Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Embellishing the history of an already dynamic and immense man by way of fiction may seem like a simple task. When the subject is Abraham Lincoln, a figure so cherished in our past, such a feat appears needless-unless vampires are involved.  The average citizen's image of Lincoln is already larger-than-life, so when author Seth Grahame-Smith constructed an even more gargantuan stature for Lincoln as a result of hunting vampires, the legend becomes even more dramatically effective. 

In this book, the "true story" of Lincoln is one of the common man's misunderstandings of the plight of slavery. This truly evil sin was in dire need of eradication; however, while most people assumed slavery was the key issue sparking the Civil War, the real issue in contention was perpetrated under far more dreadful circumstances.  As a child, Abraham's mother was his first loss as a result of vampires, sacrificed at the will of Abe's father as a casualty of war. Young Abe fuels the vengeance in his heart by succumbing to the desire to physically pierce the hearts of opposing vampires. He takes solace in the wisdom of his mentor, Henry, a devout teacher and expert on vampires. Throughout his youth, Henry teaches Abe about the insidious ways of the creatures responsible for his adolescent turmoil. Abe's tireless devotion to books and his dedication to help mankind resonates well with Henry's prerogatives as the grooming for higher office begins. Abe's teacher is well aware of the impending war boiling up between vampires and the oblivious living and seeks to position Abe as a leader of men in both respects.

The bloodsuckers are not only eyeing a sufficient food supply, but positions of authority over the country and an upper hand as the dominant species.  The amalgam of vampire upheaval and slavery oppression blends deliciously. It's as if an answer to the deeply ingrained toleration of shackling human beings is finally presented; the willful ignorance and deep investments made in human capital driving the economy were simply covers for vampires that desired human livestock within easy reach for their survival. Antebellum plantations are cleverly presented as just that. Powerful southerners accrue wealth from slavery as a result of free labor, and vampires, reaping the dietary benefits, are eager to preserve the palatable status quo. 

The symbolic commentary of Washington's insider-dealing (especially in the present) may or may not be purposeful; nevertheless, it keeps the mind working more than the usual sexually charged, fountain-of-youth undertones familiar in the vampire genre. Plantation owners and vampires, oftentimes one and the same, meld into a symbiotic relationship. They desire to dominate the country and attempt to rid the prevailing resistant powers of their leader, Lincoln.  The world of back-scratching politics echoes through the remainder of the text. 

So does Grahame-Smith help you root for an incredibly influential and worthy president of mythical proportions, and even attract the reader to ponder the abilities of one man?  Entirely. Does he write prose for the ages? In dubious style. Either way, the visualization of an axe-wielding hero president battling a sallow underground curse, the scourge of the country, is wholly original. Not content with merely contributing to the elimination of slavery and the decimation of genocide, Grahame-Smith's take on Lincoln results in considerable literary patriotism and pride.