Bram Stoker — #100FavouriteAuthors
Creator of Dracula
Apart from Dracula, he was known for 2 other things.
He was the assistant to Victorian-era theatre actor, Sir Henry Irving, and he was business manager at the Lyceum Theatre, which Sir Henry owned.
What you probably don’t know, is that Sir Henry Irving was Bram Stoker’s original inspiration for Dracula. His mannerisms, style of dialogue delivery and overall physical appearance matched what Stoker had in his head for Dracula. He wanted Sir Irving to play Dracula in a play, but he refused.
Sir Henry Irving does look a little like Sir Christopher Lee though, so I guess Stoker’s wish did come true after all.
Dracula is one of the greatest vampires, if not the greatest.
Most modern-day vampires are based out of his legacy (apart from the awful Twilight series — it did more harm to his legacy than good). What Stoker achieved with Dracula cannot be summed up in a mere tribute. He has written other stories, of course, but not a single one was remembered. Dracula wasn’t your average, run-of-the-mill, growling, unfeeling monster. He was an erudite vampire who seduced people to their doom. And if some versions are to be believed, he even had a soft corner (in his heart?) for Mina Harker, the woman he condemned to vampirism.
I’d like to thank Bram Stoker for giving us a monster we can relate to — probably a monster that lives inside all of us, just waiting to be unleashed.
Archives
Neil Gaiman | Agatha Christie | Jeffrey Archer | Sidney Sheldon | Enid Blyton | Ruskin Bond | Roald Dahl | Stieg Larsson | RK Narayan | Mario Puzo | J.R.R. Tolkien | Isaac Asimov | Alan Moore | Bram Stoker
