The Last American Vampire

The Last American Vampire

Company type	Novel
Industry	Publishing
Founded	January 13, 2015 (2015-01-13)
Founder	Seth Grahame-Smith
Headquarters	New York , United States
Products	Horror-action novel
Parent	Grand Central Publishing

The Last American Vampire is a horror-action novel authored by Seth Grahame-Smith and serves as the follow-up to Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. It was released on January 13, 2015, by Grand Central Publishing, headquartered in New York.

The narrative traces the journey of an American vampire from the period of assassination of Abraham Lincoln through both world wars, ultimately leading to his status as the final known American vampire. The plot features a mix of historical and fictional personalities such as Abraham Lincoln, Henry Irving, Bram Stoker, Virginia Dare, Arthur Conan Doyle, Jack the Ripper, Nikola Tesla, Grigori Rasputin, and Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia.

Plot

Henry O. Sturges, who served as a vampire mentor to Abraham Lincoln, breaks the Union of Vampires' regulations by transforming Lincoln into a vampire after his death. Distressed by this, Lincoln takes his own life through immolation.

At the summons of Adam Plantagenet—the ancient vampire leader of the Union—at their New York base, Henry is assigned to eliminate "A. Grander VIII," responsible for killing Union emissaries. Following Plantagenet’s demise, Henry embarks on his mission in London under the guise of a textile merchant and uncovers that renowned actor Henry Irving is a vampire. He gains entry to Irving’s circle via his assistant, Bram Stoker, who becomes a trusted companion.

Henry narrates how he turned both his adopted daughter and wife, Virginia Dare—the first English child born in the New World—into vampires. His worldwide exploits include aiding Arthur Conan Doyle, thwarting Jack the Ripper—who is revealed as Henry’s own sire—and acting as a decorated agent for the U.S. government during both World Wars. Additionally, he forms a friendship with inventor Nikola Tesla and participates in the assassination of mystic Rasputin. It is unveiled that Virginia Dare is actually Grander; Henry and a resurrected Lincoln confront her, resulting in her death but leaving Lincoln fatally injured.

The story concludes with Henry encountering fellow vampire Alexei Romanov, who invites him to join a revitalized Union of Vampires as the last remaining American vampire.

Television adaptation

In October 2018, NBC announced plans to adapt the novel into a television series, involving author Seth Grahame-Smith, David Katzenberg, Terry Matalas, and 20th Century Fox Television. Matalas was slated to write and executive produce alongside Grahame-Smith and Katzenberg. Initially intended for release on Quibi, the project's future remains unclear following Quibi's closure.

See also

• Vampire literature