The Rebirth Of The Un-Dead: Q&A With Dacre Stoker

How do you think that present-day vampire stories are influenced by Bram Stoker’s vision, and how are they different?
Lestat, the central vampire from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, is a bloodsucker who stays true to Stoker’s vision of a vampire. He is telepathic, has immense strength, can fly, and survive exposure to the sun even though it weakens him. He has a conscience and must wrestle with the idea of killing, something that we see in Bram’s novel.

Many modern vampire stories, such as Lauren K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter, take the form of vampire romance. These sorts of stories prove that the vampire mythos is still very popular, but has changed over time. The modern reader doesn’t want to read about an aristocratic villain who preys on women, instead preferring to paint the vampire as the dangerous object of desire—the sometimes unattainable lover.

This comes into true focus with Edward Cullen in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight. While Edward does display some characteristics of the traditional vampire—such as changes in appearance if he doesn’t feed, superhuman strength, and the capability to seduce young women—he can, however ignore the effects of garlic and crosses, and is not harmed by sunlight; in fact, he sparkles in the sun. I have heard that Stephanie Meyer has admitted she has never read my great-granduncle Bram’s novel, which explains why her breed of vampires is so different. Edward Cullen, more than anything, embraces this notion of the dangerous but magnetic love interest.

Dacre Stoker

Bill Compton from HBO’s TV series True Blood shows an unusual compassion for human life that is definitely a departure from Bram’s character. To me, Bill is the consummate outsider, fish out of water—he becomes involved in relationships simply because he so wants to fit in, despite what he really is.

You said that one theory as to how Bram got his ideas was that he had a nightmare one night after eating a crab dinner. Do you have any opinions on the creative benefits of seafood?
I have had serious heartburn from eating a very rich poached salmon with a creamy sauce. I did not dream of vampires, but I did think I was dying! So maybe there is something to the whole seafood and brain food connection.

Dracula: The Un-Dead was released in September of 2009, and is available from Harper Collins in hardcover and audiobook.

RELATED LINKS:

Irish Things We Love: Dracula, By Bram Stoker, Popshifter January/February 2010 issue

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