The Gilda Stories is the 1991 debut novel of American author and activist Jewelle Gomez. [1] It is a speculative fiction vampire novel following the experiences of a Black lesbian through multiple time periods.

Gilda rescues a woman named Ermis from suicide, and the two begin a harrowing but hopeful journey to South America, where Gilda’s vampire family is safely hiding in the ruins of Machu Picchu, continuing to believe in life.

Jun 8, 2017 · Aurelia: Gilda’s first close friend after departing from Sorel and Anthony, and someone she ends up disclosing her secret of being a vampire to. She is an ambitious activist for her time and desires bringing education to all, yet seems to have feelings for Gilda and is heartbroken when she leaves.

Mar 29, 2016 · Before Buffy, before Twilight, before Octavia Butler’s Fledgling, there was The Gilda Stories, Jewelle Gomez’s sexy vampire novel. This remarkable novel begins in 1850s Louisiana, where Gilda escapes slavery and learns about freedom while working in a brothel.

Jewelle Gomez’s The Gilda Stories is a stunning reimagining of the vampire myth, told through the lens of Black feminist and LGBTQ+ identity. The novel follows Gilda, a runaway enslaved girl in 1850s Louisiana, who is taken in by a vampire family and granted immortality.

Jan 1, 2022 · An instant lesbian classic when it was first published in 1991, The Gilda Stories has endured as an auspiciously prescient book in its explorations of blackness, radical ecology, re-definitions of family, and yes, the erotic potential of the vampire story.

The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez is a compelling novel that follows the life of a black lesbian vampire. Spanning several centuries, it explores themes of identity, love, and belonging, offering a unique and thought-provoking take on the vampire genre.

The elder Gilda found her and transformed her into a vampire, after which Bird worked in the brothel and became the elder Gilda’s lover. Though Bird is not the oldest vampire we meet, there is something ancient about her.

Gilda and her compatriots, most but not all of whom have African roots, begin their lives with little power in society due to racial and cultural oppression, and when they become vampires, they can outpace that society and thrive.