Night", returns... and young Ian has a serious problem; Adjustment for a space-station raised vampire and his mate to life aboard a space exploration vessel is not as smooth as they had hoped; Robert's life was normal as a teenager's life could be... until Nick showed up with his black BMW and his black soul; The tour was structured for insomniacs. but Corin McIlwain had a different reason for only coming out at night; What becomes of the memories of the victims of a vampire? Some live in darkness, some in light, all live under a curse. Enter the world of erotica, a world of seduction, mystery, intrigue, love and hate... enter a volrd of vampirism and join the PRISONERS OF THE NIGHT.

• Mortal by Ernie Hilbert Jr. (3)
• Vampire Poet by Wendy Rathbone (5)
• The Ophelias, fiction by Charlee Jacob, art by Cathy Miller Burgoyne (7)
• The Petrified Man, poem by Jacie Ragan (13)
• The Petrified Man, poem by Jacie Ragan, art by Alfred Kosterman (13)
• essay by G. Sutton Breiding (15)
• Dwellers in Darkness, poem by Chad Hensley (16)
• Welcome to the Dream, fiction by F.A. McMahan (19)
• Pulse, poem by Ann K. Schwader (27)
• Loving in the Night, poem by Wendy Rathbone (29)
• Crimson Lament, poem by Jacki Marunycz (30)
• The Sybarite, fiction by Taerie Bryant (31)
• White Throats, poem by G. Sutton Breiding (37)
• Why We Shun Reflection, Why We Fear the Light, fiction by Charles M. Sapiak (39)
• The Darkness is Medieval in All Centuries, poem by Charles Jacob (41)
• Vampire Lover, poem by John Grey (42)
• Nightlovers' Tour of London, fiction by Lorraine A. Jean (43)
• Cryptic Dreams, poem by Alex Grayton (47)
• The Rise of the Ancient Vampire, poem by Wendy Rathbone (49)
• The Calligraphy of Blood, poem by Jacie Ragan (50)
• The Lady Wore Black, fiction by Charles A. Gramlich (51)
• Passing the Dead on 12th Street, poem by Ernie Hilbert Jr. (55)
• Cat-Winds, poem by Carl Heffley (57)
• The Other Forever, poem by Jon Grey (58)
• Stand Not Alone Against Eternity, fiction by Ash Clayton (59)
• Lord of Shadows, poem by Ann K. Schwader (71)
• His, poem by Ernie Hilbert Jr. (73)
• What Mothers Never Tell You, poem by Jacki Marunycz (76)
• Like Cats, fiction by J.A. Wells (76)
• Partner Immortals, fiction by Wendy Rathbone (77)

• 

  from issue #6, Donald Schank

• 

  from issue #6, Debra Ostrokolowicz

• 

  from issue #6, Marilyn Cole

Issue 7

cover issue #7, cover by Marilyn Cole: "Come to My Parlor"

Prisoners of the Night 7 was published in 1993 and contains 86 pages.

From Media Monitor: "Original character erotic vampire fiction and poetry by Nancy Kilpatrick, James S. Sorr, Taerie Bryant, Charlee Jacob, Della Van Hise, and more.

Art by DuPay, Farver, Klosterman, Garrison, Gryniewicz, Kucharski, McCoy, Simon and more. Full cover cover by Marilyn Cole."

• The Perseid Lights, poem by Gary J. Whitehead, art by Bridget McCoy
• The Cold of Snow & Ghosts, fiction by Charles A. Gramlich, art by M.B. Simon
• Belly Full of Midnight, fiction by Della Van Hise ("Risa prayed for a cure for her husband, willing to go to any length for that cure. But she soon found out that wanting and having are two very different matters.")
• other unknown content

Issue 8

Prisoners of the Night 8 was published in 1994.

The front cover is by Janet DuPuy.

In one story, "a blind sculptress needs a subject; working the graveyard shift should be a breeze for a vampire until rowdy teenagers come along; the Dust Bowl could make a make a man see many strange and wonderful things."

cover of issue #8, Janet DuPuy

• Husks, poem by Wendy Rathbone, art by Bridget McCoy
• Warm Red Shadows, fiction by Sonia & Naomi Hughes, art by Michael Kucharski
• When Good Food Goes Bad, fiction by Della Van Hise ("Sage sat at his console and placed the flute in his lap... Bitterness tightened the long fingers to fists, and a poignant resignation caused tenebrous eyes to harden. He was master of his own mind, proficient in the fighting arts, skilled as a healer. Yet he could do nothing to redirect the disease in his own body... the mysterious code of DNA itself, it made him hungry, it left him always cold.")
• other fiction by Charlee Jacob. Charles Gramlich, Sonia & Naomi Hughes, Lorraine Jean, Taerie Bryant, and Adam Meyer
• other poems by Tufts, Love, Schwader, Jacob, Grey, Day, Verba, Meyer, Koenig, Ragan, Davis, Perkins, and DeWinter

Issue 9

Prisoners of the Night 9 was published in 1995.

It has a cover by Michael Apice.

cover of issue #9, Michael Apice

Other art is by Blevins, Buburuz, Dahlstrom, DuPuy, Fallis, Farver, Garrison, Gryneiwicz, Haas, Klosterman, McCoy, Simon, Williams, and Young.

• Ballad of the Sad Rat, poem by Anne Rice
• Strawberries, fiction by Margaret Smith
• Dragon Chains, fiction by A.R. Morlan ("Rose longed to know the truth about Elizabeth's tattoos, her provocative piercings, but there was little chance of her ever asking. The words were forever trapped within the shell of her shyness... or were they?")
• Dark Moon Rising, poem by Ann K. Schwander
• Blood Butterflies, poem by Tippi N. Blevins
• What Was Asked: What Was Givenm fiction by Charles A. Gramlich
• A Stranger in Your Midst, poem by John Grey
• at his eternal caprice, poem by Karen Verba
• Hunting the Deathless, poem by Charlee Jacob
• You Autumn, poem by Corrine DeWinter
• The Slyph, fiction by Taerie Bryant
• Vampire at Midnight, poem by Wendy Rathbone
• Starbox, fiction by Charlee Jacob
• Hyacynthe and Me, fiction by Margaret B. Simon
• The Vampire Cathedral, poem by Wendy Rathbone
• The Myrtle Fairy, fiction by Naomi Hughes and Sonia Hughes
• Liliths, Softly, poem by Charlee Jacob
• Sad Executioner, poem by Richar King Perkins, II
• Letter to Alexi, fiction Lynn Flewelling
• Even the Leave Were Blood, poem by Margaret Smith
• Midnight on the Dark Angel Watch, poem by Ann K. Schwader
• Portraits, poem by Charlee Jacob
• Bitters, fiction by Wendy Rathbone
• The Stranger's Kiss, poem by B. Kim Meyer
• Eyes, poem by B. Kim Meyer
• The Antediluvians, fiction by Jacqueline Carey
• Mon Venus De Sangre, poem by Margaret B. Simon
• Washing the Dark, poem by Corrine DeWinter, art by Darren Cerone
• The Mingling of Blood, poem by Tippi N. Blevins
• Kiss of the Black Angel (Part 1 of 2), fiction by Della Van Hise, art by Janet DuPuy

Issue 10

Prisoners of the Night 10 was published in 1997 and contains 96 pages.

It has art by Eugene Gryneiwicz, Alfred Klosterman, Gary McClusky, M.B. Simon, Tippi N. Blevins, Ree Young, Alayne, Michael Apice, R. Dahlstrom, Cathy Buburuz, Charles Fallis, Charles Thompson, Jeff Haas, Bob Crouch, Bridget A. McCoy, Jim Garrison, and Darren Cerone.

cover of issue #10, Bridget A. McCoy

flyer for issue #10

• The Tattooist, poem by Tippi N. Blevins (3)
• Icarus's Bride, poem by Elizabeth Wein (4)
• Orphans of the Moon by Cathryn Pisarki ("Two vampires, separately searching the world for another of their kind, finally reach their goals.") (5)
• The Blooding Cage by Rhonda Eikamp ("A scientist in search of vampires ventures into space and encounters the horrifying, true nature of reality.") (7)
• Vampyre Land: Blueprints, poem by Della Van Hise (12)
• The Wounding by Lynda Malm ("When Giu met the lost, damaged, blind girl, he had no intention of taking her in. No, his thoughts had been more along the subject of feeding. But things often change, especially in ways you can never foresee.")(13)
• Relics, poem by Charlee Jacob (18)
• A Vampire Lover, poem by Wendy Rathbone (19)
• Mythology, poem by Corrine DeWinter (20)
• Samaritan by Tom Piccirilli ("when the undercover operation he's on goes bad, Detective Lambino receives help from the most impossible of quarters.") (21)
• The Show -- Back Stage, poem (25)
• Ghost Town, poem by Della Van Hise (26)
• Love Sucks by Adam Meyer ("The further adventures of Jim Kowanoisky, vampire and reluctant companion to an unruly mob of teenage werewolves.") (27)
• A Vampire's Playground, poem by Bobbi Sinha (33)
• Nosferatu Appears as a Black Hole, poem by Ann K. Schwader (34)
• Hades and Persephone, poem by Holly Riggenbach (35)
• Autumn Foundling by Wendy Rathbone ("In a future drained of magic and ruled by technology, a young woman at an isolated college finds herself in the midst of an extremely magical presence.") (37)
• Red in the Language of Night, poem by Charlee Jacob (42)
• Tatiana by B. Kim Meyer ("Can the certainly of advise given in youth succor the pain of years of watching a dear friend pine for a vampire you convinced her never really existed?") (43)
• Reptiles, poem by Wendy Rathbone (45)
• Lake, poem by John Grey (46)
• Vessel for the Holy by Charles A. Gramlich ("The vampire Kainja comes face-to-face with his own origins via the nearly deranged machinations of a scientist who is also a Catholic nun.") (47)
• House Guest: Campfires, poem by Della Van Hise (52)
• Mark of a Dreamer by Tippi N. Blevins ("A vampire, desperate for the human ability to dream once again, wends a maddening path through the people who find themselves drawn to his tattoo parlor.") (53)
• Blood Letters, poem by Ann K. Schwader (60)
• Gypsy Moon, Father Moon, poem (61)
• Vampire Meditation, poem by Wendy Rathbone (62)
• The Starry Night by Charlee Jacob ("Were the intense colors and shapes of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings the visions of a madman... or were they visions from another, supernatural source?") (63)
• After the Evening Swim, poem by Karen Oyerly (65)
• Husks by Wendy Rathbone ("It's an unfortunate fact that not all vampires survive immortality. Now Charles must watch as another loved one fades.") (66)
• Falling in the Garden of Angels, poem by Tippi N. Blevins
• The Morning After by Della Van Hise ("The next installment in Della's novel, "Kiss of the Black Angel," in which Stephan explores his new world and, especially, Miquel, the mysterious vampire who gave it to him.")
• The Bone-Birds, poem by Johannah Kincaid (81)
• Japanese Dance, poem by Corrine DeWinter (82)
• Ambrosia, poem by Natasha Solten (83)
• Vampyre Communion: The Dark Red Mass, poem by Della Van Hise (87)
• Weeping Infinite, poem by Steve Rogers (88)
• A Night at the Symphonic, poem by Margaret B. Simon (89)
• Dance, poem by Eric Alessandri (90)
• Presently the Horses Began to Scream, poem by Susan Maurer (91)
• Music Review (92)
• Biographies (93)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 10

Prisoners of the night is compiled of many authors, included in the book

are some very unique stories as well as some very inventive poems.

Rather then tell a lot about all the stories and poems I will tell just a bit about the stories. The poems you must buy and read for yourself as the meaning of poems can sometimes be subjective. There are stories of all varieties and places in history. These stories are unique to themselves. One of the contributing authors is Della Van Hise author of Ragged Angels.

ORPHANS OF THE MOON by Cathryn Pisarki: This is a very short but interesting story of two vampires seeking the other in order to feed. I found it very entertaining and original.

THE BLOODING CAGE by Rhonda Eikamp: The story starts out with a diary excerpt from a man studying Gargoyle IV vampires. This is a professor searching out vampires to prove their existence only with a twist. Will he capture the vampire and display the last of their kind? Or will he be the one displayed as one of the last existing of his kind? This all happens in the future and is a case of the hunter becoming the prey.

THE WOUNDING by Linda Malm: Guiseppe and Petrus are vampires that like to bring their food home once in awhile. While Petrus is away on business Gui has some food they caught looked in a closet. Only this time Gui finds out she is blind and ends up caring for her. The whole time Petrus is away Gui and the girl form a growing relationship. Only things don't always turn out for the best. This short story could become heart wrenching if you really got into it.

SAMARITAN by Tom Piccirilli: A undercover police officer gets found out by a mob boss, but when he is shot he finds help from a very unusual source.

LOVE SUCKS by Adam Meyer: This story is a humorous and entertaining look at the problems three werewolves and a vampire have when their car breaks down in small out of the way town.

HADES AND PERSEPHONE by Holly Riggenbach: A unique retelling of the story between Persephone and Hades.

AUTUMN FOUNDLING by Wendy Rathbone: This is a future world after all the wars where boys and girls are separated from their parents and each other from very young, and told to control their most inner impulses, mainly the sexual ones. The world's nature is just beginning to rebuild itself. A young girl stumbles across a vampire and learns some of the most forbidden passions.

TATIANA by B. Kim Meyer: A woman is kept from the man she is supposed to meet. Her family thinks she is just delusional due to illness. She pines for her midnight lover until she is old. Still she does not give up waiting.

VESSEL FOR THE HOLY by Charles A. Gramlich: This is a very different look at Judas and Jesus, and what they actually were. This story will definitely make you think. The story involves a nun, a vampire named Kainja, his real identity and the identity of the child that the nun bore. It will give a whole new meaning to the words Jesus said at the last supper. This is definitely one of my favorite stories.

MARK OF A DREAMER by Tippi N. Blevins: A vampire artist and tattooist becomes linked to a deaf and mute human woman tattooist through dreams. Through their connection they are both able to help one another.

THE STARRY NIGHT by Charlee Jacob: A mental patient comes face to face with a female vampire. This is no normal mental patient but Vincent Van Gogh himself. She gives him some insight into things to come.

HUSKS by Wendy Rathbone: This is a very short story. Basically it is about the love a male vampire for the weaker males that he tries to turn but they never live long.

THE MORNING AFTER by Della Van Hise: This story is a shorter partial version of her book Ragged Angels.

AMBROSIA by Natasha Solten: This is the last story of the book. It is a very erotic and somewhat graphic telling of a male vampire meeting a male of another species. This male of another species lures the vampire to his house and they have sex. In the end the male reveals who he really is and teaches the vampire a sense of acceptance like he has never felt before.

Issue 11

Prisoners of the Night 11 was published in 1999, cover photography by D. Van Hise.

cover of issue #11, D. Van Hise

• Poetry: Vampire Children by Wendy Rathbone, art by Cathy Buburuz
• Fiction: The All-Night Café by Charlee Jacob ("In the antiseptic existence of the cyber world, a woman finds a human connection and reconsiders her choices — At the close of the Civil War, a woman struggles to understand her new life, aided by a rare, beautiful and magickal gift — Some survive the transformation into the century France, a police officer tracks a serial killer through the salons of the Impressionist painters — Bant protected the dead from the Ghouls but little did he think he would ever be tricked by one of them — She knew the vampires were leaving, she just didn’t understand why — Woman, artist, vampire hunter, who would ever have guessed she would fall under the spell of one of the creatures — The ghosts where there and, even though he couldn’t see them, he knew the vampire he served could and did — A lonely vampire meets a mysterious woman and, together, the worst parts of their lives fall into place…")
• other unknown content