Vampires and Other Fantastic Stories

For over a hundred years, the inquisitive minds of fans of "horror literature" have been occupied with the question: who is the mysterious "Baron Olshvri" (B. Olshvri), the author of the captivating fantasy novel "Vampires. From the Family Chronicle of... the Counts Dracula-Kardi" published in 1912 - an alternative history of the exploits of the most famous vampire and his turned victims?.. Finally, the mystery of this literary mystification has been uncovered! In the introductory article preceding this collection, its compiler and literary textologist Dmitry Kobozev unveils the mystery surrounding the identity of the "baron" for the first time and sheds light on the stages of the life path and literary creativity of the woman hiding behind the sonorous pseudonym, wife of the tea merchant Ekaterina Nikolaevna Homze (1861–1916). Under the cover of this book lie other surprises. For this publication, the text of the baron's main opus, the novel "Vampires," has been cleansed of typographical inaccuracies and adorned with illustrations by Vitaly Ekleris. Additionally, the collection offers readers an introduction to five fantastic stories by the baron: until now, they were hidden in manuscripts and completely unknown to the public; in these elegant creations of Silver Age literature, the traits of the author's style are quite recognizable: poetic narration, captivating, dynamic plots, and a blend of mysticism and romance.