Stoker

by Calvin Cherry

Dear reader, When the boon of sleep becomes a presage of horror, while one's long, shadowy days are laden with sordid events so terrifying they only bridge a thread to the same wicked nightmare, in what can a gentleman find refuge and catharsis? Writing. No one can deny that Abraham Stoker penned a Gothic tour de force in 1897. All readers and moviegoers are familiar with the name Dracula, as a parade of literary colleagues and Hollywood directors have probed the monster's conscience for generations. Even so, few artists have explored Stoker's motivations for creating such a loathsome, seductive protagonist. Welcome to Bram's a wild, historical tale that fuses the life and times of a struggling author, a ruthless prince, and vampire mythology. Set in London in 1887, aspiring writer and stage manager Bram Stoker attends a séance that changes his life forever. What starts as an innocent ritual follows as a series of unforeseen yet connected plot twists and encounters with the bloodthirsty beast mistakenly freed from the underworld on that fateful night. As Bram's young son Noel intervenes to pull his father from the madness that ensues, wife Florence's health begins to decline, and his employer, actor Henry Irving, is being questioned about a violent murder that takes place outside his Lyceum Theater. To save careers, families, and souls, father and son seek answers to the darkest secrets hidden within the Carpathian Mountains, an ancient monastery, a ruined castle, and a forbidden cavern. My Dracula prequel is meant to pay homage to a brilliant man, writer, and Romantic masterpiece, mixing fantasy, fact, and Gothic elements to show how literary art is born. I have been a vampire enthusiast since the tender age of seven, having first read Stoker's work in comic-book form. Since then I have made it my avocation to study vampire lore, the historical Vlad the Impaler, as well as everything known about Bram. A vast amount of commentary on his novels, the same reference materials Stoker used in composing his works, as well as the author's very notes and private journals inform my narrative.

578 pages, Paperback

Published February 8, 2018

About the author

I am a 48-year-old native Georgian and a retired sailor. I work as a Business Systems Analyst for a major insurance company in Atlanta and have a 16-year-old son named Jacob. He is already 7 inches taller than me and six sizes up from my shoe size! My spouse, Kevin, is from Tennessee and shares my passion for music, traveling, reading and writing. I have seen Elton John 27 times in my life and about to make it 28 in November. English and History were my favorite subjects in school, so I guess it did not come as a surprise that one Christmas Santa left me four graphic novels under my tree when I turned 7: Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, and Dracula by Bram Stoker. I have been taking a bite out of Dracula ever since! After 11 years of intense research and crafting, my debut historical fiction novel Stoker: Evolution of a Vampire was published by Page Publishing this past February.

Reviews

[Calvin Cherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of the horror genre for many years. I remember as a child, it always seemed that I liked the vampire-based movies best. Eventually, the all-too-cliche "moves" of these movies wore off quickly and became beyond cheesy... they were a disgrace to the genre! Then came a resurgence of (re)popularization of vampyrism with the release of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" in a modern movie form circa 1992, thanks to Francis Ford Coppola. There was also a resurgence of interest into the original author himself (Bram Stoker) and the lore that surrounded this subject he seemed to be so keen on. Since then, countless resources, literature, touring destinations... you name it... have become so prevalent that one often does not know what to savor regarding the subject and associated myths. There has been an utter lack of truly great works regarding this topic of horror for many years for us true fans... until now.
This book has been the freshest breath of air regarding the topic of vampires (and the lore that surrounds them) since the original "Dracula" debuted in the late 19th century. Make no mistake... this book is NOT a documentary or a study upon any lore to do with the topic (although the author clearly and painstakingly did much research on the matter, including legends and works pre-dating Vlad the Impaler himself.) It is indeed fully fictional (I hope,) intended to give you quite a ride! Unlike Bram's original work, this book is full of action and rather addictive once you pick it up. It opens with a bang, and ends with one too... with a smorgasbord of true horror in all its splendor throughout. Do not get me wrong... it reads with a first-rate thread of the detailed refinment and expanded array of beautiful verbage, but luckily retracts the "dryness" of the original (perhaps I should say "first of its series") novel, and thusly reads without the subseqent labor.
In ending, I shall simply say that this is the jolt this genre has been waiting for... and for a very long time. It is very smartly witted with many hidden references for those keen on the subject. It has many "gems" hidden throughout the text that gives you that "WHOAH" reaction when you make the connection, which can and does often lead to a very creepy and dark effect. Once you pick it up, you may find that you have a hard time putting it down, as I did. To say that I highly recommend it would be an understatement!
Happy reading, and brace yourself for quite the ride you've been waiting for!

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book! The twist on the story was well done and kept my interest. Dracula was portrayed just as he should be - terrifying to the core! This book would make a great movie!

[Dorothea-Dede Klegseth]

I absolutely loved reading this book the author gives you the greatest mental picture of what each character is doing and emotions are so raw omg I cannot get enough of this book will be re-reading this again and definitely telling everyone about this book ots an awesome read!!!

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Solid concept but the non consistent reference to Bram Stoker annoyed me. The author referred to him as Abraham, Bram, Stoker, and the Irishman. The switching back and forth keep me from being fully engrossed in the story.