The Stress of Her Regard – Tim Powers (1989)
A masterful blend of historical fiction, Gothic horror, and dark fantasy, The Stress of Her Regard reimagines the lives of Romantic poets like Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and John Keats, entwining them with vampiric nephilim—ancient, supernatural beings who form deadly, obsessive bonds with their human muses. The protagonist, Dr. Michael Crawford, finds himself trapped in a terrifying pact with one of these creatures after a seemingly innocent wedding ritual awakens her attention.
Powers weaves meticulous historical detail with eerie mythology, crafting a tale where creativity comes at a horrific price. The novel explores themes of inspiration, addiction, and the destructive allure of the sublime, all set against the backdrop of 19th-century Europe’s mist-shrouded mountains and decaying castles.
If You Liked This, Try:
- The Anubis Gates (Tim Powers, 1983) – Time travel, body-swapping sorcerers, and Egyptian magic in 19th-century London.
- The Golem (Gustav Meyrink, 1915) – A surreal, mythic horror story set in Prague’s occult underworld.
- The Vampyre (John Polidori, 1819) – The first Byronic vampire tale, written by Byron’s own physician.
