Dracula Beyond Stoker

24/08/2024

Stopped in to to see for the launch of his latest Frendo book. Can’t wait to jump in.

‘s Gemma sounded way too intriguing to pass up.

24/08/2024

Tonight was my first time at

Definitely won’t be my last. Great food, great vibe, great films (tonight was Texas Chain Saw Massacre)

23/08/2024

We’re proud to share this list of literary journals—all members of CLMP—publishing new poetry, fiction, nonfiction, artwork, and more in August 2024.   The Adroit Journal | Issue 50 Featuring poetry by Matthew Olzmann, Camonghne Felix, Randall Mann, and Shira Erlichman; fiction by Shanteka Si...

19/08/2024

Got some fun book and movie mail today. I know how I’ll be spending my birthday weekend!

13/08/2024

“Every night hundreds of jaded thrill-seekers flock to the Club Dracula to witness the impersonation of the famed vampire seeking the blood of a young maiden.
But tonight, Jim Hanley knows it will be no wax dummy reposed in the arms of the masked madman—it will be lovely Connie Stewart, her drugged brain responding eagerly to horrible death!”

The centerpiece of Dracula Beyond Stoker Issue 4.5 is Dracula’s Brides by Wayne Rogers — a weird, wild, and wonderful pulp novellette originally published in Horror Stories Magazine, February 1941. While this story doesn’t contain Stoker’s Dracula, it couldn’t exist without him and is an example of pulp at its finest.

Dracula Beyond Stoker Issue 4.5 is shipping now!

12/08/2024

The Ritz Theatre Company is performing the Dean/Balderston Dracula during the Halloween season!

DRACULA October 18 – November 3, 2024 Dramatized by Hamilton Deane & John L. Balderston From the Novel by Bram Stoker Directed by Bruce A. Curless Lucy Seward, whose father is the doctor in charge of an English sanitorium, has been attacked by some mysterious illness. Dr. Van Helsing, a specialist...

10/08/2024

Finally got a chance to visit

What a fun time. Can’t wait to revisit in the fall for some of their special events.

09/08/2024

If you're in the UK, or headed there, this looks like a great production.

The time is 1897. Mankind is on the cusp of vast technological change, scientific mastery and media innovation. Poised between traditional beliefs, the threat of the unknown and the shock of the new world, an altogether darker fear is emerging. As a new shadow looms large over England, a small group...

08/08/2024

It’s a bit last minute but Dracula Beyond Stoker Issue 4.5 Kindle preorders are finally open!

07/08/2024

Books have arrived!

Contributor copies will go out today and orders will start shipping tomorrow.

06/08/2024

Michael R. Colangelo Bridges our Brides and Suitors issues with the beauriful and brutal “Brides.”

DBS. How and when did you first experience Dracula?
MRC. When I was very young; first or second grade; the school library had a collection of Crestwood House Monsters books. These were a series of cinematic photography books that covered the various Universal monster movies in detail. The books were written by Julian May who was a very good science fiction novelist; and seems sort of forgotten, unfortunately.

I can't remember a thing about these books other than I was obsessed with the pictures, This was to the point these were the only books I would check out of the library and renew persistently. If you were another kid you were out of luck. I'm sorry.

Eventually I got around to the movies and the actual literature, but this would have been the first place I experienced Dracula -- which would have been stills of the 1931 film in that volume of the series.

DBS. Besides Dracula what is your favorite vampire story?
MRC. George R.R. Martin's Fevre Dream, which I read to dry out occasionally, because it is 500-pages long. This technique works, and so it holds a special place in my heart for that.

If you ever need to curb your drinking/whatever bad habits just drink tea and read Fevre Dream until the book is done -- that's my tip to you. It's a very good novel.

DBS. What is your favorite vampire movie?
MRC. Difficult question, because I've decided most vampire movies are bad. For example, I want to like everyone's favorites: Near Dark, the Lost Boys and Fright Night. But they never quite hold up on viewing.

I don't think it's the hype or the cult around these movies -- I just have these weird and unrealistic expectations of them, I guess, and so they end up being almost good in my mind instead of actually good, if that makes sense. I want to like them more than I do upon viewing.

One vampire movie that I don't think is terrible is the restored version of Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) where they put all the naughty stuff back in. The extended cut? Is that generally available? I definitely watched it. That's my favorite one.

DBS. What is your favorite screen portrayal of Dracula?
MRC. It’s Shin Kishida from Lake of Dracula and Evil of Dracula (also a great series of vampire movies that you should watch -- there's three, I think.)

I don't know -- when the Japanese do their takes on Western horror it always comes off as off-kilter and tilted to me -- makes everything feel far more surreal and dangerous, like you aren't sure what you're watching exactly. And his look and mannerisms in those films have such a weird grindhouse vibe that it just fits perfectly with the rest of it. It preys on your expectations.

Those other movies' Draculas? They all feel sort of the same to me to varying degrees. You aren't assured Kishida's Dracula will do the same things all those other Draculas might do. He does, but that's not the point.

DBS. What are you currently reading?
MRC. Tons of poetry I've been finding off poetry websites lately, (bruisermag.com, for one), because I don't have very much time to read longer works these days. I've also decided poetry is good for you even if I've no interest in writing it myself, particularly.

I also have a novel here I'm looking at: So Beautiful and Elastic by Gary J. Shipley, who writes experimental stuff that will probably make you a better (horror) writer if you are far enough along in your writing. This is the kind of work I can parse during short windows of time so it's great for me. He also has a website publishing more free experimental stuff in a similar vein, but you will have to find that one on your own.

DBS. Are you working on anything you can talk about at the moment?
MRC. I am almost always messing about with short stories and little things so that is something. Of course, the pull of a longer manuscript is always sitting in the back of my mind... but I am also not in a hurry for any of that either.

03/08/2024

I finally got my hands on this beauty!

A 1901 special edition published by A. Wessels.

02/08/2024

Jamie Flanagan presents an epistolary dialog between Dracula and his brides regarding the arrival of the Englishman in “The Solicitor.”

DBS. How and when did you first experience Dracula?
JF. Dracula (the character) was everywhere in the 1980s, when I grew up. From film adaptations to cartoons, halloween decorations to cereal boxes. A puppet on a children's program that helped teach me to count. It's tempting to write that Dracula was "always lurking at the periphery" of life, but he was anything but peripheral. He dominated pop culture. Much the same as today. When did I first read Dracula? I couldn't say for certain. There may've been a reading assignment that I was too young to appreciate. Or a book recommendation from a friend that I've failed to remember. A staged reading of a theatrical adaptation (I read Doctor Seward's bits). Possibly a first (100%, start to finish) read of the novel when I decided to write THE SOLICITOR during my time at community college. Time's a knot. It's all one.

DBS. Besides Dracula what is your favorite vampire story?
JF. I AM LEGEND by Richard Matheson.

DBS. What is your favorite vampire movie?
JF. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN.

DBS. What is your favorite screen portrayal of Dracula?
JF. A tie between Klaus Kinski (NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE 1979) and Claes Bang (Moffat's series adaptation).

DBS. What are you currently reading?
JF. Related to vampires? I've been granted a sneak peek at the sequel to Lindy Ryan’s BLESS YOUR HEART.

DBS. Are you working on anything you can talk about at the moment?
JF. I’ll take this opportunity to raise an obligatory glass to MUSE, my screen adaptation / reimagining of the origin of the brides of Dracula. Like the source material, the pilot is currently undead, having been bought by Netflix, shelved without a writers room, and shackled with heavy lien on development. It's one of the best things I've written. Regrettably, much like the characters on which it's based, it will not likely see the light of day again. I visit the script in its resting place from time to time to make unnecessary edits that no one will appreciate but me. It's soothing. In a bittersweet sort of way.

30/07/2024

Kay Hanifen returns to the pages of DBS with “A Guest for Dinner” in which the count enlists a village girl to help him prepare for the arrival of a certain Englishman, much to the consternation of his two brides.

DBS. When did you first know you wanted to write?
KH. I’ve been making up stories for as long as I can remember. Before I could read and write on my own, I would narrate stories to my mom for her to write down and I'd illustrate them. Many were about me solving mysteries with my little sister, Daphne from Scooby Doo, and a local friendly ghost from a town legend. I think I decided that I wanted to be a writer around the fifth grade. I had a bunch of teachers who encouraged me to write on my own time and won a couple school awards for it. After that year, I didn't know what I wanted to do outside of writing, so I really started working on my skills.

DBS. What do you think draws you to horror?
KH. I think horror is a fascinating funhouse mirror to our world and its own anxieties. You can learn a lot about a society from its monsters, and why people fear what they do. It's also an oddly empowering genre, especially if you're someone who exists on the margins of society. To me, the main difference between horror and action is that action happens when the hero and villain are evenly matched. Horror happens when the villain is far above the hero's paygrade. Yet, they still fight to survive. And even if they ultimately don't succeed, their story matters, because it's one worth telling. There's a wonderful GK Chesterton quote that I always think about when I approach horror: "Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.” With our world being as uncertain as it is, we all need a reminder that our dragons are not invincible, and horror acts as that reminder.

DBS. What are you currently reading?
KH. There are a couple books I'm currently reading. One is Gideon the Ninth, which is about le***an necromancers in space, and just a blast. I'm also trying to work my way through my growing pile of unread comics. Finally, I'm rereading Dracula with the students I'm tutoring, introducing them to the characters and story we love.

DBS. What are you currently working on?
KH. I’ve got a couple projects I'm working on and not ready to announce yet. In the meantime, I am sending out short stories as often as I can and working my job as a romance ghostwriter. So, I'm keeping myself very busy!

You can read “A Guest for Dinner” in Dracula Beyond Stoker Issue 4.5

26/07/2024

The Rosenbach museum is home to Bram Stoker’s original notes on vampires and a growing collection of undead literature.

25/07/2024

Dracula Beyond Stoker Issue 4.5!

Issue 4 became our longest main issue to date, overflowing with incredible stories of the Brides of Dracula. Now, we’re thrilled to present even more in our longest half issue ever.

The centerpiece is a weird, wild, and wonderful 1941 pulp novellete — “Dracula’s Brides” by Wayne Rogers. (The Amazing Pulp Cover by Angela Johnson is a loving tribute to the cover of the February 1941 Horror Stories Magazine in which “Dracula’s Brides” originally appeared)

Kay Hanifen returns with “A Guest for Dinner,” in which a village girl helps Dracula prepare for a certain Englishman’s arrival, much to his brides' dismay.

Jamie Flanagan offers “The Solicitor,” an epistolary dialogue between Dracula and his brides about the same visitor.

And Michael R. Colangelo bridges issues 4 and 5 with the beautiful and gruesome “Brides.”

Don’t miss this extraordinary collection—expected to ship August 15, available for preorder now!

21/07/2024

Vacation Book Haul!

While spending time in Tennessee I came across two new(to me) editions!

13/07/2024

If you’re anywhere near Phoenixville PA come on over to Blobfest and say hi. This is a great Monster themed street fair.

06/07/2024

We’ve been slowly adding swag to our website.

Share your love of DBS with the world!

https://www.dbspress.com/shop-1/apparel

28/06/2024

Continuing my convention tradition of spending more than I make.

28/06/2024

All set up and ready to go at

See you in a few minutes.

27/06/2024

I’ll be spending the weekend in Harrisburg selling books at Horror On Main.

This looks to be a really fun con and I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of you.

See you in Harrisburg!

27/06/2024

This could be fun.

CBS is doing for Dracula’s hunter what it did for Sherlock Holmes with “Elementary”. Jonathan Lee (“Lockerbie”) is set to write the procedural series “Van Helsing” which will focus on a modern day interpretation of monster hunter character Abraham Van Helsing from Bram Stoker’s novel...

18/06/2024

Submissions are now open for Dracula Beyond Stoker Issue 5: Lucy’s Suitors - Quincey, Jack, and/or Arthur
Quincey was a cowboy who may or may not have been in cahoots with the count.
Seward was a drug addicted custodian of a lunatic asylum.
And Arthur was there, too!
Let’s read some stories of these men-together, individually, in combination-before, during, and after the events of the novel. Did Quincey survive as the undead? How did Jack treat his other patients? When the dust settled, did Holmwood completely break down? Stoker tells us these three men adventured together prior. What might that look like?
Stories
We like stories that feel like they could be canon, but we also enjoy fun alternate takes and pastiche. Prequels, sequels, updates, divergent timelines-unleash your creative powers of darkness and show us something exciting
As with every publication the best way to get a feel for what we like is to read what we’ve put out
🧛‍♂️Stories should be 1500-5000 words
🧛‍♂️Poetry will be considered
🧛‍♂️Compensation will be .05/word plus contributor’s copies
🧛‍♂️Reprints considered. Reprints should be at least 10 years old. Compensation is $55
🧛‍♂️Simultaneous submissions accepted, but please notify us immediately if accepted elsewhere
🧛‍♂️Please adhere to the Shunn format - https://www.shunn.net/format/classic/
🧛‍♂️Please only send .doc, .docx, or .pdf
🧛‍♂️Filename and email subject should be - “lastname_title_suitors”
🧛‍♂️Include short 3rd person bio
[email protected]
Cover Art
🧛‍♂️Eye catching design. Think pulp paperbacks, Basil Gogos covers, EC Horror Comics, Vintage Movie Posters
🧛‍♂️Originality. Homage is fun, plagiarism is not. Please make sure you own all aspects of your work
🧛‍♂️Knowledge and Love of all things Dracula. Hide some Easter eggs in there. Make it so that we keep coming back to find more to enjoy
🧛‍♂️Keep it clean. Sensual is fine. Erotica, not so much
🧛‍♂️Format is 5.5x8.5 paperback
🧛‍♂️Title will occupy top quarter(so leave space)
🧛‍♂️Full color preferred
🧛‍♂️Pease send high res .jpg, pdf, or .png
🧛‍♂️Compensation will be monetary plus contributor’s copies�
art@draculabeyondstoker
Visit DBSPress.com

13/06/2024

I did a really fun interview with Sasha on the Sublime Beasts podcast. You can hear the conversation here -

https://oursublimebeasts.substack.com/p/a-monster-who-revels-dracula-with?r=mwtkk&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web×tamp=0.0&triedRedirect=true

28/05/2024

If you see me wandering around with my DBS bag, it means I have copies of the Brides book with me. Make sure to say hi and grab one.

27/05/2024

DBS contributor Vince Stadon has a new Dracula book coming in September!

Join comedy writer and horror film enthusiast Vince Stadon on his mad marathon of over a century of screen Draculas, and let him be your bemused guide to the bewildering filmography of Bram Stoker’s Transylvanian terror! From a silent German Expressionist monster to a disco-era romantic antihero in a billowing shirt and bouffant hairdo, and from an animated helicopter parent who plays the ukulele to a buff and brooding warrior who turns into a flock of CGI bats when he gets a bit miffed, Dracula has been all these things and more!

COUNTING DRACULAS is an hilarious record of a delightfully whimsical excursion into the history of a horror icon. Written with wit, exasperation, and enthusiasm, this book is the most fun you’ll ever have in the company of a man obsessed with rubbish flappy bats!

Preorders are now open for COUNTING DRACULAS: Binge-Watching the Vampire King: https://www.atbpublishing.com/product/counting-draculas-binge-watching-the-vampire-king/

Join comedy writer and horror film enthusiast Vince Stadon on his mad marathon of over a century of screen Draculas, and let him be your bemused guide to the bewildering filmography of Bram Stoker’s Transylvanian terror!

26/05/2024

When you’re finished reading Dracula on this World Dracula Day, continue your adventures with Dracula Beyond Stoker!

26/05/2024

Celebrate World Dracula Day by reading(or rereading) the greatest novel ever written!