Stainless: A Modern Romance

Resurrecting a horrifying and romantic narrative that broke fresh ground for its genre, this newly rereleased novel sets a vampire story in contemporary Los Angeles—the pleasure dome of late 1990s sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll culture. Unlike the vampires that came before her, Justine does not shun crosses, she watches horror movies on television, and she sets upon her prey in an almost apologetic way, never killing her victims but leaving them unconscious instead. She soon finds herself entwined in a very human sexual relationship with Keith, a down-on-his-luck rock guitarist whose hands have recently been mangled by a gang of drug dealers. Justine nurtures Keith out of his depression and drug addiction as he in turn becomes her lover and accomplice in her nocturnal predations. The relationship between the undead and the living is realistically and tragically portrayed as Keith acts both as Justine's enabler and unwitting nemesis and, in this classic role reversal, ends up having to destroy the one he loves in order to save her.