We all know just about everything there is to know about vampires.  They come out at night, they drink people’s blood, they hate garlic, and so on.  These creatures have existed in folklore for centuries.  But it wasn’t until 1897 that the vampire of all vampires was introduced to the world.

It was 124 years ago when Bram Stoker’s Dracula officially hit bookshelves in London, England.  Now, you might be surprised to learn that after its release Dracula did not become hugely popular until after Stoker’s death in 1912.  What ended up helping push the book’s success was its adaptation into a Broadway production in 1920.

From there the public’s fascination with vampires and Dracula took off due to two films based on the book.  In 1922 you had Nosferatu.  Then in 1931 Universal Studios released Dracula starring horror icon Bela Lugosi.  The release of this film really helped cement vampires and Count Dracula as parts of popular culture.  So, yes, all you die-hard Twilight fans can thank Bram Stoker for your vampire obsession.

As I said before, when Dracula first hit book store shelves in the late 1800s it wasn’t a huge commercial success.  It wasn’t met with harsh reviews or anything like that.  Most critics liked the book.  But it did take a few years to get the attention of the public.  Now, however, with the help of plays, movies, TV shows, etc.  Bram Stoker’s book is considered to be a “masterpiece of Victorian-era Gothic literature".

Sources: History.com and Biography.com 

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