Carmilla Access

Carmilla: The Sapphic Shadow That Predated Dracula Long before Count Dracula moved into Carfax Abbey, a different kind of predator haunted the Styrian forests of Austria . Published in 1872 by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu, Carmilla is a cornerstone of Gothic fiction, establishing the "lesbian vampire" archetype and exploring themes of repressed desire that remain potent over 150 years later. The Story: A Deadly Intimacy

: Laura and Carmilla share a mysterious connection —they both remember seeing each other in a dream years prior. Carmilla

: As their friendship deepens, girls in the surrounding area begin to die of a strange wasting disease. Laura herself falls ill, experiencing the sensation of two needles stabbing her breast. Themes and Legacy Carmilla: The Sapphic Shadow That Predated Dracula Long