"The Family of the Vourdalak" (1838)

A.K. Tolstoy was more famous for historical fiction, but he wrote this ripping vampire tale when he was 20 or 21. It's mostly lucid and straightforward, with blood-sucking duly noted as primary feature. A.K. Tolstoy's "vourdalak," which he credits to Serbian lore, is a specific type of vampire that preys on family members and friends, swiftly turning whole clans and villages into undead. These creatures are vulnerable to the cross and other Christian artifacts and can only be killed with an aspen stake to the heart. (However, all the aspen is over on the other side of the mountain, so not always convenient when needed.) These vampires seem to be fine with sunlight. In a way, A.K. Tolstoy is playing with much the same elements as, say, The Walking Dead and other TV series, zombie or otherwise—that is, familial attachments (and horror) are deep and persist even after death. This story is old but moves along briskly, driven by dialogue and scenes in the modern fashion. It has a frame story; the teller is wry and charming, an old man remembering his womanizing youth and flirting with the ladies who listen to his story. He's larding up the events as he tells them with his past loves and crushes, apparently for the sake of these "mesdames." Typically, he describes himself as too apt to fall in love. Meanwhile, family members are sucking the blood out of one another in the main story. They felt more like zombies after they turn but can also maintain personalities and appearance enough to fool others, though loved ones may sense something is terribly wrong. The natural test seems to be asking them to hold a cross, which doesn't seem that natural. But the creatures recoil and won't touch these holy objects because they burn their flesh or something. The setting is Central Europe, maybe Serbia, maybe Romania, maybe Moldova—one of those cradles of the vampire legend. And the story moves quickly, with lots of action, fights, and intrigues. Speaking as someone who often bogs down in Poe, I found "The Family of the Vourdalak" engaging and entertaining all the way. I also appreciated how plainspoken the Russian A.K. Tolstoy (and/or translator) is about the blood-sucking. That's what these creatures do and that's what he calls it. What this story does is arguably a little pulpy, but don't say that like it's a bad thing. Side note: A.K. Tolstoy was second cousin to the vastly more famous Leo, and there's another remote relative in the family, Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy, who had some success as a science fiction writer in the 20th century. Vourdalaks!

Listen to story online.

"Master and Man" (1895)

Read story by Leo Tolstoy online.

We've encountered a few severe snowstorms in the stories for this project so far, but Leo Tolstoy's could well be the best, or worst. Again, perhaps the biggest surprise in this project has been discovering how much I enjoy these harsh nature stories. In this one, the master Vasili Andreevich is eager to close a business deal and insists on traveling through a snowstorm that day to do so. He takes along one of his servants, Nikita, who sets up the horse and sledge, and away they go. Goodbye. The horse, of course, soon becomes equal partner among the three, in terms of personality and affect. For better or worse, my heart always goes out to these animals. It's obvious Tolstoy has lived with harsh winter conditions because his descriptions are detailed and telling. For example, the squeaking of the sledge's runners against the snow is a sure indication of extreme cold. The storm is fierce with extremely poor visibility. Even so, Master wants to take a shortcut. Before long they lose the road, and not long after that they are completely lost. The more that the horse and the servant are left to make decisions, the better off they are. They travel in circles and finally arrive at a village, where they are amazed by how far off the track they have traveled. They stop for directions, and to warm up. At that house they are invited to stay for the night, and Nikita is in favor of it, but Master is impatient to conclude his business. Again they lose their way, and then they lose the light. Caught by darkness, they must shelter in place for the night, knowing they are lost. When morning comes it turns out they are not far from shelter, but this story is more about the night, in which two of them die. Only Nikita survives, because of the noble actions of Master, although when it comes to that they are all three deranged by the conditions and hypothermia and it's hard to say with complete confidence that his actions were truly selfless. But the results are, and what counts most in this story are the characters, who are rich and complex. Well, the horse is a horse, but that's all he has to be. Andreevich and Nikita and their relationship turns out to be intricate, beautiful, and not at all predictable, though entirely believable. Great story.

Master and Man and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy