It has been several years since the release of Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter and its subsequent film. The book was a landmark historical fantasy novel that was original and fun. It is in the spirit of steampunk and belongs in the conversation despite lacking steampunk-style technology (airships and automaton). It is a brilliant period piece of alternate history. It contains a wonderful blend of fantasy and history that will give the reader an excellent understanding of the life of Abraham Lincoln.
The reader will learn about Abraham Lincoln’s life. It is historically accurate minus the vampire-slaying. Though it’s cliché to say the book is far superior to the movie because the ending is quite different.
The movie is an extremely simplified version of the book that removes all controversial elements, such as the Civil War being fought because vampires used the South and slavery for easy access to food. This causes the film to be rather forgettable.
A fun part of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is when Edgar Allan Poe makes an appearance. This is very well done as the young Lincoln mistakes him for a vampire.
Abraham Lincoln can be considered American steampunk fun and an original read that unfortunately isn’t well represented by the film.
