Themes of transgression, eroticism, and violence thread through this retrospective collection of short stories and essays. A psychotherapist falls under the spell of her vampire patient in "Unicorn Tapestry" and in "Beauty and the Opera or the Phantom Beast, " an evil maestro finds redemption in his lovely pupil, and additional essays "Art Is Long" and "The Stagestruck Vampire" offer autobiographical reflections on the art of writing. Combining lush prose with a biting wit, this terrifying collection will appeal to fans of fantasy, romance, horror, and character-driven suspense.