Dracula

When Bram Stoker's Dracula was published in 1897 it was not the first vampire novel, and did not achieve its status as an icon of the genre until much later, when the first of many film adaptations was created. Though the book was praised by reviewers and contemporary writers, Stoker died in relative poverty. It is therefore perhaps surprising that Dracula has grown to such enduring prominence, never dying, constantly revivified, frequently reappearing in current media, from the stage to computer games, and haunting our imaginations like no other character of horror.