John William Polidori, an Italian-English physician and writer born in 1795, was a notable figure associated with the Romantic movement. As the eldest son of Gaetano Polidori, an Italian scholar, and Anna Maria Pierce, a governess, Polidori was exposed to intellectual pursuits from a young age. He received his medical degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1815 at the remarkably young age of 19. Polidori's literary talents and connections led him to serve as personal physician to the renowned poet Lord Byron, embarking on a European tour with him in 1816.
During their travels, Polidori found himself in the company of other literary luminaries, including Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley. It was during this time, at the Villa Diodati by Lake Geneva, that the idea for "The Vampyre" took shape. Inspired by a fragment of a story by Lord Byron, Polidori penned his own tale, which would go on to become the first vampire story in English literature. Originally published in April 1819 in the New Monthly Magazine, "The Vampyre" was falsely attributed to Lord Byron, likely to capitalize on his fame. This misattribution persisted for years, causing confusion over the true authorship of the story.
Polidori's "The Vampyre" introduced several key features of the vampire archetype that would influence vampire literature for generations to come. Notably, his portrayal of Lord Ruthven, the titular vampyre, departed from the traditional folkloric depictions of vampires as grotesque creatures. Instead, Polidori's vampyre was an aristocratic figure, seductive and charming, preying on high society. Lord Ruthven's aristocratic allure, coupled with his predatory nature and mysterious aura, set the template for the modern vampire, ushering in a new era of vampire fiction characterized by sophistication and allure.
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Episode 35: The Horla by Guy de Maupassant
Episode 34: The Queen of Spades by Aleksandr Pushkin
Episode 33: Dracula’s Guest by Bram Stoker
Episode 32: The Yellow Sign by Robert W. Chambers
Episode 31: Back Along The Old Track by Sam Hicks
Episode 30: The Housekeeper by Marjorie Bowen
Episode 29: On The Brighton Road by Richard Middleton
Episode 28 The Corner Shop by Cynthia Asquith
Episode 27: The Experiment by M R James
Episode 26: A Christmas Meeting by Rosemary Timperley
Episode 25: The Old Portrait by Hume Nisbet
Episode 24: Smee by A M Burrage
Episode 23: Between the Lights by E F Benson
Episode 22: Saviourgate by Russell Kirk
Episode 21 Christmas Eve on a Haunted Hulk by Frank Cowper
Episode 20: The Kit-Bag by Algernon Blackwood
Episode 19: The Snow by Hugh Walpole
Episode 18: The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell
Episode 17: Behind the Stumps by Russell Kirk
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