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.