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Anno Dracula, by Kim Newman
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"Kim Newman's Anno Dracula is back in print, and we must celebrate. It was the first mash-up of literature, history and vampires, and now, in a world in which vampires are everywhere, it's still the best, and its bite is just as sharp. Compulsory reading, commentary, and mindgame: glorious." -�Neil Gaiman
"Politics, horror, and romance are woven together in this brilliantly imagined and realized novel. Newman's prose is a delight, his attention to detail is spellbinding." -�Time Out
“Stephen King assumes we hate vampires; Anne Rice makes it safe to love them, because they hate themselves. Kim Newman suspects that most of us live with them…�Anno Dracula�is the definitive account of that post-modern species, the self-obsessed undead.” -�New York Times
“Anno Dracula�will leave you breathless... one of the most creative novels of the year.” -�Seattle Times
“Powerful... compelling entertainment... a fiendishly clever banquet of dark treats.” -�San Francisco Chronicle
'A ripping yarn, an adventure romp of the best blood, and a satisfying… read' -�Washington Post Book World
"The most comprehensive, brilliant, dazzlingly audacious vampire novel to date. 'Ultimate' seems an apt description...�Anno Dracula is at once playful, horrific, intelligent, and revelatory." -�Locus�
"A marvelous marriage of political satire, melodramatic intrigue, gothic horror, and alternative history. Not to be missed." -�The Independent�
"Once you start reading this Victorian-era thriller, you will not be�satiated until you reach the end." -�Ain't It Cool
"Anno Dracula is the smart, hip Year Zero of the vampire genre's ongoing�revolution." -�Paul McAuley
"Kim Newman brings Dracula back home in the granddaddy of all vampire adventures. Anno Dracula couldn't be more fun if Bram Stoker had scripted it for Hammer. It's a beautifully constructed Gothic epic that knocks almost every other vampire novel out for the count." -�Christopher Fowler���
�"The most interesting take on the Dracula story... to date. Recommending this one to all those that love Dracula and historical fiction!" -�RexRobotReviews
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It is 1888 and Queen Victoria has remarried, taking as her new consort Vlad Tepes, the Wallachian Prince infamously known as Count Dracula. Peppered with familiar characters from Victorian history and fiction, the novel follows vampire Genevi�ve Dieudonn� and Charles Beauregard of the Diogenes Club as they strive to solve the mystery of the Ripper murders.
Anno Dracula is a rich and panoramic tale, combining horror, politics, mystery and romance to create a unique and compelling alternate history. Acclaimed novelist Kim Newman explores the darkest depths of a reinvented Victorian London.
This brand-new edition of the bestselling novel contains unique bonus material, including a new afterword from Kim Newman, annotations, articles and alternate endings to the original novel.
- Sales Rank: #22739 in Books
- Brand: Brand: Titan Books
- Published on: 2011-05-24
- Released on: 2011-05-24
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 7.99" h x 1.45" w x 5.22" l, 1.09 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 560 pages
- Used Book in Good Condition
Amazon.com Review
As Nina Auerbach writes in the New York Times, " Stephen King assumes we hate vampires; Anne Rice makes it safe to love them, because they hate themselves. Kim Newman suspects that most of us live with them . . . . Anno Dracula is the definitive account of that post-modern species, the self-obsessed undead." In this first of what looks to be an excellent series, Victorian England has vampires at every level of society, especially the higher ones, and they engage in incessant intrigue, power games, and casual oppression of the weak--activities, as we know, that are all too human. Numerous characters from literature and from history appear in both major and cameo roles. Spectacular fight scenes, stormy politics, and a serial vampire killer keep the action lively. A scholarly bibliography is included.
From Publishers Weekly
What if Count Dracula married Queen Victoria? On this intriguing, but inescapably silly, conceit, Newman ( Jago ) bases his exercise in historical horror fiction, previously published in the U.K. In England, circa 1888, "turning" vampire is all the rage: such luminaries as Oscar Wilde, Inspector Lestrade, Sherlock Holmes's collaborator, and the Queen herself have embraced vampirism. Those who haven't find themselves shunned by society and facing banishment to internment camps if their opposition to the new regime becomes threatening. Enter Jack the Ripper. In this version of history, he is none other than Jack Seward, the lovelorn doctor of Bram Stoker's Dracula , who here murders vampire women to avenge the death of his beloved Lucy. While Londoners, vampire and "warm" alike, vie to catch the Ripper for their own agendas, Charles Beauregard, agent of Conan Doyle's mysterious Diogenes Club, must track him down for the most vital reason of all: the future of England. Newman's meticulous attention to historical detail occasionally seems superfluous in a work of such unabashed fantasy, but his prose is sure-handed and vivid, especially in Seward's diary entries, which, free of the welter of Victorian trivia, are truly engrossing.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
Newman goes over the top in every novel (Night Mayor, Bad Dreams, Jago), each featuring a monstrous overlord of horror unlikely to be dethroned--but this time he leaps to new heights, drawing the Dracula novel that sets a benchmark for vampire fiction. Warning: the blood, well, you can't say it's overdone, for a vampire novel, but two qualities distinguish Newman's story: the immense physiological detail shoring up the reality of the undead, and the gathering sense of the author's enjoyment in what he does here--among other things, his sheer love of chockablock Victorian detail. The plot: Vlad Tepes, or Dracula, did not die as in Bram Stoker but rather survived and, political genius, rose to marry Queen Victoria in 1885 and become her consort. Dracula rules England, with Victoria doglike in a leash at his feet. What's more, it's now fashionable to be a vampire, especially among the nobility, while among the lower orders the change from ``warm'' to the immortal undead can be bought from any corner whore for the price of a shot of gin or draft of pig's blood at the pub. Jack the Ripper, however, hates undead whores and knows that destroying any vital organ can kill them. Who is Jack? None other that Stoker's Dr. John (Jack) Seward, who helped drive a stake into Lucy Westenra, Stoker's heroine. Jack's gone round the bend, living among a people who look upon vampirism as, well, pretty nice. The police assign Genevieve Dieuxdonne, a vampire detective, herself a half-century older than Dracula, to chase down Jack, assisted by Charles Beauregard, handsome henchman of Conan Doyle's The Diogenes Club, England's Star Chamber. Also on hand: Mycroft Holmes, Dr. Jekyll, and dozens of famed Victorians from literature and real life, all mingling in a fogbound milieu that rubs like cat fur on the reader's imagination. A bloody delight. -- Copyright �1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Most helpful customer reviews
67 of 68 people found the following review helpful.
Anno Dracula (Titan Books edition)
By Brendan Moody
There are books one simply shouldn't attempt to describe to the casual reader; regardless of merit, they sound not just uninteresting, but deeply silly. In eighth grade I was reading Harry Turtledove's Worldwar tetralogy, and a well-meaning classmate mentioned to our history teacher that I was reading a book about World War II. I was left to explain, "Yes, it's an alternate history where World War II is underway... and then aliens invade." Mercifully, I've forgotten what Mr. Dennett's reaction was.
The other day I was in the car, reading the new edition of Kim Newman's landmark vampire alternate history Anno Dracula, and I happened to read a passage out to my mother. (For readers familiar with the book, it was the exchange of insults in the pub.) She asked what the book's premise was, and I dutifully replied: "Well, it's like Dracula, except Dracula wins and he marries Queen Victoria." Mother was not amused.
I suppose it does sound ridiculous, but it isn't really. Dracula was a prince, and his ambitions were not small; had he not been defeated by Van Helsing's merry band, he might well have ingratiated himself with the British royal family, and the consequence would have been the world Newman portrays: a country where vampires have emerged into everyday life, where the best way to advance in high society is to "turn" and vampire-resisters are dragged off to concentration camps, where the prostitutes of the East End are as likely to offer blood as sex. Unless they're vampires themselves.
The story around which Newman's evocation of this alternate England is woven is the author's second quirky stroke of genius: Jack the Ripper is active in this world as well, but all his victims are vampires. The police, urged on by the government, are desperate to find this madman and potential folk hero, and so is the Diogenes Club, a secretive organization devoted to the national interest. The Club's agent, Charles Beauregard, finds himself working alongside the centuries old vampire Genevi�ve to find the Ripper. But their investigation is complicated by the sheer range of suspects, not to mention a vendetta against Genevi�ve and an increasingly repressive palace regime.
As one might expect, the characters of the novel include several from Dracula-- those, at least, who have survived, including Dr. Seward and Arthur Holmwood. But other Victorian and Edwardian literature is amply represented. One of the police detectives is Inspector Lestrade, while two doctors consulted about the murderer's knowledge and motivations are named Jekyll and Moreau. Vampires from other fiction have flocked to England for safety and freedom. Readers who don't like this sort of cameo appearance are advised not to read Anno Dracula, which is littered with them. For those who enjoy the game of tracking down references, there are plenty of semi-obscure names to identify. Historical figures, from Oscar Wilde to Sir Charles Warren, also appear.
But the novel is much more than a complicated game of Where's Waldo. Its world-building, in which real-world issues like sodomy raids and child prostitution are given a vampire twist, is ingenious enough, but it also includes vivid action sequences, intricate political intrigue, and a well-thought-out investigation. The Ripper's identity (itself a brilliant notion) is revealed to the reader early on, turning the book into a howcatchem rather than a whodunit, but allowing a powerful, disturbing insight into the killer's motivations. Anno Dracula is a fast-paced, delightful entertainment, a marvel of storytelling for those who like this sort of thing.
The book, first published in the 1990s, has long been out of print, but was recently released in a new edition by Titan Books. In addition to the original text, the new edition includes a number of bonus features: annotations by the author, identifying some of the more obscure references; an afterword on the novel's genesis; an excerpt from the novella "Red Reign," which preceded the novel and has a slightly different ending; extracts from Newman's unproduced screenplay for a film version, which includes a few new sequences and some altered characters; "Drac the Ripper," an essay on other Ripper/Dracula stories; and "Dead Travel Fast," a short story featuring Dracula that, while not formally part of the Anno Dracula universe, could fit into it, and is in any case a sharp, nasty piece dealing with a less-appreciated trait of the vampire.
I mention the Anno Dracula universe. Newman followed the original novel with two sequels: The Bloody Red Baron, set during World War I, and Dracula Cha Cha Cha (released in the US under the dull title Judgment of Tears), set in the 1950s. A fourth novel, Johnny Alucard, bringing the series into the present day, has long been in the works. Titan Books now plans to publish the entire series. Anno Dracula came out this month; The Bloody Red Baron (containing a never-before-published novella) will follow in October 2011, while Dracula Cha Cha Cha (with another new novella) will appear in April 2012 and Johnny Alucard in October 2012. Fans of Wold Newton-esque vampire fiction have much to look forward to.
41 of 45 people found the following review helpful.
Excellent alternative-history and dark fantasy
By Claude Avary
At the moment I write this, Kim Newman's "Anno Dracula" is out of print. (Hopefully, by the time you read this, it will be available again.) It baffles me that such a wonderful recent novel (1992) could easily slip out of publication, especially when it is still very popular: apparently used bookstores can't keep this one their shelves for more then a day. With the huge success of Alan Moore's graphic novel "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" you would think this similar blending of Victorian personages, both historical and fictional, would widely available. This is really the dark fantasy version of Moore's heroic graphic novel, and anyone who enjoys either 1) alternative history, 2) vampire novels, or 3) dark fantasy will adore this book and never let their copy out of their greedy reading hands.
Mr. Newman imagines Victorian England if the bloodsucking count had been the victor in Dracula. The Count marries Queen Victoria and becomes ruler of an England rapidly becoming the territory of `new-born' vampires, who seek to be `turned' so they can rise in rank. Dracula opens up a reign of terror reminiscent of a medieval monarchy, yet still filled with traditional British Vicotrian attitudes. It's a delightful mixed brew of history and gothic darkness.
Into this thrilling setting slinks Jack the Ripper (also known as `Silver Knife'), slashing vampire girls in Whitechapel. Charles Beauregard, a human (or a 'warm' in vampire terms) who works for a secret society, and Genevieve, a vampire of an ancient boodline who has great distate for Dracula's reign both search for the murderer. Coming from two different angles, they join forces to try to fathom the mystery of the killings. Their invesitgation will lead to repercussions for all of this topsy-turvy, nightmare version of England.
"Anno Dracula" is an extraordinary feat of imagination: bloody, violent, erotic, and chock-full of historical and fictional guest stars: Oscar Wilde, Arthur Holmwood, Henry Jekyll, Jack the Ripper, Dr. Moreau, Danny Dravot (from Kipling's "The Man Who Would be King"), Professor Moriarty, George Bernard Shaw, etc. Even a quick mention of Lewis Carroll and Allan Quartermain! It's a Victorian literature lover`s dream come true -- and one for any fan of dark, exciting, BLOODY good fantasy and horror. Look for a copy, and let's hope it will be back in print soon!
33 of 36 people found the following review helpful.
Great Premise, Disappointing Execution
By meltingdew
I picked up Anno Dracula in a bookstore a couple of days ago and, intrigued by the ridiculousness of the premise, read the first couple of pages. I was immediately impressed by the accurateness of the style and voice (as mimicked Stoker's Dracula) and bought it. Here are my impressions:
1. Newman really did his homework. He integrates material that demonstrates a knowledge not only of Vlad Tepes and Stoker's Dracula, but also of the other important historical and literary characters of the time period. He includes such characters as Oscar Wilde, Mycroft Holmes, and Dr. Jekyll in such a way as demonstrates familiarly and understanding.
2. Unfortunately, this understanding (and his mimicry of style -- which fades, by the way) does not extend to content. There is a high level of brutal violence and sex very inconsistent with Stoker's work, including some things unlikely for the time period (a certain gentleman from Stoker's Dracula would not make a graphic record of his sexual exploits for posterity, even if he'd gone mad). Newman appears to have no concept of subtlety or subtext. Content warnings for graphic violence and sex, including the violent rape of a child prostitute.
3. Although he's clearly familiar with which characters existed, Newman's versions of them are often vastly altered from their originals, and become almost universally unlikable and depraved. The way he depicts vampires makes them entirely repugnant, including those we're supposed to like and root for.
4. Kudos to Newman for clever integration of multiple vampire types and legends. He does make some unnecessary (and poorly explained away) alterations to the nature of Dracula-type vampires, but they are still recognizable.
5. Newman takes his own ridiculous premise utterly seriously. There were no laughs in this book, and only a few moments of mild amusement, mostly deriving from his historical mash-up. However, I feel that many of these moments would be lost on most people. Ruddigore happens to be my favorite of Gilbert and Sullivan's operettas, but it is not well known, so how many people would get the reference to Ruthven Murgatroyd? (He explains the joke a little, although in a way that made me wonder if he'd actually seen the operetta.)
6. Dracula is barely in the book. His one eventual appearance is brief and disappointing, not to mention vastly out of character.
7. The major flaw of the book is that it lacks tension. The main plot is about finding a murderer called the Silver Knife. The murderer is transparently (and eventually named as) Jack the Ripper. Although this plot line is treated as a mystery, we know the Silver Knife's identity from the first line of the first page of the first chapter; he holds the narrative. Since Jack the Ripper is extremely famous, most people know a) only five victims were definitely attributed to him, b) it was popularly believed he was a doctor, and c) he was never caught. Allowing for literary conventions, it was blatantly obvious to me how this plot line was going to end. Indeed, by historical necessity (i.e. we reached victim #5), his plot line largely fizzled out around page 200. Despite this, the "mystery" element is strung along tediously and pointlessly for the next 200 pages. During these 200 pages, the book coasts along without anything to push it, with little resembling plot and nothing resembling tension. After that, the book ends with a brief, uninteresting climax that is largely unconnected with anything that's happened previously (but with a massive plot hole masquerading as sequel-baiting). The last 100 pages is extras.
Overall, although I don't recommend this book, nor do I recommend against it. It's easily readable, and its premise is sufficiently decent to sustain it (more or less) for its duration. If someone gave me the sequel, I'd probably read it, but I definitely won't be seeking it out.
UPDATE: It's now been about three weeks since I read Anno Dracula. In the interim, I was inspired to reread Bram Stoker's Dracula, since it had been several years since I'd last read it. The more I read it, the more I had to come to the conclusion that Newman either completely misunderstood or loathed his source material. He goes out of his way to make wise characters foolish, moral characters debased, and clever characters stupid. Whereas the major themes of Dracula were redemption and the rewarding of purity, Anno Dracula rewards the morally debased and reverses redemption.
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