Robert Eighteen-Bisang

This is a tribute to a very special man who loved life.  His main passion was writing, research and collecting books for his famous collection.

In his spare time, he enjoyed playing backgammon, chess and pool with his friends.

Survived by his wife (his beloved “Mina”), his family in Ontario, Switzerland and Vancouver Island, as well as many friends scattered all over the world.

Rob, we miss your lively spirit.

May you know that absence is full of tender presence and that nothing is ever lost or forgotten.

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Robert Eighteen-Bisang (1947-2020), Canadian author and scholar, recognized as one of the world's foremost authorities on vampire literature and mythology, passed away in Vancouver on September 29, survived by his wife Matilda and his family in Ontario.

Robert grew up in Brantford as the son of a professional poker player. In University he was a four-time backgammon champion, and he was a well-known pool player, two passions that he continued to enjoy throughout his life. After working as a comedy writer for CBC and then a career in marketing, he gained an interest in vampire literature and the mythology of vampires.

More than a quarter of a century ago Robert began to amass the largest collection of vampire literature in the world, which included over 2,500 books, 2,000 comic books, 1,000 magazines, and over 100 films. Working with the likes of rare-book dealers Lloyd W. Currey (New York) and George Locke (London), Robert discovered hundreds of rare vampire books before other collectors even became aware of their existence. Over the years, he purchased the core of the vampire collections assembled by Marlene Woods (Longview, Texas) and Forrest J. Ackerman (Hollywood). His foremost interest was the vampire myth as it appears in literature and popular culture, and in bibliographic research.

Bram Stoker’s Notes for Dracula (2008), which Robert co-edited with Elizabeth Miller, received glowing reviews and has been accepted as a seminal academic text for the study of Dracula and vampires. He founded Transylvania Press, Inc., the first company to reprint Bram Stoker’s abridged edition of Dracula.

Robert enjoyed sharing his knowledge with numerous scholars and collectors, and he wrote many articles and was advisor and/or co-editor for dozens of books—including several encyclopedias and four annotated editions of Dracula.

His most recent work, a new annotated edition of Dracula expected to be published in 2021, is the first edition to be authorized by the Bram Stoker Estate.

He was a member of the American chapter of the Transylvanian Society of Dracula and the Canadian Academy of Independent Scholars as well as a long-standing member of the Horror Writers Association.

Please consider a contribution to Chrysalis Society in lieu of flowers.

Chrysalis Paypal link: www.paypal.com/ca/fundraiser/charity/3424401

Chrysalis Canada helps link: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/52214

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