Godfather Of The Horror Story...!

Ever since I was a kid, the old time horror stories and movies have been  favorites of mine.

I really don't know what the fascination is with scary stories, but to me it's the ultimate in escapism! I guess my second favorite is good mysteries, but you already knew that, right?

May 26, 1897:

Bram Stoker's novel Dracula goes on sale in London

Horror writer Bram Stoker's classic vampire tale, Dracula, is first offered for sale in London on this day.

Through fictional journal entries and letters written by the novel's principal characters, Dracula tells the story of a Transylvanian vampire and his English victims. Stoker had been publishing horror stories since 1875 and published his first novel, Snake's Pass, in 1890. The horror genre, which was born of folk tales and legends, had received a boost in 18th century England through the Gothic movement. It persisted in the 19th century thanks to works like Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein.

Stoker was born in Dublin and bedridden for his first seven years of life. However, he later distinguished himself as an athlete at the University of Dublin. He worked in civil service for a decade while writing drama reviews. In 1878, he became the manager of Sir Henry Irving, an actor he admired. He managed Irving for 27 years. Stoker wrote several other novels before his death in London in 1912, but none equaled the popularity of Dracula.

Back when I was a kid, Saturday night was always the main night to watch old horror movies. All we had was a black and white television, but back in those days most of the scary shows were done in black and white anyway! Worked out just fine and gave me a lot of fun memories!

How about some fresh coffee on the patio this morning? Mind if I water the plants while we visit?