'Vampire$" by John Steakley is novel about rag-tag bunch of American vampire hunters for hire. These guys live for the thrill and horror of killing vampires, and in-between they get drunk and act stupid. The vampires themselves are truly monsterous and powerful. Forget Bela Lugosi.While I found the characterizations of the vampire hunters to be a bit weak and very uninteresting, the portrayal of the vampires and the methods of battling them to be very well-written ... and fascinating. The battle sequences are exciting, violent and unpredictable. So I find myself trudging through the dull narrative about the vampire hunters' lives while anxiously awaiting the next battle sequence.Bottom line: forget about the vampire hunter soap opera and read the book for those terrific vampire-killing sequences. Recommended.