FANTASTIC REALMS

Count Dracula is one of horror’s most iconic characters, appearing in countless incarnations of the undead since Bram Stoker’s classic was published in 1897. Alex Davis looks at updating and adapting The Count in your own fiction

Part of my current work is on the Dracula Returns to Derby project, where we’re conducting research and running an events programme to mark the 100th anniversary of the show’s stage premiere at the Grand Theatre in Derby. As such, the character has been largely on my mind – and part of my involvement has been exploring the many adaptations of the character and the story created by Bram Stoker back in 1897, which has turned up any number of interesting results.

Since the very first movie adaptation in 1921 – the now-lost silent movie Drakula Halála – Dracula has been through more than 1,000 different adaptations, some of which have aimed to stick close to the spirit and plot of the original, and many of which have transported the character to other settings entirely. The fact is that more than 125 years since he first appeared on the page, Dracula is an enduring and popular fictional figure – and if you want to create your own stories featuring Stoker’s creation, then we’ll be offering some tips and advice in this article!

Shifting tones

It goes without saying that 1897 was a rather different time, and what was popular and beloved in fiction then is not necessarily applicable now. While your take on Dracula could try and follow the Gothic sensibilities of the original, trying too closely to ape the style of Stoker might not be something that lands today. Gothic fiction has definitely been through a resurgence of late, but the successful titles have a slightly more modern leaning when compared to Dracula and the many other Gothic classics. You might take the character (or characters), and some of the feel, but avoiding a carbon-copy is a great place to start – after all, as a book it’s a hard act to follow.