The Empire of Fear by Brian Stableford
"The Empire of Fear" is a speculative fiction novel by Brian Stableford that envisions a world dominated by vampires, where humans are subjugated to servitude. The narrative unfolds through the journey of Noell Cordery, a scientist seeking to uncover the secrets of vampirism in order to empower humanity against their vampire overlords. The story begins in 1623 with Noell's father, Edmund Cordery, who invents the microscope and ultimately sacrifices himself in a desperate bid to weaken the vampires' grip on power.
As the plot progresses to 1643, Noell, alongside his companions, embarks on a perilous journey to Adamawara, where they discover that vampirism can be understood scientifically rather than as a supernatural phenomenon. This revelation leads to significant transformations in power dynamics, culminating in a battle involving key figures like Prince Richard and Vlad Dragulya.
By 1983, the legacy of Noell Cordery reveals a stark new reality where most humans have been transformed into vampires, leaving only a few, like Michael Southerne, who are immune due to a rare genetic condition. The novel explores themes of power, sacrifice, and the quest for knowledge in a richly developed alternate history.
On this Page
Subject Terms
The Empire of Fear
First published: 1988
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy—alternate history
Time of work: 1623-1660, with a conclusion in 1983
Locale: England, France, Africa, and Nova Scotia
The Plot
Brian Stableford’s The Empire of Fear tells the story of an alternate reality in which vampires control most of the world, relegating humans to lives of servitude. The plot revolves around the efforts of scientist Noell Cordery and his allies to discover the secrets of vampirism and obtain them for humanity. Noell and his comrades succeed in their mission, which radically alters the balance of power in the world. Stableford does not reveal the extent of those alterations until the novels final section.
The story begins in 1623, with an account of the last days of Edmund Cordery. He is Noell’s father and works as a scientist for Richard the Lionheart, the vampire ruler of England. In his quest to find the secrets of vampirism, Edmund invents the microscope, which allows him to examine blood closely. He knows that his efforts to help humanity fight the vampires will result in his death. In an effort to weaken their power, Edmund infects himself with a virus from Africa that he hopes will kill his vampire lover, Lady Carmilla Bourdillon. His gambit succeeds, and before he dies he ensures that his wife and son are helped to safety in France.
The story continues in France two years later. Noell has sought refuge at Cardigan Abbey, a Benedictine monastery sympathetic to the human cause. He lives there quietly with his fellow scholar, Quintus, until the arrival of Langoisse, a pirate and former ally of Prince Richard, with his crew of buccaneers. Langoisse’s presence disrupts life for Noell, forcing the young man to reconsider his inactivity in the fight against the vampires. During their stay, Noell begins a relationship with Leilah, a gypsy and Langoisse’s mistress, that will continue for the rest of his life. After the pirates attack a group of Dominican monks, who are allied with the vampires, Noell, Quintus, and the pirates flee France and travel to Africas north coast.
In 1643, after several years of research, Noell, Quintus, Langoisse, Leilah, a young African boy named Ntikima, and several others travel to Adamawara, the birthplace of vampirism. The long, difficult journey eventually bears fruit when Noell and his allies discover the secret of vampirism. Noell discovers that vampirism can be explained scientifically rather than having origins in mysterious supernatural forces. He develops a process that allows his allies to become vampires but discovers that the formula does not work on him.
After Noell, Quintus, Langoisse, and Leilah escape Adamawara with the help of Ntikima, they travel to Malta, where they ally themselves with a group of vampires who are the enemies of Prince Richard and Vlad Dragulya, the Prince of Wallachia. By the year 1660, Richard has been forced to flee England, but he joins Dragulya in a campaign to crush Noell and his allies on the orders of their overlords, Charlemagne and Attila the Hun. In the ensuing battle, Prince Richard is slain by Langoisse, who is then killed. Quintus and Noell also die at the hands of the vampires. Despite his apparent victory, Dragulya is also doomed when Noell poisons him.
In the novels last section, set in 1983, Noell Cordery’s legacy becomes apparent. Most humans have become vampires except for a few who have Cordery’s disease, a rare genetic illness that prevents them from making the transformation from human to vampire. The novel ends as Michael Southerne, a young man afflicted by this disease, meets Leilah and becomes her lover.