Fevre Dream

Fevre Dream is a vampire novel written by George R.R. Martin and published in 1982. It is set on the antebellum Mississippi River beginning in the 1850s, and has been described by some as "Bram Stoker meets Mark Twain."

Abner Marsh, a steamboat captain, had suffered a financial downfall when he was approached by Joshua York, a rich gentleman. They become business partners, Joshua winning Abner over by promising Abner a magnificent steamboat.

This steamboat is named the Fevre Dream, after Abner's flailing company, Fevre River Packets. Joshua and Abner both co-captain the ship. However, many questions are raised by the crew and passengers about Joshua York and his friends, who hardly ever venture out of their cabins during daylight hours.

Abner suspiscions about his mysterious partner are amplified when he finds in Joshua's cabin books of newspaper clippings detailing mysterious deaths. He confronts Joshua, who tells Abner that he and his friends are vampire hunters. They are using Fevre Dream as their base of operations to investigate the trail of mysterious deaths.

After a slew of events, Abner's suspiscions are raised again. Joshua tells Abner the truth: that he and his friends are vampires. Joshua has found a concoction which controls the blood fever of vampires, and is redeeming other vampires off their need for living blood. Some vampires consider him the White King, bloodmaster to all vampires.

Damon Julian, another bloodmaster, hears wind of Joshua's efforts. He decides to board the Fevre Dream with his troupe of vampires, and overpowers Joshua. As bloodmaster of the vampires on the ship, he forces Abner out and uses the Fevre Dream to his own purposes.

Abner's attempts to reclaim the Fevre Dream were in vain, and after finishing his wealth in search of the missing Fevre Dream, he finally gives up and settles down in his hometown.

After receiving a letter from Joshua, the now-elderly Abner returns to help Joshua finish off Julian. Joshua and Julian square off, and finally Joshua overpowers Julian and becomes bloodmaster.