Description: "In Dracula, we find a monster who takes away our agency, our choice--even as he consumes us. The fantasy of becoming a vampire is a myth of exceptionalism-- nobody fantasizes about being the random peasant whom the titular Count devours. Instead, people are thrilled by the thought of turning into vampires themselves--becoming the most powerful consumer, the apex predator. And until we recognize that we have far more in common with prey than predator, we will always feel the vampire's pull. I hope Norton's vital new addition to the conversation about Stoker's work will cause readers to look at this old story with new eyes: to question our preconceptions and refocus our own narrative lenses. Dracula remains evergreen, I'm afraid--because within our monsters... we may find ourselves." --Kate Hamill (playwright/actor)
Brief description: Bram Stoker (1847-1912), an Irish novelist and short story writer, was known during his lifetime as the personal assistant of actor Henry Irving and business manager of the Lyceum Theatre in London, which Irving owned, but is best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula.