Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."

"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House

The above paragraphs are from the Amazon best selling book "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," by Seth Grahame-Smith. Grahame-Smith is the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," and "Unholy Night." In addition to adapting the screenplay for "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," Seth also wrote Tim Burton's film "Dark Shadows." 

The gory movie came in at number three at the box office but I just wasn't sure about the movie.  I was put off initially that someone would write about President Lincoln in this manner, but the author was well informed with historical accuracies and the book was actually quite good.

I doubt that Lincoln was a Vampire but did you know that Lincoln was obsessed with the supernatural?

When Abraham Lincoln became president in 1861, he had already lost one son, Edward to tuberculosis in 1850. Lincoln's love of his remaining two sons helped him cope with being president and dealing with with his own bouts of depression. On February 20, 1862, another other child Willie, age 11, died of typhoid fever in the White House.

Lincoln found it difficult to cope with his son's death and his grief transformed into a personal resolution to preserve the Union and halt the loss of life of the soldiers and their loved ones.

After the death of their son Willie in 1862 Mary Todd Lincoln was sent over the emotional edge and running with scissors. Mary did not attend her son's funeral and could no longer care for their remaining son, Tad. Mrs. Lincoln became obsessed with communicating with her dead sons and sought out spiritualists, and on at least a half a dozen occasions the séances were held in the White House and attended by President Lincoln in the Red Room.

Lincoln's wife Mary probably became initially interested in spiritualism sometime in the 1840s, when it became a fad in the Midwest. Mediums were known to appear in Illinois, gathering an audience and claimed to speak to the dead relatives of those present, like modern day John Edwards. By 1861 when Lincoln arrived in Washington spiritualism was the rage among prominent members of the government. Mary Todd Lincoln was a regular at these seance house-parties and the President was in attendance at a séance held by the trance medium Mrs. Cranston Laurie.

Mrs. Lincoln also saw ghosts of former Presidents in the White House halls but her great interest was created by her desire to see her late son.

President Lincoln was known to be superstitious, and joined prominent figures such as Queen Victoria,and other European heads of state seeking advice from mediums. Jane Pierce, wife of President Franklin Pierce also consulted mediums after the death of their son.

Lincoln was most definitely not a Vampire but I do believe Vampires are a real thing in this day and age if you look at Wall Street, big banks and business, and credit cards. Too bad Abe was not alive today so he could team up with Buffy the Vampire Slayer as his witchy woman to deal with these pariahs.

What would Abraham Lincoln think of this new movie with his namesake splattered all over it? I am sure he would think that Hollywood is desperate and out of fresh ideas, but one thing is for sure. Due to a fatal past experience the President would not be into anything that required him going into theatres.

Now available on Amazon US and Amazon Canada. Canadians please contact me for books to get cheaper shipping.

Or buy the Kindle version now available on the US site.

Linda Blogs about this and that daily on:

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