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Dracula/Harker: A Gay Gothic Romance Inspired by Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” – Part I: From Transylvania to England
“Hidden treasures are revealed by an eerie luminescence in the form of cold blue flames on the night—that is, tonight—when evil holds sway.”
So says Count Dracula to Jonathan Harker upon their meeting at the Borgo Pass on the eve of the Feast of Saint George. But after taking the Englishman to see the phenomenon and being taken aback at the sight of his handsome face seemingly radiating, rather than reflecting, the unearthly cool glow, the Count unexpectedly finds himself coveting a newfound hidden treasure.
Thus, the first novella in the Dracula/Harker series begins reimagining Bram Stoker’s seminal Gothic horror story as a gay Gothic romance. Featuring the same character names, settings, chronology, epistolary format, and Victorian prose style as Dracula but telling a much different tale exploring themes of sexual identity, forbidden desire, societal repression, and personal acceptance and transformation, this installment, as subtitled, recounts the pair’s journey from Transylvania’s Borgo Pass to England’s shore at Whitby. A story of desire, danger, and the undead, it will tear at your heartstrings—assuming your heart does not break first!
About the Dracula/Harker Novellas
Originally, my reimagining of Bram Stoker's Dracula as a gay Gothic romance was to have been a novel. Unfortunately, its writing proved arduous and slow, so I changed the format to a series of novellas to start telling the story sooner rather than later. Subtitled From Transylvania to England, this first novella covers the events from Jonathan Harker's alighting at the Borgo Pass in Transylvania, Romania, to Count Dracula's shipwreck on the shore of Whitby, England. Although only one third of the narrative and necessarily ending with cliffhangers, this installment does conclude various themes at its end to give readers some sense of closure instead of just teasing things to come. The subsequent novellas will continue to parallel the major events of the original plot and be subtitled by the locations starting and ending their stories. After the final novella is published, the series may be made available in novel format. But for now, a serial’s episodic nature, reminiscent of classic penny dreadfuls, holds a certain appeal.
So says Count Dracula to Jonathan Harker upon their meeting at the Borgo Pass on the eve of the Feast of Saint George. But after taking the Englishman to see the phenomenon and being taken aback at the sight of his handsome face seemingly radiating, rather than reflecting, the unearthly cool glow, the Count unexpectedly finds himself coveting a newfound hidden treasure.
Thus, the first novella in the Dracula/Harker series begins reimagining Bram Stoker’s seminal Gothic horror story as a gay Gothic romance. Featuring the same character names, settings, chronology, epistolary format, and Victorian prose style as Dracula but telling a much different tale exploring themes of sexual identity, forbidden desire, societal repression, and personal acceptance and transformation, this installment, as subtitled, recounts the pair’s journey from Transylvania’s Borgo Pass to England’s shore at Whitby. A story of desire, danger, and the undead, it will tear at your heartstrings—assuming your heart does not break first!
About the Dracula/Harker Novellas
Originally, my reimagining of Bram Stoker's Dracula as a gay Gothic romance was to have been a novel. Unfortunately, its writing proved arduous and slow, so I changed the format to a series of novellas to start telling the story sooner rather than later. Subtitled From Transylvania to England, this first novella covers the events from Jonathan Harker's alighting at the Borgo Pass in Transylvania, Romania, to Count Dracula's shipwreck on the shore of Whitby, England. Although only one third of the narrative and necessarily ending with cliffhangers, this installment does conclude various themes at its end to give readers some sense of closure instead of just teasing things to come. The subsequent novellas will continue to parallel the major events of the original plot and be subtitled by the locations starting and ending their stories. After the final novella is published, the series may be made available in novel format. But for now, a serial’s episodic nature, reminiscent of classic penny dreadfuls, holds a certain appeal.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 18, 2025
2 people want to read
About the author
Mark Zidzik
3 books1 followerUnlike many gay romance authors, Mark Zidzik, also known as 邱翼德 (Chiū Yì-Dé), knows firsthand what being gay in a heterosexist world is like. This imbues his writing with reticence, rawness, and rage that speak to the experiences of men who dare to love men in the face of condemnation and worse.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 30, 2025
Written in the same epistolary style as the original, Mark Zidzik's retelling manages to be both wholly familiar and wholly strange at the same time, exuding gothic dread. Jonathan Harker is still the clueless fish-out-of-water Englishman, now not only because of cultural differences. Count Dracula is more of a person, allowed to present his perspective in his own voice, no longer relegated to being the personification of the Victorian's obsession with sex and death. Dracula's brides are replaced by the outwardly gracious Countess Dracula, seen only through the eyes of Harker and the Count. The rest of the original cast start filtering in about around the halfway point.
From their first meeting, the Count is obviously attracted to the shy, naive, and yes, repressed, Jonathan. Travel weary and befuddled, Jonathan, is unsure what he feels, even if he could admit it to himself. An odd friendship develops as Jonathan lingers far past the original few day at the castle at the Count's insistance.
This is a very slow burn. It couldn't be anything else given that Jonathan is a middle-class Victorian man with deeply entrenched homophobia. But the Count has lived many lifetimes. He can be patient as he protects Jonathan from dangers posed by both the Countess and a handful of townspeople.
Be warned, this does end in a cliffhanger. It starts with Harker and Dracula meeting at Borgo Pass and ends with the shipwreck of the Demeter. I have a feeling that Part II will be worth the wait.
From their first meeting, the Count is obviously attracted to the shy, naive, and yes, repressed, Jonathan. Travel weary and befuddled, Jonathan, is unsure what he feels, even if he could admit it to himself. An odd friendship develops as Jonathan lingers far past the original few day at the castle at the Count's insistance.
This is a very slow burn. It couldn't be anything else given that Jonathan is a middle-class Victorian man with deeply entrenched homophobia. But the Count has lived many lifetimes. He can be patient as he protects Jonathan from dangers posed by both the Countess and a handful of townspeople.
Be warned, this does end in a cliffhanger. It starts with Harker and Dracula meeting at Borgo Pass and ends with the shipwreck of the Demeter. I have a feeling that Part II will be worth the wait.
December 22, 2025
I’m from the standpoint that our villains should remain villains, period. Today there seems to be an overbearing trend to retcon our villains and provide them with excuses to make them sympathetic and “excusably” evil. Disney’s characterization of Cruella in the eponymous film (Cruella, 2021) comes immediately to mind where for some reason Disney felt it necessary to provide an excuse for Cruella De Vil’s perfectly evil and abhorrent behavior in 101 Dalmatians (1961 & 1996). Why even in the live action remake of ‘96 Glenn Close devoured and embodied the puppy-killing Cruella to an extent that would make Kristi Noem jealous. And like Kristi Noem, the character was flat, not some multi-dimensional character worthy of our sympathy. The character existed simply to provide a delectably evil catalyst informing the heroes’ actions and driving the plot along. Further, original version(s) provided no inkling that Cruella was victimized into becoming evil.
Evil can exist for evil’s sake.
That being said, we do need to look at the intentions of the original authors of our classic works and try to understand the reasons the character is being villainized, because many societal influences may be coming from outside the work itself. The period, environment, culture, and common perception of civilization are all important factors to consider when examining more complex villains like Dracula (Stoker) or Carmilla (le Fanu). We’re going to go the vampire route here firstly because of the subject of this review and also because of their mystique combined with their inherent sexuality, and exuding sensuality that allow them to be vessels of both the writer’s and reader’s carnal projections.
The reason why monsters, especially vampires, are particularly prone to this literary and cinematic custom is best handled by better people than I. I highly recommend The Celluloid Closet (1995) for an examination of queer monsters in cinema.
The novella is a self-described "gay Gothic romance" inspired by Bram Stoker's seminal work, Dracula (1897). Zidzik explicitly states his intention to reinterpret the original text to explore themes of queer desire and identity. The dedication of the novella is to "all the LGBTQIA+ souls made to suffer", setting a clear thematic foundation. Zidzik re-contextualizes a famous line from the original novel, "This man belongs to me!" , as a declaration of passion that a gay man would desire to speak or hear. This central premise reshapes the narrative from one of horror and possession into a story of forbidden romance and longing.
Zidzik introduces the idea that "the most dangerous monsters are alive, not undead”, and the narrative supports this by positioning the "bigoted reactionaries" as the true monsters. Dracula's actions, such as protecting Harker from the cruel coachman and a "pious biddy" who shrieked, "Jesus loved no man!", are re-framed as righteous acts of defiance against bigotry and cruelty. The novella critiques the "God-fearing folk" who show no kindness and instead mistreat Harker due to their fear and loathing of Dracula. The Count, who is "damned" in their eyes, is portrayed as the protector, offering Harker a form of safety and acceptance that "civilized Europe" would not.
The greatest departure from the source material is Zidzik’s characterization. Which is naturally necessary and why books fall into the public domain in the first place, so themes can be expanded, explored and reimagined.
Count Dracula: Here he is not a monstrous villain but a complex and protective figure. He is depicted as deeply lonely, with a sense of "longing". His initial encounter with Harker is marked by an "unexpected intimacy" and a powerful desire that he purposefully holds back. Dracula is shown to be a thoughtful and passionate man, who, in a moment of anger, defends Harker from his abusers. He is also a lover of animals, as evidenced by his affection for his "children," the wolves, and his gentle rebuke of the coachman for whipping his horses. He is a man who seeks to "unearth the truth of the worst type of scandal: a conspiracy against and libel of love". This is the slippery slope of the “Cruella style retconning” however as discussed before, context is key here. How was queer love viewed both at the time Stoker penned the book and time when the story takes place. Has Zidzik made an excuse for Dracula being a monster? No, just changed the narrative perspectives. I’ll also add at the risk of sounding hyperbolic, vampires in literature are the epitome of being misunderstood.
Jonathan Harker: Harker is presented as a young man struggling with his identity and desires. He is "muddleheaded by fleeting queer dreams" and filled with a mix of "fear, desire, and shame" when he thinks of Count Dracula. His journey to Transylvania becomes an opportunity for self-discovery, symbolized by the "alluring, but deadly" glowing pond that promises to reveal one's "true nature". The novella shows him as a person with a conscience who is not afraid to challenge conventional thought, even when it comes to the "moralistic West". His struggle with his feelings for Dracula and his attempts to deny them form a central conflict of the story.
The novella uses an epistolary format, similar to Stoker's original work. The first chapter is told from Count Dracula's perspective in his journal, while the second is from Jonathan Harker's diary, written in shorthand. This dual perspective allows Zidzik to explore the inner thoughts and desires of both “monster” and man, providing an intimate look into their developing relationship. Is it “shipping”? No (not in my opinion anyway). Zidzik displays a deeper motivation, a deeper understanding of what may have been hinted at by Stoker and builds on a larger intrinsic conflict rather than just having two characters f***.
The prose is rich and descriptive, with a particular focus on sensory details and emotional states. Zidzik’s command of language, while at times "not an easy read", creates a vivid and atmospheric world respectful of Stoker’s linguistic style. The language is also deliberately "anti-reactionary," with the Zidzik using the text to criticize homophobic and transphobic individuals. This is evident in Dracula's verbal takedown of the "God-fearing folk" and his passionate defense of Harker. The narrative successfully reclaims a classic tale and transforms it into a modern queer love story while staying true to the Gothic genre's atmospheric and intense tone.
So, in conclusion Zidzik successfully takes some tender morsels of what might have been “queer-coded” back in the day, and expands on it, contextualizes it, all with an understanding from today’s perspective integrating the good and bad society-tainted internalizations of queer love.
I look forward to the continuance of this series as well as the independent novels in his promising writing future.
Evil can exist for evil’s sake.
That being said, we do need to look at the intentions of the original authors of our classic works and try to understand the reasons the character is being villainized, because many societal influences may be coming from outside the work itself. The period, environment, culture, and common perception of civilization are all important factors to consider when examining more complex villains like Dracula (Stoker) or Carmilla (le Fanu). We’re going to go the vampire route here firstly because of the subject of this review and also because of their mystique combined with their inherent sexuality, and exuding sensuality that allow them to be vessels of both the writer’s and reader’s carnal projections.
The reason why monsters, especially vampires, are particularly prone to this literary and cinematic custom is best handled by better people than I. I highly recommend The Celluloid Closet (1995) for an examination of queer monsters in cinema.
The novella is a self-described "gay Gothic romance" inspired by Bram Stoker's seminal work, Dracula (1897). Zidzik explicitly states his intention to reinterpret the original text to explore themes of queer desire and identity. The dedication of the novella is to "all the LGBTQIA+ souls made to suffer", setting a clear thematic foundation. Zidzik re-contextualizes a famous line from the original novel, "This man belongs to me!" , as a declaration of passion that a gay man would desire to speak or hear. This central premise reshapes the narrative from one of horror and possession into a story of forbidden romance and longing.
Zidzik introduces the idea that "the most dangerous monsters are alive, not undead”, and the narrative supports this by positioning the "bigoted reactionaries" as the true monsters. Dracula's actions, such as protecting Harker from the cruel coachman and a "pious biddy" who shrieked, "Jesus loved no man!", are re-framed as righteous acts of defiance against bigotry and cruelty. The novella critiques the "God-fearing folk" who show no kindness and instead mistreat Harker due to their fear and loathing of Dracula. The Count, who is "damned" in their eyes, is portrayed as the protector, offering Harker a form of safety and acceptance that "civilized Europe" would not.
The greatest departure from the source material is Zidzik’s characterization. Which is naturally necessary and why books fall into the public domain in the first place, so themes can be expanded, explored and reimagined.
Count Dracula: Here he is not a monstrous villain but a complex and protective figure. He is depicted as deeply lonely, with a sense of "longing". His initial encounter with Harker is marked by an "unexpected intimacy" and a powerful desire that he purposefully holds back. Dracula is shown to be a thoughtful and passionate man, who, in a moment of anger, defends Harker from his abusers. He is also a lover of animals, as evidenced by his affection for his "children," the wolves, and his gentle rebuke of the coachman for whipping his horses. He is a man who seeks to "unearth the truth of the worst type of scandal: a conspiracy against and libel of love". This is the slippery slope of the “Cruella style retconning” however as discussed before, context is key here. How was queer love viewed both at the time Stoker penned the book and time when the story takes place. Has Zidzik made an excuse for Dracula being a monster? No, just changed the narrative perspectives. I’ll also add at the risk of sounding hyperbolic, vampires in literature are the epitome of being misunderstood.
Jonathan Harker: Harker is presented as a young man struggling with his identity and desires. He is "muddleheaded by fleeting queer dreams" and filled with a mix of "fear, desire, and shame" when he thinks of Count Dracula. His journey to Transylvania becomes an opportunity for self-discovery, symbolized by the "alluring, but deadly" glowing pond that promises to reveal one's "true nature". The novella shows him as a person with a conscience who is not afraid to challenge conventional thought, even when it comes to the "moralistic West". His struggle with his feelings for Dracula and his attempts to deny them form a central conflict of the story.
The novella uses an epistolary format, similar to Stoker's original work. The first chapter is told from Count Dracula's perspective in his journal, while the second is from Jonathan Harker's diary, written in shorthand. This dual perspective allows Zidzik to explore the inner thoughts and desires of both “monster” and man, providing an intimate look into their developing relationship. Is it “shipping”? No (not in my opinion anyway). Zidzik displays a deeper motivation, a deeper understanding of what may have been hinted at by Stoker and builds on a larger intrinsic conflict rather than just having two characters f***.
The prose is rich and descriptive, with a particular focus on sensory details and emotional states. Zidzik’s command of language, while at times "not an easy read", creates a vivid and atmospheric world respectful of Stoker’s linguistic style. The language is also deliberately "anti-reactionary," with the Zidzik using the text to criticize homophobic and transphobic individuals. This is evident in Dracula's verbal takedown of the "God-fearing folk" and his passionate defense of Harker. The narrative successfully reclaims a classic tale and transforms it into a modern queer love story while staying true to the Gothic genre's atmospheric and intense tone.
So, in conclusion Zidzik successfully takes some tender morsels of what might have been “queer-coded” back in the day, and expands on it, contextualizes it, all with an understanding from today’s perspective integrating the good and bad society-tainted internalizations of queer love.
I look forward to the continuance of this series as well as the independent novels in his promising writing future.
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