Francis Marion Crawford (1854 – 1909) was an American writer noted for his many novels, especially those set in Italy, and for his classic weird and fantastic stories. Although Francis Marion Crawford is principally remembered as a master of fantastical literature, that portion of his vast output is quite small, limited to a handful of horror and ghost stories, such as his well-known short works “The Upper Birth”, “Man Overboard!” and the above mentioned “For the Blood is the Life.” His writings that depict Italian life and culture, however, are much more numerous. “For the Blood is the Life”, this story tells the classic gothic horror account of a young man in the thrall of a vampire, and…yes, there WILL be blood. Among the most significant works Francis Marion Crawford: Man Overboard!, The Doll's Ghost, The Upper Berth, For the Blood Is the Life, The Screaming Skull, Ave Roma Immortalis, Khaled, A Tale of Arabia, Corleone: A Tale of Sicily, Fair Margaret: A Portrait, Mr. Isaacs, A Tale of Modern India, In the Palace of the King: A Love Story of Old Madrid, Marietta: A Maid of Venice, Casa Braccio, Ave Roma Immortalis, The Little City of Hope: A Christmas Story, Cecilia: A Story of Modern Rome, Paul Patoff, The Diva's Ruby, Arethusa and many more.