Dracula Reclaims the Throne as King of Vampires
Sequel to Bram Stroker’s Dracula Promises to Live up to the Legend
Oct 14, 2009
Although Dacre Stoker is a first time author, his family has one of the longest literary histories of all time. That is because Dacre is the great grand nephew of Bram Stoker who originally wrote Dracula in 1897.
Dacre Stoker Brings the Famous Vampire Dracula Back to Life
In fact, the sequel is based in part on Bram Stoker’s notes that he hand wrote while in the process of completing the original Dracula manuscript. For example, the title of the sequel pays homage to Bram Stoker, since The Un-Dead was the original title that he had considered for Dracula.
Continuing the Dracula Legend and Dispelling Inaccurate Myths
The idea of a sequel was apparently conceived not by Dacre himself but by Ian Holt, Dacre’s co-author, who is a life-long Dracula and Bram Stoker fan. Although it took some convincing, the result was a collaboration allowing the Stoker family to revive the original legend while allowing Holt to accomplish a dream.
Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt had many goals in writing this sequel but one of them was to dispel the inaccurate legends that have arisen as a result of the many unauthorized Dracula movies and books. This sequel is the first to be endorsed solely by the Stoker family as being true to the style of the original work.
A Summary of the Plot of Dracula the Undead
The storyline picks up nearly 25 years after the original novel stopped. Mina and Jonathon Harker are married and have a son named Quincy who has grown to adult hood. Other recognizable characters include those of Dr. Seward, Arthur Holmwood, and Van Helsing.
Each of these were critical characters in the original Dracula as they sought to hunt down and destroy what they believed to be the most horrific being imaginable. Now we learn that they themselves are the ones being hunted down one by one.
Paying Homage to the Original Dracula Novel
It is not just the Dracula legend that leaps to life on the pages of this sequel, but also the original author Bram Stoker himself. The novel opens just before Stoker’s death, thus he makes an appearance. Other interesting plot twists include the sinking of the Titanic, revealing the identity of Jack the Ripper and the appearance of numerous historical figures of the time.
Uninformed readers may draw the conclusion that this is simply historical fiction thrown in for accuracy. However, a careful reading of the Afterward, written by Elizabeth Miller, and the Author’s Notes in the back of the book, reveal that each of these had particular significance in the life of Bram Stoker himself. As a result, the book serves not only a continuation of the life of the feared vampire Dracula, but also a type of biographical sketch of Bram Stoker as well.
As readers peruse the pages of this blood draining vampire novel it becomes almost like a scavenger hunt to identify names, towns, and other idiosyncrasies that are actually references to Bram Stoker or to the original novel itself. This alone will keep readers up late into the night and provide extensive fodder for book club discussions.
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