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Dracula Horror Series #1
Dracula Returns
The year was 1883. In a south Romanian village, three men and a girl were gathered in an old crypt. They watched fascinated as a wooden stake was driven through the heart of a long-dead corpse. With an inhuman cry, Count Dracula departed this world. But the strange, unwinking eyes of a black cat watched their efforts derisively.In the year 1938, a young policeman on special duties was clubbed and thrown into the dark waters of New York’s vicious dockland. Miraculously he lived, but was condemned forever to a wheelchair. His twisted thoughts turned to the occult. This man’s name was Damien Harmon. A man selected for a terrible purpose …To bring the Master to life again, and to unleash his terror on unsuspecting twentieth century America. Could the Professor turn his back on the call? This is the first in a spine chilling series about THE RETURN OF DRACULA .Cover Bruce Pennington
189 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1973
7 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Robert Lory
60 books16 followersLory 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 4, 2015
Now we know the truth...Dracula actually came from Atlantis, having escaped from the doomed continent with his servant Ktara who appears often as a black cat. Ktara very conveniently left behind a series of poem chronicling their lives and escape. Since then, the "Count" has appeared in various civilizations on various continents though the one most remembered is his Transylvanian incarnation.
This series of novels centers around Professor Damien Harmon's encounters with the Count. A boy genius hired by the police during the 30's, who got ahead himself injured so badly he's now wheelchair-bound, Harmon's approached by Ktara with an offer he can't refuse. With his associate Cameron Sanchez, the brawn to Harmon's brain though Cam's no slouch himself when it comes to thinking, they travel to Transylvania to resurrect the Count as Ktara wishes. There's a spanner in the works, however, for Harmon implants a splinter of the stake near Dracula's heart with a corresponding device in his own chest so if his heart stops beating so does the vampire's. Thus, he "convinces" the vampire to help him in his fight against evil.
Interesting to see the Count working for good for a change as well as the threat that someway, somehow, he's going to slip the bonds Harmon has placed on him and make the professor and Cam his next meal. The story's a bit dated now, being set in the 60's as it is, but it's a good bit of escapist literature anyway as Harmon sics the Count on the bad guys.
This novel was a gift to the reviewer and no remuneration was involved in the writing of this review.
This series of novels centers around Professor Damien Harmon's encounters with the Count. A boy genius hired by the police during the 30's, who got ahead himself injured so badly he's now wheelchair-bound, Harmon's approached by Ktara with an offer he can't refuse. With his associate Cameron Sanchez, the brawn to Harmon's brain though Cam's no slouch himself when it comes to thinking, they travel to Transylvania to resurrect the Count as Ktara wishes. There's a spanner in the works, however, for Harmon implants a splinter of the stake near Dracula's heart with a corresponding device in his own chest so if his heart stops beating so does the vampire's. Thus, he "convinces" the vampire to help him in his fight against evil.
Interesting to see the Count working for good for a change as well as the threat that someway, somehow, he's going to slip the bonds Harmon has placed on him and make the professor and Cam his next meal. The story's a bit dated now, being set in the 60's as it is, but it's a good bit of escapist literature anyway as Harmon sics the Count on the bad guys.
This novel was a gift to the reviewer and no remuneration was involved in the writing of this review.
April 27, 2020
Dracula
I've read one of the series 40 years ago and enjoyed it. I'm glad to be able to enjoy another.
I've read one of the series 40 years ago and enjoyed it. I'm glad to be able to enjoy another.
March 23, 2021
3.5 stars. Recommended to me by a friend, I went in with high hopes as I'm generally a fan of vampire novels. Having come from the very disappointing 'The Strain' I was hoping for something a little more engaging and fast-paced. This was certainly both. It is a little pulpy in places and, as a short book, I felt the story was too large for the length of the book, leading to a sense of it actually being two stories with different plots in each half. That said, it's a minor quibble.
It has to be noted that being the first in a 9 book series, it was always going to feel fragmented as it introduced the main characters and set up the gimmick. The characters are all enjoyable in their own right, have their own roles and worldviews, and are generally well-written. The titular Dracula is pulled right from the Hammer films, full of menace and theatrics.
I very much enjoyed it being a shorter book. It forced the author to get to the point, avoid waffling, and keep the story moving forward, which is a style I prefer, and the complete opposite of The Strain.
If the story had a bit more structure (which I think was hard to do given it's a series starter), I think I'd have given this a four star rating. Instead, I think 3 and 1/2 is fair.
It has to be noted that being the first in a 9 book series, it was always going to feel fragmented as it introduced the main characters and set up the gimmick. The characters are all enjoyable in their own right, have their own roles and worldviews, and are generally well-written. The titular Dracula is pulled right from the Hammer films, full of menace and theatrics.
I very much enjoyed it being a shorter book. It forced the author to get to the point, avoid waffling, and keep the story moving forward, which is a style I prefer, and the complete opposite of The Strain.
If the story had a bit more structure (which I think was hard to do given it's a series starter), I think I'd have given this a four star rating. Instead, I think 3 and 1/2 is fair.
May 1, 2014
Goofy, pulpy fun that sets up the rest of this '70s series. This is as wild as Wolfman's Tomb of Dracula (published by Marvel around the same time) and even has its own wheelchair-bound protagonist. The premise: Dracula is a hell of a lot older than we imagine and constantly reanimated through the ages with the help of his familiar. Professor Harmon & his friend/aide Cameron Sanchez are chosen to raise him this time. They accept the nomination in order to keep him from being loose and/or in the wrong hands, but how do you control a weapon as smart and deadly as The Count?
This was pretty entertaining and definitely acts as a "pilot" that establishes status quo (plot devices, conflicts, characters, setting, etc.). I think I'll be hunting down the next in the series.
This was pretty entertaining and definitely acts as a "pilot" that establishes status quo (plot devices, conflicts, characters, setting, etc.). I think I'll be hunting down the next in the series.
January 17, 2013
These books can be a bit of a hassle to find. I lucked out, one of my local used bookstores had a pile of them for sale at a pretty good price, so I snapped them up. I'm glad I did.
The first book in the series isn't so much a horror novel as it is an adventure novel. A criminologist who has been put in a wheelchair by thugs seeks to resurrect Count Dracula for mysterious reasons. He is helped by a beefy cop, and a witch who shape shifts into a cat.
There is a lot of fun to be had here. Clocking in at just under 200 pages the novel doesn't drag and doesn't take itself too seriously. It sets up the characters nicely and has some pleasant background on the Dracula character that is pretty darned convincing.
The first book in the series isn't so much a horror novel as it is an adventure novel. A criminologist who has been put in a wheelchair by thugs seeks to resurrect Count Dracula for mysterious reasons. He is helped by a beefy cop, and a witch who shape shifts into a cat.
There is a lot of fun to be had here. Clocking in at just under 200 pages the novel doesn't drag and doesn't take itself too seriously. It sets up the characters nicely and has some pleasant background on the Dracula character that is pretty darned convincing.
March 28, 2021
Fun, but not great. Never once did I think "oh, what a great story." The plot was a little too YA for my liking.
November 14, 2023
This book introduces a Dracula who is an ancient being that has been placed under the control of a technology that provides a fail safe that shuts him down if he gets out of control. Robert Lory's Dracula sees good and evil in relative terms as defined by an individual point of view. The professor and his assistant are nearly destroyed by Dracula in the end and I fear that they are fools if they think they can keep it up. This book was a great read for the fan of classic horror with a sense of dread created by good writing.
April 24, 2015
I read this in the 1970s and thought I'd see how it stood the passing of time and it actually did very well. Though certainly not Bram Stoker [several nods are given to him] the story is a solid little tale setting the reader up for more to come. I find myself looking forward to them. If this was a movie it would be considered a popcorn movie- appealing to the masses for an enjoyable afternoon or evening of (almost) mindless entertainment. Mind you- I mean that as a compliment.
May 1, 2021
This series was a guilty pleasure of my teens. This one doesn't hold up all that well, but I remember others in the series being more exciting. Still, it's clever, reasonably well-written, 70s pulp. Extra half star for nostalgia?
August 2, 2020
Jeg føler nesten at jeg blunka, og så var denne boka ferdig. Men det er ganske bra! Jeg liker godt bøker som ikke sløser med tid, og her var det veldig enkelt. Oppsett, eskalering, Dracula, en skummel bit, og så et klimaks. Jeg ville absolutt ikke anbefalt noen å betale mer enn 50,- for den, men jeg angrer ikke på at jeg gjorde det. Det er ikke så mye nytt her, men jeg likte hovedpersonene OK greit, og Dracula er en Dracula, så no problemo!
October 1, 2021
Fun book
March 17, 2015
When a young genius is hired by the NY police dept as a consultant, he disobeys orders and goes into the field. This excursion ends with his being so injured he ends up paraplegic. He's also dismissed from the force for disobeying orders. Fast-forward to the 1960's when Professor Damien Harmon is now trying to discover if the power of his mind can restore the use of his useless legs. When he encounters a beautiful but mysterious young woman who sends him on an even more mysterious quest to Transylvania, he decided to put his mental powers to a better use. Thus, he resurrects Count Dracula and through occult and physical means, bends the vampire to his bidding...to use his powers to help rid the world of evil-doers.
Helping Harmon in his quest is Cameron Sanchez, a brilliant young giant who balances the professor's intellect with his own down-to-earth, levelheadedness. There's also Ktara, Dracula's companion/slave, a beautiful creature who often appears as a black cat, showing her age and fading as her master's need for blood increases.
In this story, and the ones following in the series, Dracula is said to have come from Atlantis as did Ktara, escaping when the island continent was destroyed. Since then, he appears in various countries and civilizations, being "destroyed" and reawakened by men Ktara selects to help and also to become his first victims when he revives.
The stories are mostly crime/thrillers with a bit of horror thrown in, with the extra threat of Dracula outwitting Harmon and overthrowing the hold he has over the vampire. They're interesting, a bit talky in places, but all-in-all entertaining and the novelty of Dracula being on the side of good for a change--even by force--is a novelty.
Looking forward to the next in the series.
This novel is owned by the reviewer and no remuneration was involved in the writing of this review.
Helping Harmon in his quest is Cameron Sanchez, a brilliant young giant who balances the professor's intellect with his own down-to-earth, levelheadedness. There's also Ktara, Dracula's companion/slave, a beautiful creature who often appears as a black cat, showing her age and fading as her master's need for blood increases.
In this story, and the ones following in the series, Dracula is said to have come from Atlantis as did Ktara, escaping when the island continent was destroyed. Since then, he appears in various countries and civilizations, being "destroyed" and reawakened by men Ktara selects to help and also to become his first victims when he revives.
The stories are mostly crime/thrillers with a bit of horror thrown in, with the extra threat of Dracula outwitting Harmon and overthrowing the hold he has over the vampire. They're interesting, a bit talky in places, but all-in-all entertaining and the novelty of Dracula being on the side of good for a change--even by force--is a novelty.
Looking forward to the next in the series.
This novel is owned by the reviewer and no remuneration was involved in the writing of this review.
May 20, 2013
Boy oh boy, is this a silly book, or what? A crippled criminologist with more money than God, Professor Harmon, decides to bring Dracula back to life -- this time with an implant near his heart that contains a sharp toothpick. If Drac won't obey, then Professor Harmon will use his telekinetic powers to disable Drac by activating the toothpick.
This book has everything people wanted back in the 1970's. Psychic powers, flashbacks to Tenochtitlan, a being from Atlantis (Drac's faithful servant, the lovely Ktara) who can change into a cat at will, and Dracula himself.
Anachronistic pulp fiction at its best, I guess? I thought this book was awesome when I was twelve! Forty years later, meh!
This book has everything people wanted back in the 1970's. Psychic powers, flashbacks to Tenochtitlan, a being from Atlantis (Drac's faithful servant, the lovely Ktara) who can change into a cat at will, and Dracula himself.
Anachronistic pulp fiction at its best, I guess? I thought this book was awesome when I was twelve! Forty years later, meh!
December 18, 2012
Taken at face value (pulpy, rather cheesy early 70s vampire fun), this was a really good book. It's got a relatively interesting premise, and some enjoyable far-fetched action; I particularly liked the knowing words of the mob boss at the end. At least 8 Dracula novels by the same author followed this one, and I'm looking forward to reading them. A quick, enjoyable read.
May 17, 2016
This book is so fucking ridiculous. How can you not fall in love with Dracula being forced to solve crimes by a psychic?
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews