<p>Having betrayed a close ally and caused the death of his young son, Sir Francis Varney is condemned to an eternity of suffering as a bloodthirsty vampire. Centuries later, he haunts the vulnerable Bannerworths, a once-noble family fallen on hard times. <i>Varney the Vampire</i> is an influential penny dreadful novel by James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Prest.</p>