According to Anthony Masters, in his book The Natural History of the Vampire, the first vampire stories came about in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. A story like “The Life of Apollonius of Tyana”, by the Greek writer Philostratus, told the tale of Menippus whose fiancée was a vampire. It was not until 1796, when Burger’s Lenore was translated from German to English that English writers started composing their vampire stories. It was then that vampires started losing their “reality” and became fictitious beasts of the night, unlike in the sixteenth century, when vampires were thought to be real creatures that terrorized the living. Approximately one hundred years later, in 1897, Dracula, by Abraham “Bram” Stoker, was born, and what a beast he was. Right from the beginning of the novel, the reader should be prepared for a tale whose accounts on the subject of Dracula will not only be biased, but undoubtedly askew. Since the majority of the book was written from the perspectives of Jonathan Harker, Mina, and Dr. Seward the reader cannot establish a real connection to Count Dracula himself. Considering the period of the book, one could assume that relating to a creature of darkness was regarded as evil and, probably, censurable material had the book conveyed any such point. Therefore, the initial readers of Dracula were never able to see from the Count’s perspective. They were never able to enter into his world and see if he were truly a monster. A depiction of the vampires of this time was probably more than enough information to make them more monstrous than they are now. They were ugly, pale creatures, with long front teeth used for penetrating the skin of their prey so that they might take their life. The facial features, of a vampire, were strong and bird like. Common characteristics were high cheekbones, a thin nose, and a large forehead. They had broad, short hands with long, sharp, pointed nails. They were imagined sleeping in caskets located in dark, dank places, such as crypts and old castles. They, most often, had superhuman powers that consisted of maximum strength, morphing, and mind control. In Dracula the Count is described physically similar to the above with a “strong – a very strong – aquiline” face which contained a high bridged, thin nose, “lofty domed forehead”, a mouth with a fixed “cruel-looking” curl, and pointy sharp white teeth, which “protruded over the lips.” His ears were pointed and pale, and his chin was “broad and strong.” His entire appearance gave the effect of being “extraordinarily pallor.” His hands were “coarse – broad, with squat fingers,” but the nails were long and sharp. He also had hair in the center of his palms. To a reader of the 1890’s, or 1990’s for that matter, it would be fair to assume that a person of such descriptions would not be desirable to meet. When later encountering his actions towards Lucy, Jonathan, and even Mina one would most likely be put off, again, on, say, inviting him to dinner next Thursday. His deception and lies are enough to make any person weary of his actions and intentions towards others. Over all Dracula was not someone anyone would be interested in meeting.

A story that is similar to Dracula is Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, which actually happened to be fashioned after Stoker’s Dracula. The Salem’s Lot “Dracula” takes on the form of a man that goes by the name of Barlowe. He is supposed to be an antique shop owner whose main employer is an old creepy man named Straker. This Straker character would be equal to Dracula’s Renfield. While Barlowe might not be as sophisticated and humanistic as you will find Louis, Lestat, and Claudia to be, he is a lot less monstrous than Dracula was. First, Barlowe has a part in this novel. He actually interacts with the characters and plays games with them. There is no hiding and guessing, it becomes evident that Barlow

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