Book Description

An investigation of the evidence for links between Dracula and Jack the Ripper, containing original research and previously unpublished and rare materials/illustrations—as well as an evocative exploration of the theater and esoteric scene in 1880s LondonSince its publication in 1897, there have been suggestions that the fictional exploits of Dracula were more closely associated with Jack the Ripper than a Transylvanian Count. Historian Neil Storey provides the first British-based investigation of the sources used by Stoker and paints an evocative portrait of Stoker, his influences, friends, and the London he knew in the late 19th century. Among Stoker's group of friends, however, were dark shadows. Storey explores how Stoker created Dracula out of the climate of fear that surrounded the Jack the Ripper murders in 1888. Add to this potent combination the notion that Stoker may have known Jack the Ripper personally and hidden the clues to this terrible knowledge in his book. The premise is seductive and connects some of the giants of stage and literature of late Victorian Britain. Having gained unprecedented access to the unique archive of one of Stoker's most respected friends and the dedicatee of Dracula, Storey sheds new light on both Stoker and Dracula, and reveals startling new insights into the links between Stoker's creation and the most infamous murderer of all time.