Just because a novel is on a national bestseller list—or sells hundreds of thousands of copies—doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good. The reverse is also true, especially of genre fiction, fringy fiction—a lot of the good stuff comes and goes virtually unnoticed.

Dice Angel by Brian Rouff. This 222 page novel follows the story of Jimmy, a cynical Las Vegas bar owner, and his efforts to save his bar. After a robbery and embezzlement by his accountant Jimmy must come up with a lot of money on short notice or lose the bar to the IRS. Discover the best Slot Machines in Best Sellers. Find the top 100 most popular items in Amazon Books Best Sellers.

Take vampire fiction, for example.

Shelbyville - A central Indiana casino admits its staff knew pop singer Justin Timberlake wasn't coming to its grand opening a day before the event but didn't say anything. The Indiana Gaming Commission fined Indiana Live Casino near Shelbyville $40,000 for its promotion of Timberlake's supposed appearance at its March 13 grand opening. Justin timberlake wikipedia.

I’ve been reviewing science fiction, fantasy, and horror for almost 20 years now—and I’ve been reading the stuff obsessively since I was a kid—and during that time, I’ve discovered some jaw-droppingly good vampire novels. And the fascinating thing is that quite a few of my most memorable bloodsucking reads have been either self-published or released by a relatively small press—including more than half of the titles listed below.

With the anniversary of Bram Stoker’s death coming up in a few days (he died April 20, 1912), I thought it would be fitting to shine the light on some of the most under-appreciated vampire novels of all time.

10. Impure: Resurrection by J. R. Bailey (2011)

This little self-published gem is essentially vampire-nuanced adventure fantasy. Darkly lyrical and deeply philosophical, it’s like R. A. Salvatore’s Drizzt Do’Urden saga—with teeth. I loved how Bailey reimagined the vampire mythos in a classic adventure fantasy setting.

9. The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas (1980)

Although the New York Times Book Review called it “among the genre’s few modern classics” and Stephen King described it as “unputdownable,” this landmark work seems to have flown under the radar for many vampire fiction fans. I hadn’t run across it until Tor reissued it back in 2008—and I’m so thankful they did!

8. Fat White Vampire Blues by Andrew Fox (2003)

This and its sequel, Bride of the Fat White Vampire, are simply hilarious reads. Featuring a 500-pound, bloodsucking taxi driver named Jules Duchon, this story—set in New Orleans—is as entertaining as it is audacious. The tagline for Fat White Vampire Blues says it all: “He’s undead, overweight, and can’t get a date.” You will never read anything quite like these novels…

7. Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin (1982)

How can a Locus and World Fantasy Award-nominated novel written by a living legend be under-appreciated? Many people know GRRM only for his Song of Ice and Fire saga but, in my mind, this novel—largely set on the Mississippi River in 1857—is one of his best works ever.

6. Blood Blade by Marcus Pelegrimas (2009)

The first novel in Pelegrimas’s Skinners saga, this novel was marketed as paranormal fantasy and while it certainly is that, it is also an epic reimagining of vampires and various other monstrosities. Vampire fiction fans may never have even heard of this series before but at its heart, Skinners is nothing short of revolutionary vampire-powered horror.

5. Blood Vice by Keith Melton (2009)

I described the first book in Melton’s Nightfall Syndicate thusly: “Imagine Bram Stoker writing a crime fiction epic, or Mario Puzo penning a vampire-powered thriller. Blood Vice is a perfect graft of noir fiction and paranormal fantasy…”

Best Casino Novels

4. Queen of Kings by Maria Dahvana Headley (2011)

This remarkable debut novel from Headley—which revisits Cleopatra’s life (and death) as the Roman Empire was conquering Egypt—is simultaneously a beautiful, glorious, and tragic love story; a unique work of literary fiction that fuses historical events with Egyptian and Greek mythology; and a dark fantasy that cleverly reimagines the vampire mythos.

3. The Golden by Lucius Shepard (1993)

Again, like Fevre Dream, how can an award-winning novel (The Golden won the 1994 Locus Award for Best Horror Novel) written by a genre fiction icon be under-appreciated? For whatever reason, this vampiric masterpiece seems to be a novel that many vampire fiction lovers have overlooked. I described this one as “a dark, poetic phantasmagoria of nightmarish images, brutal violence, and unholy sensuality not to be missed.”

2. The Shake by Mel Nicolai (2010)

This brilliantly understated novel—self-published by Nicolai in 2010—is a blend of vampire fiction, noir mystery, and deep existential speculation. Revolving around a centuries-old vampire living in Central California who becomes entangled in a mystery involving one of his victims, this novel will resonate with readers long after the reading experience is finished.

1. Enter, Night by Michael Rowe (2011)

I described Rowe’s debut novel as “a dark masterpiece that virtually burns the pages with a bloody incandescence.” Set in 1972, the story begins in the guise of a relatively conventional fiction narrative following three broken—and broke—characters on a trek from Toronto to Parr’s Landing, a little mining town in “the middle of nowhere” on the shores of Lake Superior in northern Ontario. This will be one of the best vampire novels you ever read.

Have you read any of the novels on this list?

Introduction

Here are my personal reviews of a whole host of gambling books. I hope they motivate you to learn more about how to prepare yourself to face the casinos. If you do wish to buy any of these books just click the link and you’ll go straight to the Amazon order page.

Books I recommend are indicated with a star. I am including links even to the books I don’t like, just to be consistent and fair, not to encourage you to buy them.

Book Categories: Gambling in General | Blackjack | Other Games | Fiction

Fictional Books about Gambling

Becoming Bobby by Michael Konik

Becoming Bobby is the story of a middle-aged man, bored with his job and wife. So one day he leaves both behind, assumes the identity his charismatic and successful alter-ago Bobby, and heads to an unspecified gambling city in the Desert. His new life is anything but boring. More important than the plot, Michael Konik has a way with words that makes every page a thrill to read and the book hard to put down. Not many authors are outstanding writers in both fiction and non-fiction, but with this, his first fiction book, Konik proves he can write well about anything. Just to be warned, this book has strong language and adult themes. You may also listen to my interview of Michael Konik about the book.

God Doesn’t Shoot Craps by Richard Armstrong

Normally it takes me months to finish a novel but I this page turner only took me three days. The story begins as a con man puts out a mass mailing for a worthless betting system based on Parrando’s Paradox, which I address myself in the December 13, 2005 Ask the Wizard column. To prepare for the inevitable questions by disgruntled buyers he gives it a test run in Atlantic City, and it appears to actually work! From there he cancels the mailing and attempts to milk it for all it is worth. I found the book a very enjoyable read and mathematically honest.

The Counter by Kevin Blackwood

Best Casino Fiction Novels

The story follows the character of Raven as he falls from his Baptist faith and deep into the life as a professional gambler. He starts out as a card counter but once he wears out is welcome in Las Vegas he takes up with some dubious characters in other more dangerous and illegal gambling schemes. The author is a former card counter and his depiction of the technical elements of coun