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Story

Carmilla is a vampire novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, and perhaps one of the greatest in the genre, despite the overwhelming presence of Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula, which was strongly influenced by Carmilla.
Though Carmilla was not the first vampire novel (the considerably older The Vampyre by John William Polidori probably holds that title), it was certainly an influential work.
Carmilla is everything that a vampire story should be: richly atmospheric, eerie, unsettling and deeply frightening to those of a nervous disposition.
It was first published in a collection of short stories, In a Glass Darkly in 1872.
Its setting is a parochial section of Styria province, Austria.
Seemingly by happenstance, the mysterious and beautiful Carmilla comes to stay with the young and virtuous Laura.
Laura, who has been living a lonely existence with her father in an isolated castle, finds herself enchanted with her exotic visitor.
As the two become close friends, however, Laura dreams of nocturnal visitations and begins to lose her physical strength.
Through much investigation, the gruesome truth about Carmilla and her family is revealed.
Though the basic premise of the story, that of evil targeting pure innocence, is familiar to anyone who is vampire savvy, this haunting tale is surprisingly fresh, avoids clichés and builds well to its climax.
Particularly interesting are the sexual overtones that develop between the two women.
As Laura's health wanes throughout the visit, Carmilla's vivacity grows.
Who would guess she's been dead for over 150 years?

Character

Carmilla, the title character, is in reality Countess Mircalla Karnstein, an European noble woman died long time before and vampirized.
She looks like a beautiful young woman, pale, slender and graceful, with long chastain hair and big languid eyes.
She's weak during the daytime and has nocturnal habits, but she's not confined to the darkness.
She has unearthly beauty and fantastic strength; she's able to change her form and to pass through solid walls.
Her animal alter ego is a monstrous black cat and she sleeps in a coffin.
She's the original prototype for a legion of female (and often lesbian) vampires.
Though Le Fanu portrays his vampire's sexuality with the circumspection that one would expect for his time, there can be little doubt that lesbian attraction is the main dynamic between Carmilla and Laura, the narrator of the story.
Carmilla selected exclusively female victims, though only became emotionally involved with a few.