A review by nikshelby
Anno Dracula by Kim Newman
3.0
Please, don't read this if you are troubled by graphic scenes of gory murder and depravity. Beyond any other aspect, it is a tale of vampires - with all the attendant components. This includes the blood-soaked cruelty of those who subsist on consuming the living, not the misunderstood romantic tragic beauties who just want to be loved (perhaps one or two).
Please, read this if you are a fan of any, or all, of the following: Stoker's Dracula, any of that literary masterworks' predecessors or antecedents, social unrest against unjust political leadership, conspiracy theories immersed in Jack the Ripper facts, alternate historical fantasy or science-fiction, well-researched conglomerations of historical fiction, romantic heroes seeking truth and justice, the plethora of vampire entertainment offered over the last two hundred years (novels, plays, poetry, films, etc), detective mysteries and horror fiction, volatile Victorian society and culture, and plenty more components.
Newman created a self-described London "playground and minefield" of his favorite entertainment and history, and then invited us all to creep around its fog-smothered streets. It's the fun of a mashup (along the lines of "Frankenstein meets the Wolfman"), with an adult game of "Where's Waldo?" (yes, that is Oscar Wilde commenting on society, Elizabeth Bathory followed up with a mention of a character from "Blacula," alongside Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll, and a true serial-killer-victim. Spot-the Reference is a lively game on every page). Yet, it takes itself very seriously. I could not, in good conscience, call it a romp. No story replete with madness and flippant death could be.
As a years-long fan of the masterful classic, I found it fascinating. Stoker's Van Helsing described Dracula's project in Britain as to "become the father and furtherer of a new order of beings, whose road must lead through Death, not Life." This story is predicated on a world in which the small group of hunters did not succeed. If Dracula emerged from their encounter triumphant, what might have the subsequent society become? Newman aided the Count's rise to power, and the rise of revolutionary groups seeking his defeat. Set in 1888, anything feasibly possible is included, smashed together with a flourish.
(And no, Sherlock Holmes' couldn't solve the crimes of the stalker of women-of-the-night...he was locked in a concentration camp at the time).
Please, read this if you are a fan of any, or all, of the following: Stoker's Dracula, any of that literary masterworks' predecessors or antecedents, social unrest against unjust political leadership, conspiracy theories immersed in Jack the Ripper facts, alternate historical fantasy or science-fiction, well-researched conglomerations of historical fiction, romantic heroes seeking truth and justice, the plethora of vampire entertainment offered over the last two hundred years (novels, plays, poetry, films, etc), detective mysteries and horror fiction, volatile Victorian society and culture, and plenty more components.
Newman created a self-described London "playground and minefield" of his favorite entertainment and history, and then invited us all to creep around its fog-smothered streets. It's the fun of a mashup (along the lines of "Frankenstein meets the Wolfman"), with an adult game of "Where's Waldo?" (yes, that is Oscar Wilde commenting on society, Elizabeth Bathory followed up with a mention of a character from "Blacula," alongside Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll, and a true serial-killer-victim. Spot-the Reference is a lively game on every page). Yet, it takes itself very seriously. I could not, in good conscience, call it a romp. No story replete with madness and flippant death could be.
As a years-long fan of the masterful classic, I found it fascinating. Stoker's Van Helsing described Dracula's project in Britain as to "become the father and furtherer of a new order of beings, whose road must lead through Death, not Life." This story is predicated on a world in which the small group of hunters did not succeed. If Dracula emerged from their encounter triumphant, what might have the subsequent society become? Newman aided the Count's rise to power, and the rise of revolutionary groups seeking his defeat. Set in 1888, anything feasibly possible is included, smashed together with a flourish.
(And no, Sherlock Holmes' couldn't solve the crimes of the stalker of women-of-the-night...he was locked in a concentration camp at the time).