I’m not even gonna pretend that I have to inform any of you who Stoker was, or what he’s famous for. Instead I will confess that I have, I’m sad to admit, sometimes relegated the man to a less prominent position than he rightfully deserves in my personal estimations. How can that be, you might rightfully ask, considering what a HUGE Dracula mark I am? It’s like this: Stoker the writer is eclipsed in my mind by his most famous character. Dracula has grown so much larger than the fictional work from which he originated. The book cannot contain him. He is the most recognized (semi)fictitious character in the world, and the character portrayed more often than any other in movies. Throw in the fact that Dracula was also a real person (granted, there’s rather a wide disparity betwixt the fictitious Count and the guy who served, to some extent, as the foundation for his creation, Vlad Dracula III of Wallachia) and the problem is only compounded. Thus it is that the creation has overshadowed his creator.
Still, it all started with Stoker. And the man was a gifted storyteller, aside from his legendary novel. His other work should be read and enjoyed, and he should be given due credit for his indelible mark on the world and afforded proper standing amidst the literary giants in their pantheon. Stoker died on the 20th of April, 104 years ago. Let us raise a glass to his shade, brothers and sisters! Even if some of us never drink…wine. Stoker’s legacy, like his greatest creation, will live forever.
