The Ultimate Dracula: New Stories by Some of the World's Leading Authors

by Byron Preiss (editor)

En El mito de Drácula , algunos de los autores más conocidos del género fantástico y de misterio exploran la leyenda del clásico y seductor monstruo creado por Bram Stoker. Desde el extraordinario relato de Dan Simmons, que retrata la vida y la tortura en la moderna Rumanía, hasta la escalofriante narración de W. R. Philbrick sobre el encuentro entre un médico y un vampiro necesitado de curación, pasando por la terrorífica historia de Anne Rice, experta en vampiros por antonomasia, todos son nuevos y espectaculares relatos que recrean el personaje en diferentes situaciones y épocas.

Genres: Horror, Vampires, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Fantasy, Science Fiction

372 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Byron Preiss was the president of Byron Preiss Visual Publications and Ibooks, and was recognized as a pioneer in digital publishing. He was among the first publishers to release CD-ROM's and electronic books.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Preiss graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1972 and earned a master's degree in communications from Stanford University. He produced The Words of Gandhi, an audio book that won a Grammy Award in 1985. He was also the co-author of Dragonworld, a novel he co-wrote with J. Michael Reaves that was published by Bantam Books in 1979.

A proponent of illustrated books, as well as comics and graphic novels, Preiss also published works by celebrity authors including Jane Goodall, Billy Crystal, Jerry Seinfeld, LeAnn Rimes and Jay Leno.

Reviews

[Elentarri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection of 19 stories celebrates the 60th anniversary of the 1931 original motion picture Dracula, featuring Bela Lugosi. I found this to be a mixed bag. The writing was pretty decent, but these modern, new-age vampires don't really appeal to me. I prefer my vampires to be old-fashioned, hellspawn loitering around ancient, gothic castles.

List of short stories in this anthology:
The Master of Rampling Gate by Anne Rice
All Dracula's Children by Dan Simmons
A Matter of Style by Ron Dee
Selection Process by Ed Gorman
The Vampire in His Closet by Heather Graham
The Tenth Scholar by Steve Rasnic Tem and Malanie Tem
Nobody's Perfect by Philip Jose Farmer
Dracula 1944 by Edward D. Hoch
The Contagion by Janet Asimov
Sugar and Spice and ... by Karen Robards
Vampire Dreams by Dick Lochte
Much at Stake by Kevin J. Anderson
The Name of Fear by Lawrence Watt-Evans
The Dark Rising by W.R. Philbrick
Los Ninos De La Noche by Tim Sullivan
A Little Night Music by Mike Resnick
Mr. Lucrada by John Lutz
In the Cusp of the Hour by John Gregory Betancourt
Children of the Night by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Excusa menor y resultados casi acordes.-

Género. Relatos.

Lo que nos cuenta. Con introducción de Leonard Wolf y cierre del mismo mediante un acercamiento a filmografía relativa al asunto, 19 relatos (escritos todos para la presente recopilación salvo el primero, escrito por Rice en 1985) que, con la excusa del 60 aniversario de la película de Todd Browning “Drácula”, presentan diferentes (y muy irregulares) aproximaciones al concepto del vampiro, desde su adaptación a la vida contemporánea o a su nueva condición hasta entrar en un peculiar alumnado, pasando por situaciones vampíricas domésticas o sectarias, actores que han interpretado el papel o el mito de Vlad Tepes en relación a Drácula, por citar únicamente algunos ejemplos.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[EmBe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Der Titel ist irreführend, denn in den wenigsten Geschichten geht es um diesen besonderen Vampir. Allenfalls geht es um diesen besonderen Typ Vampir. Aslo eine Anthologie moderner Vampir-Geschichten, die wohl für diese Anthologie speziell geschrieben wurden. Die Reihe der Autoren und Autorinnen ist illuster: Philip José Farmer, Mike Resnick, Kristine Kathyn Rusch. Da sind alle Genres vertreten. Anne Rice als Vampir-„Expertin“ darf da nicht fehlen.
Es gibt ein umfangreiches Vorwort von einem Experten und eine Auswahl-Filmogrphie zu Dracula, was den Erkenntniswert des Buches erhöht.
Keine der Erzählungen ist mir in besonderer Erinnerung geblieben. Keine Erzählung ragte heraus. Das ist das Problem von dieser Art Anthologien, hier wurde keine Auswahl getroffen. Das „Beste“ zu Dracula ist es also auch nicht.
Die drei Punkte sind aufgerundet.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was an above average collection of Dracula stories. (A few of the stories seemed more like vampire stories than Dracula specifically, but most did feature Dracula in some way.)

Nothing really jumped out at me as great, but nothing was terrible either. I'm going to continue with the "Ultimate" series from Byron Preiss.

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed bag of Dracula (rather than “vampire”) short stories of varying degrees of quality (the lead story by Anne Rice seems very amateurish compared to her other works – since it was published in 1985, well after “Interview”, I suspect that she either tossed it off quickly for the money or else that it was an earlier story that didn’t get published until she became famous). Some (like The Vampire in his Closet and A Matter of Style) are light hearted, while others are extremely grim (Dracula 1944 set in the Belsen Concentration camp and Dan Simmons’ All Dracula’s Children, which links the Dracula legend with the fall of the Ceausecu regime in Romania and the AIDS epidemic, for example). The Ultimate Dracula also includes some science fiction (including the mandatory – for early 90s – Mike Resnick). I'd actually give this one a 3.5.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tres relatos espectaculares, un espantoso e o resto decentes

[Javier Prunell Acosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una recopilación brillante, imprescindible para los amantes de lo gótico y el terror así como del amor y la oscuridad.

[Aliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

A niche collection of essays and short stories, but ultimately a product of its time. A richer anthology would include more female writers, and any number of non-white authors.

[Georges · Rating 1 out of 5]

Très mauvais. Des nouvelles ennuyantes et sans intérêts. Une ou deux sont tolérables mais la plupart sont pénibles à lire voir une torture a terminer. Je le déconseille fortement, d'un ennuis mortel et un défi a terminer.

[cyranoiones · Rating 2 out of 5]

My basic review meant as a personal notation for the book. I give the Ultimate Dracula an average rating of 2 stars. Here is my basic rational:

The Master of Rampling Gate by Anne Rice = ☆☆Two stars because the work was well written.
All Dracula's Children by Dan Simmons = ☆☆☆☆ Four stars because the work is worth at least a second read.
A Matter of Style by Ron Dee = ☆One star because the work entertained me.
Selection Process by Ed Gorman = ☆One star because the work entertained me.
The Vampire in His Closet by Heather Graham = ☆One star because the work entertained me.
The Tenth Scholar by Melanie Tem = ☆One star because the work entertained me.
Nobody's Perfect by Philip José Farmer= ☆One star because the work entertained me.
Dracula 1944 by Edward D. Hoch = ☆One star because the work entertained me.
The Contagion by Janet Asimov = ☆One star because the work entertained me.
Sugar And Spice And . . . by Karen Robards = ☆☆☆☆☆Five stars because the work is thought provoking .
Vampire Dreams by Dick Lochte = ☆☆Two stars because the work was well written.
Much At Stake by Kevin J. Anderson = ☆☆☆☆ Four stars because the work is worth at least a second read.
The Name of Fear by Lawrence Watt-Evans = ☆☆☆ Three stars because the work appeals to my own taste. (De gustibus non disputare)

The Dark Rising by W.R. Philbrick = ☆☆☆ Three stars because the work appeals to my own taste. (De gustibus non disputare)

Los Niños de La Noche by Tim Sullivan = ☆One star because the work entertained me.
A Little Night Music by Mike Resnick = ☆One star because the work entertained me.
Mr. Lucrada by John Lutz = ☆☆Two stars because the work was well written.
In the Cusp of the Hour by John Gregory Betancourt = ☆☆Two stars because the work was well written.
Children of the Night by Kristine Kathryn Rusch = ☆☆Two stars because the work was well written.

[Briar Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most anthologies, this one's a mixed bag with some pretty good stories and plenty of mediocre content. Probably worth seeking out if you're a major fan of Count Dracula, or of vampires in general; otherwise, maybe pick it up if you should happen upon it, and just read the following stories (all stand-outs):

"The Tenth Scholar", by the reliably good Steve Rasnic & Melanie Tem (Dracula trains hopeful young serial killers in NYC, including a homeless and pregnant teenager)
"The Name of Fear", by Lawrence Watt-Evans (fable-like, clever twist, involves the historical Vlad Dracula and medieval gore)
"Mr. Lucrada", by John Lutz (convincing kid narrator, starts out kind of cute/funny, full horror sneaks up on you and only fully comes through in the simple, devastating final line)
"Children of the Night", by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (story about trauma, culpability, and child abuse through the lens of a world where vampirism is a real, but incurable, disease to which vampires slowly lose their capacity for empathy and compassion, and where "vampire killer" is a profession with a high burnout rate)

Comes with the editor's guide to his favorite Dracula/vampire movies in the back, which was a nice touch.

[Helen Robare · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be short. I'm not a fan of short stories mainly because they don't give the author time to get into the meat of the story or give much background information. So, if it's a story that belongs to a book series, you go into the story blind.

That said, I loved every story in this book. I started reading it at 12 am (so glad I'm retired) and I kept telling myself "I'll just read one more story". But one story led to the next story then the next story and before I knew it the sun was coming up and I was on the last story.

Each story gave me a unique version of Dracula. I like several of the authors but I liked all the stories. For a "quick" night read, it was great. Unfortunately,
short stories run together with me, and when I'm finished, I remember parts of different stories but have no idea of the names or the actual authors.

If you like unique takes on vampires, well-written characters, and a decent (albeit short) plot, then pick up this book when you see it. It's beyond good!

[em_night · Rating 2 out of 5]

Qualité inégale. Seules les nouvelles ayant un lien avec le mythe originel de Dracula m'ont réellement fait passer un bon moment.

[Robert Jr. · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading the first lousy story in this “book”, I knew the potential of me enjoying the rest of the stories was at an all-time low. After reading this, it will not be long enough since hearing/reading the name Vlad or the phrase, “I vant to suck your blood”. The stories use the name of Vlad Tepes ad nauseam. The use of the previously mentioned phrase completely contradicts the tone of certain other stories mixing that cheesy phrase with nastier graphic elements

These stories also seem to try to compensate for the lack of structure, theme, characters, and plot with shock. The authors, in some instances, try to rely on real-life horrors such as the Ceausescu regime and especially the AIDS epidemic. There is a lot of Dracula-AIDS-victim in this, I understand the plague-bearer angle to the vampire myth but this was just a shock element not even relevant to the stories in any other capacity where it was used. The plot is another thing almost all of these stories lack and as none of them had any character-work they are just boring blobs of prose with some uninteresting gore-shock and maybe some semi-graphic sex sprinkled in.

There were a few decent stories that I enjoyed on a pulp-fiction level, which is what I was looking for with this book btw. Dracula 1944 by Edward D. Hoch was interesting and held my attention though this idea is better executed in The Strain. Here, Dracula (as Vlad, of course) is masquerading as a prisoner in Bergen-Belsen, blood-drained concentration camp guards and Nazi-vampires ensue (go figure). Much At Stake by Kevin J. Anderson was another Twilight-Zone-esque story that I just appreciated for its pulpy elements and I have a soft spot for Bela Lugosi and the old Universal Studios lore (so sue me). The last story that I somewhat enjoyed and possibly the strongest story here was The Name of Fear by Lawrence Watt-Evans. It involves the historical Vlad Tepes, has lots of scene appropriate gore by the bucket and maintains the vampire legend as fact. It has a pretty cool twist at the end that still makes me snicker. Had all of the stories been at this level the book would have been awesome unfortunately these are the strongest three.

Essentially, this is hacky edge-lordy writing and not worth the time required to read it. Hopefully, the three stories (and really only the last is worth seeking out) that I liked can be had somewhere else, in another collection. This book stinks I cannot recommend it to anyone.

In addition, I did not mention the lead story written by Anne Rice because it is among the weakest stories here, in fact, her name is the only reason to mention it at all. Although, I guess the marketing people knew that already.

[Matthew Lloyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published to mark the 60th anniversary of the 1931 film Dracula starring Bela Lugosi, The Ultimate Dracula collects nineteen stories by horror and science fiction writers prominent at that time. I picked it up in part because I recognised many of the names, but I had read few works by any of them. Like most collections, it's a mixed bag for a number of reasons. Some of these stories are comic, some genuinely horrific, others are more meditative. Personally, I felt that the silliness quota was a bit higher than I'd have liked, but overall I enjoyed most of the stories.

My favourite stories in this volume were probably "The Tenth Scholar" and "Children of the Night". The former, by Steve Rasnic Tem and Melanie Tem, was the first story in this volume that I really felt embraced the vampire genre seriously as a potential for modern gothic storytelling. The latter, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, was again a good story told seriously within the genre. I actually find it hard to describe what I liked about these stories, because in part it was that they didn't do things that the other stories did which dragged me out of them - being a bit silly, over-explaining, or even being over-dramatic. Most of the other stories were entertaining, at least.

[marmarci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Como toda antología de relatos, los ha habido que me han gustado más que otros. Aún así, tampoco ha habido ninguno que para mí resaltara especialmente. Exceptuando un par que me han parecido muy malos, el resto está más o menos al mismo nivel, resultando en una antología entretenida que gira alrededor de la figura de Drácula, a veces centrándose en el cinematográfico, otras en el literario o hasta en el histórico. Me ha resultado interesante ver el enfoque con el que han abordado el tema diferentes autores, ambientándolo en una época u otra, dándole un tono más humorístico o más serio.

De los 19 relatos que componen esta compilación, los que más me han gustado han sido:
* "El dueño de Rampling Gate" de Anne Rice (quizá más por lo que me gusta la autora)
* "Todos los hijos de Drácula" de Dan Simmons.
* "Cuestión de estilo" de Ron Dee (ejemplo de un acercamiento más desenfadado y humorístico)
* "Drácula 1944" de Edward D. Hoch (ambientado en un campo de concentración nazi. Muy interesante)
* "El nombre del miedo" de Lawrence Walt-Evans.
* "La marea oscura" de W.R. Philbrick (quizá el que más me ha gustado de todos. Ambientado en Haití y bien narrado)

[TammyJo Eckhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know this is an older book but I just finished reading it because cinematic history or not, I'm open to reading vampire fiction. However, I'm also picky about what I like. Of the 19 stories in this anthology, I loved five pieces (by Dee, Graham, Lochte, Watt-Evans, and Rusch) but disliked only one of them (whose author's name I won't list because I think that is a mean thing to do). Seven stories were good quality, making me thinking and engaging. That left six that were just meh to me in terms of keeping me interested and at times that really surprised me given the star-quality of the authors in this collection.

[ASusana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una antología de cuentos sobre vampiros de autores contemporáneos. En este volumen tenemos al vampiro visto desde distintos puntos de vista y con un toque moderno y actualizado dándole nueva vida al ya tan conocido mito del vampiro.
Hay un error en la entrada es una antología de cuentos de varios autores no solamente de Anne Rice.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not that great. A few of the stories are good, but I don't think any are 5 star. A couple of the stories rate 2 stars. I'm not that big a fan of vampires, which means the book starts out in the hole for me.

It was in my briefcase for a long time, which informs the rating process.

[Lexie Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories were all stylistically different, made it feel less repetitive. I liked that not all of them were actually about Dracula himself, which some people didn't. I liked some stories a lot, but others were just okay.

[Ricardo Torres · Rating 2 out of 5]

Una colección de relatos de medio pelo que parecen escritos por diletantes con un extraño sentido del humor. Se salvan dos o tres, no precisamente el de Rice, que parece escrito por obligación.
Totalmente prescindible.

[Dave Butler · Rating 2 out of 5]

not a very impressive collection - the majority of short stores here are obvious, overly similar, and just not very good - the Rice contribution is an exception as is Kristine K Rusch's Children of the Night which is quite good.

[Joel Manuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wildly uneven collection of vampire short stories, with about half good, half tacky, in my opinion.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hit and miss affair, some of the stories are downright corny while there are a few gems there is quite a bit of dross. Worth reading if you are a fan of Dracula.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of vampire short stories. They were unique and well-written and whilst most were written in 1991, not too dated. Enjoyable read, especially at Halloween.

[Anthony Messina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent collection of vampire stories. Interesting variations on the theme

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few decent stories and lots of very "meh" stories.

[Calypso Illusion (Jessie) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collaboration of authors with a good story to tell! Great compendium for those who love the undead. :)

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many new stories based on Dracula. Most were quite good: The Vampire Hn His Closet and The Contagion were exceptional. A few were an absolute waste. Great introduction!

[Vicky davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short Dracula stories, some are of course better than others, none of them are genuinely scary, but a fun Halloween read.