Ten: Stoker's Notes
A few years back, the notes Bram Stoker wrote up for his most famous novel were discovered. Exactly when he wrote them is anyone's guess, but they seem rather early on in the process. Interestingly, they include some intriguing details that never made their way into the book itself.
Bit of lore include the notion that Dracula could not be photographed, and that any attempt to paint his likeness onto a canvas would simply...fail. The notes also indicated the Count having something to do sooner or later with a seance.
Personally I find most intriguing some of the lost characters. Like the Count's mute woman. Or a police inspector named Cotford, a possibly Jewish solicitor Abraham Aaronson, artist Francis Aytown, the maid engaged to an undertaker, Alfred Singleton the psychical researcher, lawyer William Young and of course Mina's friend Kate Reed.
Kate Reed ended up as a recurring character in Kim Newman's Anno Dracula series, a "fictional" London complete with Inspector Lestrade and Bill Sikes, where Dracula won. Dacre Stoker also plumbed the notes for his "official" sequel to the novel, Dracula: The Undead.
I myself see a fairly obvious opening. Since my Renfield is a woman, she would have a female attendant. This allows me to bring in Kate Reed, who perhaps will mention a sister engaged to an undertaker.
More, I suspect sooner or later some police officer really should investigate some of these goings on. Otherwise it all feels very strange. A little bit of investigation reveals (in our history at least) by 1856 local police departments became required and funded outside of London, with the actual organization of such left up to local authorities. Most often the title of such locals were variations of "Constable" so for example "Chief Constable" might be a more popular rank than "Inspector."
To be continued
Personally I find most intriguing some of the lost characters. Like the Count's mute woman. Or a police inspector named Cotford, a possibly Jewish solicitor Abraham Aaronson, artist Francis Aytown, the maid engaged to an undertaker, Alfred Singleton the psychical researcher, lawyer William Young and of course Mina's friend Kate Reed.
Kate Reed ended up as a recurring character in Kim Newman's Anno Dracula series, a "fictional" London complete with Inspector Lestrade and Bill Sikes, where Dracula won. Dacre Stoker also plumbed the notes for his "official" sequel to the novel, Dracula: The Undead.
I myself see a fairly obvious opening. Since my Renfield is a woman, she would have a female attendant. This allows me to bring in Kate Reed, who perhaps will mention a sister engaged to an undertaker.
More, I suspect sooner or later some police officer really should investigate some of these goings on. Otherwise it all feels very strange. A little bit of investigation reveals (in our history at least) by 1856 local police departments became required and funded outside of London, with the actual organization of such left up to local authorities. Most often the title of such locals were variations of "Constable" so for example "Chief Constable" might be a more popular rank than "Inspector."
To be continued
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