Thank you for taking the time to look at a cult classic from a fresh perspective. Stoker didn’t invent Dracula. There are at least two stories that predate Stoker’s.

But much early literature was that way, Shakespeare took stories that had been told for decades if not centuries, and used historical settings to highlight human dynamics. But he didn’t come up with the original story, he just made it much much better.

Same with Stoker. If I’m not mistaken, this is considered Gothic literature. Some of the elements of Gothic include some kind of monster or " other,” an unusually bizarre, dark landscape, and some kind of maze or crypt along with a spooky edifice, sometimes an abbey or a castle. Think “Masque of the Red Death” by Poe. There had to be a weak woman to rescue and a hero willing to try.

There are other elements, including veiled and/or uncertain sexuality. Remember, there was a point in time when people were put to death for what they wrote.

Shakespeare’s plays and his theater were frequently shut down because of repressive power structures, but was ultimately saved by Elizabeth, who had an unladylike love for the theater.

I enjoyed your article tremendously. I’ve had difficulty with most of the modern iterations of the vampire mythology, it’s like they’ve skimmed the top off of the story and have it propped up by 2x4s. There’s no depth, there’s the elements necessary to satisfy the Hollywood market. Or in the case of literature, book publishers. Which is another topic altogether.