By Sam Graham
What if Dracula didn’t die? That’s what famed author, journalist and horror chronicler, Kim Newman asked when he wrote this 1992 novel. Actually people have been asking that ever since Bela Lugosi put on the cape for the second time, but this is the first book sequel to Bram Stoker’s original. It’s also interesting to note Stoker’s descendant wrote a separate ‘official sequel’ in 2009, but apparently it's shit. Name can’t carry you everywhere, it seems.
But Newman doesn’t just draw from the weighty tome of the Irish author, oh no. He takes inspiration from just about every piece of gothic fiction from here to China.
The basic premise of Anno Dracula is that Vlad Tepes III was not destroyed in Romania. Instead he fled back to London, shacked up with Queen Vic and is now the Prince Regent. He’s brought vampires the whole world over to his new kingdom and spread the vampire plague throughout the city, from high society choosing immortality, to the wretched guttersnipe having it forced upon them. Prostitutes sell for blood, not money, and internal conflicts arise between different castes of vampire bloodlines.
The story picks up in 1888. The year of Jack the Ripper and several years after the Stoker novel. Dr Jack Seward returns to guide us through his exploits for the first few pages and, if you read this paragraph again and look at the first names mentioned, you’ll soon put two and two together.
Though Seward opens, the main characters this time around are newcomers Charles Beauregard: spy, government lapdog, hardcase, sporting an annoying debutante fiancéé who wants them both to turn, because “only vampires get anywhere”, and Genevieve Dieudonné, a recurring character of Newman's. She’s a vampire older than the Count, but chooses to be lower-key. Turned as a teenager and never aged since, she’s the hot vampire chick of Newman’s dreams. She’s hired by the London Police and teams up with Beauregard to investigate the Ripper murders.
The story catches up with a number of returning characters whilst also omitting a few you’d very much expect to return. Don’t worry though. Every non-returning character gets their due and you find out why. But the bulk of the cast this time around are characters from other works from the time. Dr Jekyll, Mycroft Holmes, Inspector Lastrade, Dr Moreau, Lord Ruthven and even Count Orlock from the 1922 film Nosferatu to name a few, and also real historical figures from the time from royals and parliamentarians to the victims of Saucy Jack and real life Ripper events (such as the Dear Boss letter), making Anno Dracula a cornucopia of Victorian Gothic references (Remember: It’s not stealing if it's public domain).
The Prince of darkness does indeed show himself in this book, but I don’t want to spoil the grand surprise. Throughout the story the tension surrounding Prince Regent Dracula and the Queen builds up and up, and for me to say anything would be a grave injustice.
If you know who Kim Newman is, or indeed what he looks like, you’ll get the sense that he was born to tell this story. This is one of those books I didn’t want to end. I wanted it to go on just so I could stay engrossed in its world and its lore. There are sequels. Many in fact, but they pick up years later. From WW1, to the 1960’s, and so on.
If this book’s a little too long for you, then seek out Newman’s original novella, Red Reign. It’s basically the same story, but not as detailed. It keeps the same basic plot structure, but does away with most of the social aspects.
I know you’ve only read this far, because you’re wondering one thing and yes, there’s some vampiric shagging in it.
Enjoyed this piece? Then 'like' The Crusades of A Critic on Facebook. Sam also has a Tech Noir novel, 'An Inside Joke', which can currently be viewed here; his first novella 'Iron Country' is available to buy here; a horror short story, 'We Must Never Found Out', published here; and finally, another short horror story 'Eagal' available to buy here. Phew.
Comments
Post a Comment