by Dacre Stoker
The village of the damned exists today, as it did in Bram’s lifetime, hidden, not far outside Munich.
In 1868, Whitby Abbey boasted a center tower, at the top of which was the room where Bram had his standoff in Dracul. During World War I, the German navy shelled and destroyed this tower, along with much of the abbey.
Although Bram felt the need to protect the identity of Van Helsing, many believe him to be Arminius Vambéry, a friend of both Thornley and Bram’s with a colorful past who was known to frequent the Beefsteak Club attached to the Lyceum Theater. Bram drops a hint in the text of Dracula as to Vambéry’s identity when Van Helsing refers to “his friend Arminius of Buda-Pesth University.”
Seating chart of a dinner at the Beefsteak Club (clockwise): Bartholomew Grunszt (former private secretary to Lajos Kossuth/Governor-President of Hungary), Eddie Wardell (Ellen Terry’s daughter), Tom Stoker (Bram’s brother), Arminius Vambéry, Ellen Terry (famous actress), Mr. McMichael, Harry Loveday (set designer, Lyceum Theater), Teddy Terry, Bram Stoker, Mrs. McMichael, Henry Irving, Florence Stoker (Bram’s wife)
Image © Dacre Stoker
Bram wrote the actual location of Dracula’s castle, indicated by latitude and longitude, in his private journal, reversing the numbers as a form of protective code, and guarded that location for the remainder of his life:
© The Rosenbach Musuem & Library EL3.S874d MS
Through his notes and journals, both published and not, through hints purposely left behind in first editions of his masterpiece, Bram found a way to tell his story. He led us to Dracul.
In March of 2017, Paul Allen, the cofounder of Microsoft, invited us to view the original Dracula: The Un-Dead manuscript, which he purchased at auction some time ago. This rare opportunity allowed us to verify many of our findings. Although we were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements prohibiting us from discussing much of what we saw, we can confirm that the short story “Dracula’s Guest” was most certainly excised from the original novel. We can also confirm that the manuscript in Allen’s possession begins at page 102, crossed out at the top and renumbered as page 1, the first 101 pages missing. Throughout the manuscript, we were able to find passages cut from the final draft, referencing the text from those first 101 pages, the text that would later become this novel.
There were many times when we felt Bram’s eyes peering over our shoulders, reading our words as they filled the page, reading his words brought back from texts long forgotten. We like to think he was smiling, handing us his notes as we went along, telling us where to look next.
Bram Stoker once said, “There are mysteries which men can only guess at, which age by age they may resolve only in part.” Dracul is a first step in understanding the mystery he laid out for us. Perhaps, as other first editions of Dracula are translated worldwide and compared to the original published by Archibald Constable & Company, we will learn the rest.
Did Bram Stoker truly believe that Dracula, this monster that had haunted him since childhood, would come for his immortal soul upon death? We may never know. You have to wonder, though—why did he leave instructions to be cremated immediately upon death at a time in history when it wasn’t commonplace to do so? Perhaps he saw something in the shadows that gave him pause—a reminder, the whisper of a story told to him in his childhood. Or maybe he simply read a long-lost note from his nanny and realized that not all monsters go away with time. In fact, some don’t leave you at all—they wait. They’re a patient lot. And no matter what it takes, you have to keep ahead of them, an inch outside their grasp will do.
Image © Noel Dobbs, Bram Stoker Estate
Dacre Stoker & J. D. Barker
DACRE’S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I first would like to thank the many people who attended my “Stoker on Stoker” presentations over the last ten years and encouraged me to publish the stories I shared with them. This could not have been done without my co-author, J.D. I appreciate his genius in shaping a story; working with him in this free-flowing collaboration has been a genuinely rewarding experience.
The Stoker family records and lore, in many ways the novel’s historical underpinnings, are a credit to my wife’s hard work, eye for detail, and world-spanning network of family genealogy contacts. I owe Jenne more than I am at liberty to divulge. Thanks also to my son, Parker, for his welcome feedback and editing assistance.
After reading an early draft of Dracul, my mother, Gail, reminded me of Charlotte Stoker’s note to Bram on Dracula: “It is splendid, a thousand miles beyond anything you have written before . . . Well done, Dacre.” My mum’s support has always meant the world to me.
A special thanks to Kristin Nelson, my agent, and Mark Tavani, executive editor at Putnam, for helping us to bring Bram and his family to life on these pages.
J.D.’S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
With a book like this, there are always so many people to thank, I invariably always miss one or ten. For that, I apologize in advance.
Kristin Nelson, my wonderful agent and friend. Thank you for finding this book a home. Mark Tavani and all those at Putnam, thank you for welcoming us into that home.
Dacre Stoker and family, thank you for inviting me into your world, for pulling back the curtain on a childhood treasure. Thank you, Bram, for leaving your words behind. The world knew your nightmare; maybe now they know you, too.
Finally, my favorite person, my wife, Dayna. I may have a headful of tales, but our story always tops the heap. Thank you for being you.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dacre Stoker is the great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker and the international bestselling co-author of Dracula: The Un-Dead, the official Stoker family-endorsed sequel to Dracula. He is also the co-editor of The Lost Journal of Bram Stoker: The Dublin Years. He currently lives with his wife, Jenne, in Aiken, South Carolina, where he manages the Bram Stoker Estate.
J.D. Barker is the internationally bestselling author the internationally bestselling author of Forsaken, The Fourth Monkey, and The Fifth to Die. He was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel, and winner of the New Apple Medalist Award. His works have been translated into numerous languages and optioned for both film and television. Barker currently resides in Pennsylvania with his wife, Dayna, and daughter, Ember.
What’s next on
your reading list?
Discover your next
great read!
* * *
Get personalized book picks and up-to-date news about this author.
Sign up now.
