“Victims” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (1995)
Reprinted in Women of the Night (2007)
Edited by Martin H. Greenberg
Fantasy/Horror Short Story, 16 pages
Fall River Press (an imprint of Sterling Publishing)

FTC Disclosure: Purchased

Synopsis of the anthology:

The story of the vampire is one that has been told and retold throughout the centuries; often undergoing radical changes along the way, until what once was a terrible, bestial creature of darkness has been transformed into a sensual,passionate creature that is often misunderstood by the world at large. Most often the realm of male authors writing about male vampires, over the last century the genre has seen a refreshing swing toward authors of both sexes exploring the other side of the vampiric gender—the women of the night.

The sixteen stories collected within these pages are among the very best of their kind, from many of the best fantasy and horror authors writing today. From an encounter with a predatory spouse in a New England storm to a continuation of the Dracula story featuring a completely different tale of love, longing and loss, these stories explore both what it is to be female, human—and vampire, and often all at the same time.

About the story:

“Kristine Kathryn Rusch weaves a tale of politics and the undead in a world where vampires walk freely among the living.” – Introduction by John Helfers

Not much provided there from the introduction regarding this story, which is too bad. But then again, what would the incentive be to read it if too much information was given about it?

The title implies this story is about victims. Even the protagonist Reese Catton believes this when first meeting Veronique de la Mer. He cannot seem to comprehend the actions being taken by a woman that will make her look like a victim: especially when he knows that she will most likely not receive any sympathy due to her vocation and the fact she is a vampire in a world where even though they have gone mainstream, there are still many preconceptions and prejudices regarding them. As Veronique notes:

…I am tired of being hidden. My people have been out of the closet, to use your quaint phrase, for five years now, and we are still fighting myths and prejudices. We live long lives, and have experiences that encompass entire generations. We understand policy and its ramifications better than you do.

By the end of the story, she proves this to be true.

…you’re one of the lucky few who’ve never been victimized…victims are victims when they remain quiet. They gain power when they speak out.

Reese begins to understand and by the end of the story, realizes not only his error in judgment, but also why and how it can change. The thing is, can he be part of changing others perceptions as well?

I hate giving out spoilers, and in reading over this review, I may have told you more about the story than I had intended. It would be my option to edit this so it doesn’t. However, this is a well written story with depth and one I would highly recommend as even though this is technically about vampires, its theme is contemporary and engaging and could be about any minority in our society seeking to be heard and recognized.

I really enjoyed this and can’t find fault in its structure, tone, characterizations, or plot.

This was the first story I read in this collection which includes works by Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Philp K. Dick, and many other great writers. I have a feeling this anthology may end up being one of my favorites – and this coming from someone who doesn’t read much science fiction, fantasy, or horror.