by David Johnson
Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, Dracula, revived the story for the modern world. Considered by many scholars to be the most bloodthirsty full-length book in English literature, it has never gone out of print and remains a bestseller.
Originally titled The Un-Dead, Stoker changed the name to Dracula when the manuscript was already at the printer. Although the book was not a huge success in his lifetime, Stoker was praised for his accurate descriptions of a country he had never seen and for his detailed research on Transylvanian, especially Gypsy, superstition.
Stoker also wrote a play, "Dracula, or The Un-Dead," which opened a few days before the novel appeared.
Sadly, Stoker never lived to see Dracula's phenomenal success. He died in 1912, near poverty. He wrote 18 books, including others about vampires, but none caught on the way Dracula did.
