Dracula
(Bram Stoker)

Bram Stoker spent seven years researching Eastern European superstitions and vampires before writing Dracula. Many of the stories and ideas (like the powers that Dracula had) came from previous myths.

At the time that Dracula was being written, books about great forces threatening the British Empire were very much in style. Other writers, like Arthur Conan Doyle and HG Wells were also writing invasion stories.

There were also several semi-famous vampire stories out there, with titles like Carmilla, Varney the Vampire, and The Vampyre.

Dracula was originally going to be titled The Un-Dead. In fact, in the original notes, Dracula’s name was really Count Wampyr. But as Stoker continued his research of all things Romanian, he fell in love with the name Dracula (which literally means “the dragon/devil”).

Stoke always planned to make a stage version of the novel, and he wanted Irving to play the role of Dracula. These plans never came to fruition and Dracula wasn’t acted out until it’s film adaptation, Nosferatu, in 1922.

Introduction

From Blade to Twilight to True Blood, the vampire myth has become a central part of modern popular culture. But all too often, we—especially younger fans—may not be aware of the vampire’s roots.

Bram Stoker did not make vampires up. In fact, there’s evidence that these blood-suckers have been around in our superstitions and ghost stories for thousands of years. But Stoker did give us Dracula, a central character to the modern vampire mythos. Stoker also set the standard for the powers vampires usually have today.

Let’s take a closer look at this horror novel. But first, we’ll talk a little about Bram Stoker’s life and other works. Then, before we see a general overview of Dracula’s plot, let’s see some of the historical influences that helped shape Dracula.

About the Author

Bram Stoker was born November 8, 1847. This Irish writer was not known for his novels while he was alive. He was most known as the personal assistant of the actor Henry Irving and business managers of the Lyceum Theatre.

As a young child, Stoker was gravely ill for many years. When it was time for him to start school, he almost miraculously recovered. Later, he would comment that the time he spent indoors because of his illness helped fuel his imagination. And he’d need every ounce of imagination to write Dracula.

All in all, Stoker wrote over a dozen novels, many of which weren’t even horror-like. Some were even romance dramas. He showed skill in writing in many different genre’s although none of his books every became near as famous as Dracula.

Stoker spent his summers in Whitby, a small town on the coast. This is the same town that appears in the novel.