Tomes of Shadowstalking

Welcome to the land of shadows, where evil is the greatest power, where nightfall marks the birth of terror, where your very soul is at risk. Join me as I investigate worlds filled with black magic and dark souls and encounter the monsters rule these wicked places.

This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.

That said, on to the review!

You know the story of Count Dracula, as related by Bram Stoker; if you don't, where have you been for the past century? Stoker's novel consists of numerous journal entries, memos, and letters through which he follows the journey of the infamous Count from his Transylvanian castle to London and back. The vampire loses, the hunters triumph, and the world's a better place for the Count's death. However, what if Stoker's novel isn't how events really happened? In Fred Saberhagen's The Dracula Tape we hear the same story from the Count's perspective (yes, it means Dracula didn't really die). The basic premise is the same: vampire plans to go to London, vampire goes to London, vampire flees London. However, there are different takes on the characters that are chillingly believable, especially when we look at it with the knowledge of natives of the twentieth century.

One idea that I found particularly striking was the now common medical practice of blood transfusions. I don't claim to be a medical expert, but I do know that, with the exception of Type O, you can't mix blood types without dangerous and sometimes deadly side-effects. Of course, I know this thanks to twentieth century medical advances. Looking back at the four transfusions performed on Lucy Westenra, you can see how risky such a procedure can be. Dracula suggests that the Count is directly responsible for her death. The Dracula Tape argues that it is actually those blood transfusions that killed her. I say that the one makes for a better--and better known--story, but the other is a more logical and medically sound reason for Lucy's sharp decline.

The new portrayals of the different characters is equally eye-catching. I'm not sure which change was more disturbing: Lucy and Mina being more willing victims of the Count or Van Helsing being a fanatical sadist. I guess it is the latter. Even allowing for the reinterpretation of Dracula himself--not so vulnerable to holy things--Van Helsing comes across as being obsessed with destroying nosferatu and willing to manipulate anyone and everyone to fulfill his schemes. This is a far--very far--cry from the more or less sympathetic character that Stoker's words evoke. It seems eminently appropriate to the novel, however.

As I said last update, Dracula needs no introduction. It is a cult classic. It is slightly difficult to reconsider the character in a new light, but Fred Saberhagen does a good job of prodding you in that direcion. A reinterpretation of an original work isn't rare, but finding a good and plausible one is. Saberhagen pulls the feat off with flying colors.

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