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Dracula's Dog
Mass Market Paperback
170 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 30, 2017
A fun quick vampire novel. It has the lore down perfectly and the vampires and their vampire dogs are like vampires are meant to be – sunlight will kill them. A fast read with lots of thrills and chills. A slightly predictable but fun book.
Worth the effort to source a copy out of a used book shop. Especially for fans of both traditional vampires and fans of Cujo. If you think that dog is scary, wait ‘til you face a vampire dog!
My Rating: 4 stars
Worth the effort to source a copy out of a used book shop. Especially for fans of both traditional vampires and fans of Cujo. If you think that dog is scary, wait ‘til you face a vampire dog!
My Rating: 4 stars
October 30, 2023
Quick and entertaining read. Recommended
November 19, 2025
It is no secret that I love books with killer dogs in them. It's a nice change from the sap that usually plagues books about dogs- so while "Dracula's Dog" doesn't reach the peak that "Cujo" or "Hellhound" was able to achieve I didn't find the book to be egregious. Though I felt the overall experience was underwhelming. So let's get into it:
The story revolves around Michael Drake, the last remaining descendant of Count Dracula. As a child; Michael is relocated to the USA fleeing his birth family's curse only for the Romanian military to accidentally set the vampiric hound, Zoltan and his half vampire Master, Veidt Smit free. Upon their reawakening they discover that they're true Master the Count has been set ablaze along with the rest of the family ( due to Inspector Branco's advice) sending the ghastly duo running to America so they may turn Michael and serve the next Dracula . This starts a race between the vampire hound and the Inspector who must warn Michael before it's too late.
From here on I'll list what I did/ didn't like:
Doberman- I think choosing to have Zoltan as a Doberman Pinscher was a fantastic choice for the portrayal of the modern vampire. The Doberman is all at once a very striking, regal breed, but also has this menacing quality about them, especially when their ears are docked- giving them a devilish appearance. Unfortunately, this was a choice that was most likely made due to the overwhelming hate that dobermans have accumulated in the 1960s with the German shepherd hot on its heels in the 1970s (which is the other breed that is depicted as bloodthirsty beasts in the novel) so while I applaud it for the doberman's resemblance to Dracula- it's a bit of a double edged sword in that regard.
The Epilogue- I loved the ending to this novel! In the middle of the novel one of Samson and Annie's puppies (Michael Drake's GSDs) is turned into a vampire by Zoltan. We have a section of the distraught family looking for the small puppy only to find it dead, later on it reawakens as a fully turned vampire:
"As the moonlight fell upon the animal's face, its eyes were dull and vacant, yet open wide, almost as they had appeared in death. Slowly, it half-stumbled, half-crawled into the undergrowth of the forest." - pg 99
It's such a fantastic and haunting scene that I was able to picture it vividly in my mind and the imagery of it has stayed with me. As the story progressed I kept wondering what had happened to the pup, but thankfully the author didn't disappoint. We catch up with the pup undead and well, living off of small creatures in the forest and taking shelter in a burrow. Letting the reader know, that while Zoltan is dead, much like Count Dracula, his legacy continues.
The Dog attacks:
I enjoyed every scene where the dogs attack. Close to the ending where Michael is fighting off Zoltan and the other vampire dogs including his two German Shepherds this one scene had me glued to the page:
" 'Where have you been?' He yelled angrily.
Samson crouched on the seat directly behind him. Well, at least he had an ally now. But where the hell was Branco? He glanced in his rear-view mirror.
To his horror, there leering at him from behind was not Samson, but what once had been Samson. Like the others,his jaws were crammed with gigantic teeth and two long, curved fangs. The lips were peeled back in a permanent loathsome snarl, and the eyes burned with a sulfuric hostility. With a terrifying roar, the dog sprang forward..." pg 161
The Pacing:
I didn't like the pacing. It felt like we had just started laying down the foundation of the story, to rushing and killing off the vampires so quick and easy- that they felt as if they didn't really pose much of a threat to Michael at all. I wish the story was more fleshed out, because I was enjoying myself at the beginning.
Dracula's Depiction:
In the original novel by Bram Stoker, Dracula's appearance gives off an essence of royalty, but his initial appearance still manages to unnerve. As he drinks blood he starts to return to his youth-which describes him as "handsome" and along with a quick google search, it appears that the vampires being portrayed in the 1960s/70s were handsome, older men in black capes which as I said above goes well with the Doberman. Unfortunately, when I read the description I was a bit disappointed that the Dracula depicted in this novel was more of a "Bela Lugosi" type than a "Nosferatu" type. I wanted him to be intimidating and sinister, but instead he reminded me of Vincent Van Ghoul from "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo".
Characters:
Veidt Smit:
We are introduced to Smit early in the story as he is reawakened after the unfortunate solider brings Zoltan back to life. His importance to the story is minimal- he gets Zoltan to the US and drives him around in a black hearse. The rest of the time he just stands by the hearse on top of a hill overlooking the Drakes' camping spot telepathically ordering Zoltan around. Otherwise he does nothing for the story. He is murdered so easily by Inspector Branco, an aging, professor-looking dude, while Smit is literally half Vampire, but is staked and burned within a very small chapter.
The Drakes:
I did like Michael's character ( even though there was this one scene in the beginning that had him outright flirting with his very attractive neighbor and his wife being totally fine with it had me raising an eyebrow a bit...) he was the only one that seemed to have a brain. His wife, Marla, played the role of the typical husband in horror novels/movies, where she kept making excuses to stay even though her husband got attacked TWICE by rabid vampire dogs and unsurprisingly wanted to leave. I don't believe it is mentioned that the family is religious until Michael's silver crucifix necklace drives off Zoltan during his first attack when the dog is almost successful delivering his deadly bite. It also acts as the final blow to the vampire, driving Zoltan over a cliff impaling him on wood palings by the lakeside. How convenient.
Worst Dog Owners:
The turning of the two German Shepherds, Samson and Annie, and the death of their one puppy was the Drakes' fault. Michael continually leaves the dogs outside even after, Samson disappears on their first night chasing Zoltan away from the camp, the one pup wanders off and is found "dead", Zoltan and Buster (a hunting dog owned by two men also camping by the lake) attack him and his daughter then when Michael suspects feral dogs and possibly rabies- the family STILL keeps the dogs outside. Then he has the audacity to act surprised when Annie and Samson disappear into the night and come back as vampires. They would've turned anyway, because Buster manages to enter the "locked" RV, but the Drakes did nothing to try and prevent it at all!
Overall, a quick fun read if you don't think about it too much.
Just a little side note: I know it's probably because the authors wanted to have a "it's not over" dread moment to the ending but I found it interesting that the vampire pup wasn't tempted by Zoltan's howling- is it because the pup was the only one, besides Zoltan, who's depicted with green glowing eyes?- which let Zoltan control others so does the pup have this power too? I also think it would've been sick if Annie had went looking for her puppy and ended up being turned by the pup instead of Zoltan/Buster doing it.
The story revolves around Michael Drake, the last remaining descendant of Count Dracula. As a child; Michael is relocated to the USA fleeing his birth family's curse only for the Romanian military to accidentally set the vampiric hound, Zoltan and his half vampire Master, Veidt Smit free. Upon their reawakening they discover that they're true Master the Count has been set ablaze along with the rest of the family ( due to Inspector Branco's advice) sending the ghastly duo running to America so they may turn Michael and serve the next Dracula . This starts a race between the vampire hound and the Inspector who must warn Michael before it's too late.
From here on I'll list what I did/ didn't like:
Doberman- I think choosing to have Zoltan as a Doberman Pinscher was a fantastic choice for the portrayal of the modern vampire. The Doberman is all at once a very striking, regal breed, but also has this menacing quality about them, especially when their ears are docked- giving them a devilish appearance. Unfortunately, this was a choice that was most likely made due to the overwhelming hate that dobermans have accumulated in the 1960s with the German shepherd hot on its heels in the 1970s (which is the other breed that is depicted as bloodthirsty beasts in the novel) so while I applaud it for the doberman's resemblance to Dracula- it's a bit of a double edged sword in that regard.
The Epilogue- I loved the ending to this novel! In the middle of the novel one of Samson and Annie's puppies (Michael Drake's GSDs) is turned into a vampire by Zoltan. We have a section of the distraught family looking for the small puppy only to find it dead, later on it reawakens as a fully turned vampire:
"As the moonlight fell upon the animal's face, its eyes were dull and vacant, yet open wide, almost as they had appeared in death. Slowly, it half-stumbled, half-crawled into the undergrowth of the forest." - pg 99
It's such a fantastic and haunting scene that I was able to picture it vividly in my mind and the imagery of it has stayed with me. As the story progressed I kept wondering what had happened to the pup, but thankfully the author didn't disappoint. We catch up with the pup undead and well, living off of small creatures in the forest and taking shelter in a burrow. Letting the reader know, that while Zoltan is dead, much like Count Dracula, his legacy continues.
The Dog attacks:
I enjoyed every scene where the dogs attack. Close to the ending where Michael is fighting off Zoltan and the other vampire dogs including his two German Shepherds this one scene had me glued to the page:
" 'Where have you been?' He yelled angrily.
Samson crouched on the seat directly behind him. Well, at least he had an ally now. But where the hell was Branco? He glanced in his rear-view mirror.
To his horror, there leering at him from behind was not Samson, but what once had been Samson. Like the others,his jaws were crammed with gigantic teeth and two long, curved fangs. The lips were peeled back in a permanent loathsome snarl, and the eyes burned with a sulfuric hostility. With a terrifying roar, the dog sprang forward..." pg 161
The Pacing:
I didn't like the pacing. It felt like we had just started laying down the foundation of the story, to rushing and killing off the vampires so quick and easy- that they felt as if they didn't really pose much of a threat to Michael at all. I wish the story was more fleshed out, because I was enjoying myself at the beginning.
Dracula's Depiction:
In the original novel by Bram Stoker, Dracula's appearance gives off an essence of royalty, but his initial appearance still manages to unnerve. As he drinks blood he starts to return to his youth-which describes him as "handsome" and along with a quick google search, it appears that the vampires being portrayed in the 1960s/70s were handsome, older men in black capes which as I said above goes well with the Doberman. Unfortunately, when I read the description I was a bit disappointed that the Dracula depicted in this novel was more of a "Bela Lugosi" type than a "Nosferatu" type. I wanted him to be intimidating and sinister, but instead he reminded me of Vincent Van Ghoul from "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo".
Characters:
Veidt Smit:
We are introduced to Smit early in the story as he is reawakened after the unfortunate solider brings Zoltan back to life. His importance to the story is minimal- he gets Zoltan to the US and drives him around in a black hearse. The rest of the time he just stands by the hearse on top of a hill overlooking the Drakes' camping spot telepathically ordering Zoltan around. Otherwise he does nothing for the story. He is murdered so easily by Inspector Branco, an aging, professor-looking dude, while Smit is literally half Vampire, but is staked and burned within a very small chapter.
The Drakes:
I did like Michael's character ( even though there was this one scene in the beginning that had him outright flirting with his very attractive neighbor and his wife being totally fine with it had me raising an eyebrow a bit...) he was the only one that seemed to have a brain. His wife, Marla, played the role of the typical husband in horror novels/movies, where she kept making excuses to stay even though her husband got attacked TWICE by rabid vampire dogs and unsurprisingly wanted to leave. I don't believe it is mentioned that the family is religious until Michael's silver crucifix necklace drives off Zoltan during his first attack when the dog is almost successful delivering his deadly bite. It also acts as the final blow to the vampire, driving Zoltan over a cliff impaling him on wood palings by the lakeside. How convenient.
Worst Dog Owners:
The turning of the two German Shepherds, Samson and Annie, and the death of their one puppy was the Drakes' fault. Michael continually leaves the dogs outside even after, Samson disappears on their first night chasing Zoltan away from the camp, the one pup wanders off and is found "dead", Zoltan and Buster (a hunting dog owned by two men also camping by the lake) attack him and his daughter then when Michael suspects feral dogs and possibly rabies- the family STILL keeps the dogs outside. Then he has the audacity to act surprised when Annie and Samson disappear into the night and come back as vampires. They would've turned anyway, because Buster manages to enter the "locked" RV, but the Drakes did nothing to try and prevent it at all!
Overall, a quick fun read if you don't think about it too much.
Just a little side note: I know it's probably because the authors wanted to have a "it's not over" dread moment to the ending but I found it interesting that the vampire pup wasn't tempted by Zoltan's howling- is it because the pup was the only one, besides Zoltan, who's depicted with green glowing eyes?- which let Zoltan control others so does the pup have this power too? I also think it would've been sick if Annie had went looking for her puppy and ended up being turned by the pup instead of Zoltan/Buster doing it.
April 29, 2012
Why am I the only person who's reviewed this corker? Based on the film of the same name (which is a cult classic) this doesn't reach the dizzy heights of dogs attacking a shed but it will raise a few chuckles.
September 10, 2025
Now traditionally I will only write a review on here if the book I've finished has no other reviews, but I felt compelled to come here and say that this book is really fun! It's goofy, it's quick and it works fairly well as a speedy, bare bones Horror story. I liked the character Inspector Branco a bit too, like if Van Helsing was a slightly grandfatherly Hungarian policeman. It's got some really wacky lines throughout too, my favorite of which is " It's ears rose up, Satanic and pointed." Also, I wanted to throw in that uh, maybe if you didn't want your dog to be an evil vampire you shouldn't have named it Zoltan!!! I absolutely recommend reading this if you come across a copy and I'd be willing to argue that it is even more amusing than the movie itself!
October 20, 2023
This is not the Ken Johnson who created V, as Goodreads states. This is in fact an English Ken Johnson.
"Zoltan" is enjoyable hokum, just like the film, and actually explains some of the plot holes that seem to be in the film, except for one: how does the recently resurrected Veidt know how to drive? He's been dead for centuries!
Don't let that put you off though, because this is great fun, and a quick read too.
"Zoltan" is enjoyable hokum, just like the film, and actually explains some of the plot holes that seem to be in the film, except for one: how does the recently resurrected Veidt know how to drive? He's been dead for centuries!
Don't let that put you off though, because this is great fun, and a quick read too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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September 16, 2019Full review: https://supermonsternovels.com/2019/0...
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January 5, 2022Pure crap, but enjoyable. Written by Kenneth Rayner Johnson though, and it was based on somebody else's screenplay.
April 12, 2022
This was a very very silly novel but it's based on a very silly movie, so I knew what I was going in for.
Once I hit a certain point, I flew through this one! Perfect pulp.
Once I hit a certain point, I flew through this one! Perfect pulp.
October 12, 2022
Kenneth Rayner Johnson is the correct author.
September 21, 2021
I’ve never heard the phrase “at length” more than in this book...
It’s a campy, quick read that good for a chuckle. And the cover art is rad.
It’s a campy, quick read that good for a chuckle. And the cover art is rad.
July 18, 2012
Nothing scary as I had expected it.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews