Dracula's Gold

Dracula Horror Series #4

by Robert Lory

Despite crude, often unintentionally hilarious writing and a mix-and-match jumble of a plot, this novel actually delivers the goods when it comes depicting the Count himself. Lory's Dracula is powerful, formidable and truly nasty - but he is also a sort of vampire on a leash, controlled in an ingenious manner by an aging American crime-fighter who apparently wants to use the Count as a tool against evil. All that happens here, however, is that a pair of nasty gold-diggers get their comeuppance and Dracula's secret treasure trove is kept secret. Lory was clearly building a highly involved mythos around Dracula, in this case interweaving elements of the vampire legend with tales of Atlantis and even a Lovecraftian touch. I can't argue with the appeal of that sort of pulp-fictional invention, but I did find that Lory's clumsy attempts at a prose style subtracted something from the enjoyment of his goofy, action-packed plot and the occasional effective moment of horror.

Genres: Horror

142 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1973

About the author

Lory is the son of Edward and Dorothy Lory. He studied history and social sciences at Harpur College, Binghamton, where he graduated in 1961 with a bachelor's degree. In 1964 he completed a Famous Writers Course and in 1973 a course of the Washington School of Art . After completing his studies, he was a temporary folk singer , industrial photographer , advertising and public relations officer for an electricity and gas utility, sales promotion for a supplier and supervised publications of the Reynolds Metals Company . From 1967 he worked for the Exxon Corporation , first as editor of the Esso Manhattan , Exxon Manhattan and Esso Eastern Review magazines, then as a PR consultant for Esso Eastern Inc. Since 1968, Lory is married to Barbara Banner, with whom he has four children. Since 1971 he is a freelance writer.

1963 Lory published his first SF short story Rundown Worlds of If, more stories followed, which appeared in 1970 collected in A Harvest of Hoodwinks . In 1969 appeared a first fantasy novel, The Eyes of Bolsk, followed in 1970 by the sequel Master of the Etrax.

The nine-volume series Return of Dracula is a mixture of action thriller and horror novels tells the adventures of rich Professor Damien Harmon, telekinetic and paralyzed as a victim of a crime, now in the manner of a vigilante a vendetta against the crime, where he is the help served by the immortal Count Dracula , whom he forces to cooperate with an implanted wooden stake. Supported by Cameron Sanchez, an expert in martial arts , and shapeshifter Ktara, several super villains are being routed and their infernal plans thwarted.

Another romance cycle is Horrorscope , in which an overpowering being - demon or embodied fate - brings the zodiac signs to life and brings horrific unhappiness and death over innocent people.

Both series are according to the lexicon of horror literature , "pure Pulphorror for the mass market." Lorry's science fiction is described by John Clute as "mainly light, fantasy-driven adventure stories, unassuming but neat."

Under the publishing pseudonym Paul Edwards Lory wrote several volumes of the novel series John Eagle, Expeditor, a series of secret agent thrillers.

Reviews

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite crude, often unintentionally hilarious writing and a mix-and-match jumble of a plot, this novel actually delivers the goods when it comes depicting the Count himself. Lory's Dracula is powerful, formidable and truly nasty - but he is also a sort of vampire on a leash, controlled in an ingenious manner by an aging American crime-fighter who apparently wants to use the Count as a tool against evil. All that happens here, however, is that a pair of nasty gold-diggers get their comeuppance and Dracula's secret treasure trove is kept secret. Lory was clearly building a highly involved mythos around Dracula, in this case interweaving elements of the vampire legend with tales of Atlantis and even a Lovecraftian touch. I can't argue with the appeal of that sort of pulp-fictional invention, but I did find that Lory's clumsy attempts at a prose style subtracted something from the enjoyment of his goofy, action-packed plot and the occasional effective moment of horror.

[Phillip Fuller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robert Lory's Dracula has only a few scenes in this book but only as a slave to a professor who does not see who he is dealing with. I applaud the use of a Puerto Rican martial artist but how many are over six feet and are named Cameron? The writer paints a picture of menace and mystery but the story could have used a real vampire as an antagonist.

[Lee Cushing · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the "Dracula Returns" series. To the best of my knowledge, there are nine in total, and I would strongly recommend reading the previous two books first.
In this story, a pair of villainous brothers have created a flock of mutant vampire bats and are sending them to kill people until the government pays them a ransom. Naturally, Professor Harmon tries to persuade Dracula to dispose of both the bats and the brothers. However, Dracula is reluctant to harm the bats because he feels a kind of kinship with them.
Like the other novels in the series, this one is light on character development, with the focus being on the action and plot. fact, even though it is classified as a horror, it reads more like one of the old pulp stories from the 1930s and 1940s. I don't think there is anything wrong with that, and I stories like this a fun bit of escapism. Dracula himself is thoroughly evil, just the way I like him, and only helps the good guys because of a deadly device surgically implanted next to his heart.
Overall, it is a short, fast-paced action/horror novel, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.

[Alucard]

I love these covers. Very "70's" and with just a touch of S&M.....I need to order these all, next year, want to literally put them up on the wall.

[F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thus far this series has surprised me with it's consistent quality and ability to keep the stories fresh and interesting. Kudos to Robert Lory!

[Joel Manuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of the first 4 books in the Dracula Horror Series, especially with the final scenes on "Dracula Mountain."