Children of the Night - by Dan Simmons (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Simmons writes like a hot-rodding angel." -Stephen King

An evil legacy comes to life in this classic and ultimately human novel about believable vampires, featuring a brand-new introduction by Dan Simmons. Children of the Night will take you to a place that no one knows--yet all of us fear.

In a desolate orphanage in post-Communist Romania, a desperately ill infant is given the wrong blood transfusion--and flourishes rather than dies. For immunologist Kate Neuman, the infant's immune system may hold the key to cure cancer and AIDS. Kate adopts the baby and takes him home to the States. But baby Joshua holds a link to an ancient clan and their legendary leader--Vlad Tsepes, the original Dracula - whose agents kidnap the child. Against impossible odds and vicious enemies- both human and vampire - Kate and her ally, Father Mike O'Rourke, steal into Romania to get her baby back.

"A mesmerizing tour through the ghostly, gray tatters of Romania." -Publishers Weekly

Review Quotes

"A mesmerizing tour through the ghostly, gray tatters of Romania." --Publishers Weekly

"Simmons gives a chilling description of post-Ceausescu Romania and neatly ties the vampire legend into political history to create a new and clever twist to the idea of the vampire's craving for blood." --Library Journal

"His best novel ever... Toothsomely well written." --Kirkus

"Brilliant ideas... The most rigorous and interesting scientific rationale for vampirism I've ever seen... You keep turning the pages." --Locus

"Simmons writes like a hot-rodding angel, loading his American nightmare with scares, suspense, and a sweet, surprising nostalgia. One of those rare must-read books, I am in awe of Dan Simmons." --Stephen King on The Summer of Night

"It stands with the best of King and Straub in the traditional modern horror genre." --Seattle Post Intelligencer on The Summer of Night

"Impressive...combines beautiful writing and suspense into a book for which Dan Simmons deserves the bestseller status of King and Koontz." --Denver Post on The Summer of Night

"An outstandingly eerie and truly horrifying tale, a page-turner of the first order." --Dallas Times-Herald on The Summer of Night

"One can only wonder what Simmons will do next, now that he's shown us he can do everything the best writers in horror and science fiction can do." --Philadelphia Inquirer on The Summer of Night

"If you like Stephen King's It and The Body, you will be enthralled by Summer of Night." --Rocky Mountain News on The Summer of Night

"Blood-freezing scenarios... the true source of Simmons' terrifying vision lies in his uncanny ability to tap into that primal dread that every child knows and every adult denies; the monster under the bed, the darkness in the closet, the not-quite-human face at the window.... If you are easily frightened, don't buy this book." --Los Angeles Daily News on The Summer of Night

"A superior read in the genre." --Kirkus Reviews on The Summer of Night

"An outstandingly eerie horror story about a group of Midwestern boys stalked by an ancient evil." --Publishers Weekly on The Summer of Night

"Simmons, winner of several prestigious awards for science fiction and horror ranks with the best the genre has to offer... The children are well drawn and affecting in their bravery." --Library Journal on The Summer of Night

"Skilled writer par excellence Dan Simmons takes a subject straight from Stephen King land and runs with it... Simmons keeps the tension high." --Locus on The Summer of Night

"One of the best supernatural chillers in years... Summer of Night promises to mark the dawn of a great horror novelist." --Flint Journal on The Summer of Night

"Lots of frights in the 'Night'... The kind of story that has readers locking doors and checking under their own beds even as the characters in the book go through their own nightly ritual." --Ocala Star-Banner on The Summer of Night

"For those of us to whom good writing is everything, the name Dan Simmons bears great weight." --Harlan Ellison on The Summer of Night

"Simmons is not only good, he's versatile." --Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine on The Summer of Night

"A compelling writer." --F. Paul Wilson, author of The Keep, on The Summer of Night

About the Author

Dan Simmons is a recipient of numerous major international awards, including the Hugo Award, World Fantasy Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, and the Shirley Jackson Award. He is widely considered to be one of the premier multiple-genre fiction writers in the world. His novels include the Hyperion Cantos and the New York Times bestsellers The Terror, Drood, and Black Hills. He lives along the Front Range in Colorado and has never grown tired of the views.