Bram Stoker did not write the first vampire novel in English, only the most .
Bram Stoker was born just outside of Dublin, Ireland in November of 1847. An .
unknown illness kept Stoker bed ridden until he was near the age of seven. He remained .
somewhat sickly in adolescence and spent much of his time reading. He seemed to make .
up for it though when he attended Trinity College, where he was named "University .
Athlete."" Also, while at Trinity, Stoker developed a taste for theatre. Although he always .
knew he wanted to be a writer Stoker followed his father's career as a civil servant. .
During eight years as a civil servant he began to write. In 1878, Stoker became the .
manager for the up and coming actor, Henry Irving. Also, in 1878 he married Florence .
Balcombe whom gave birth to his only child, a son, named Noel. Balcombe and .
Stoker are said to have became estranged though they kept up appearances until Stoker's .
death in 1912. Bram Stoker still found time to write and he began his work on Dracula in .
1890. It was published in 1897 (Farson, 20-94). .
Dracula and vampires are now part of folk culture and mythology. We all know their lifestyles. Vampires sleep during the day and go out at night. They tend to drink the blood of mortals. Their need to lie within Transylvanian earth, the fate of their victims. The protection offered to us by holy water, silver crosses and garlic. Vampires display no .
reflection in a mirror and cast no shadow. They are killed by a wooden stake driven .
through the heart. All ingrained in our brains.
Stoker's work was influenced by history and other works. Though Count Dracula is a fictional character, Stoker based his most famous character an infamous 15 century .
family. The best-known member of this family was Vlad the Impaler. Vlad was a .
Brilliant and notoriously savage general who impaled his enemies on long spikes. The .
Prince also had a reputation for murdering beggars, forcing women to eat their children .