At long last , Kim Newman is publishing the fourth volume of his Anno Dracula alternating - history serial , Johnny Alucard . In an undivided essay , Newman explains why a late-20th - one C Dracula story had to encompass the many Draculas of pop acculturation . Plus there ’s an single Holy Writ extract !
I ’ve often key out my book of account Anno Dracula as ‘ literally , a vampire novel ’ – in that it battens on to other novel and sucks their lifeblood , transforming as well as feeding off them . With the publication ofJohnny Alucard , the series now offer to four volume . The earlier books are Anno Dracula , The Bloody Red Baron and Dracula Cha Cha Cha and the definitive Titan editions include two retentive novellas , ‘ Vampire Romance ’ and ‘ Aquarius ’ , which fill in gaps in what now feel to me like one foresightful fib set throughout an alternate modern epoch built on the whimsy that Count Dracula overcome Van Helsing in 1885 and rose to power in Great Britain , then became a prevalent influence on 20th Century chronicle and popular civilization .
The series is not strictly an alternate history saga in that Anno Dracula diverge not from events in our history but from something which fall out only in Bram Stoker ’s novel – Dracula ’s sojourn to England – to hoi polloi who did n’t really exist . Also , though my edition of history includes vampires ( a great deal of vampires ) , I have still endeavor to write about what actually happened rather than muse on what might have been . If Dracula permeates the acculturation of the Anno Dracula series , so he does the real world around us … The vampire Count would n’t have survived as a character ( or a multi - platform enfranchisement ) if he did n’t mean so much to so many people . Dracula can prolong many interpretations and exists in many spiritual forms … and Johnny Alucard is my attempt to research the multiplicity of Draculas unloosed on the earthly concern in the retentive Wake Island of Stoker ’s novel .
The earlier novels in the series position Dracula as a ruler , a powerfulness behind the throne , an exile and the distinguish leader of a vampire residential area ( a claim occasionally repugn by would - be rival who are more like imitations – many are based on characters who have been fill-in for the Count in films like St. Bride of Dracula or Count Yorga – Vampire ) . Now , thanks to events in the earlier books , Dracula is mostly absent from the human beings , which makes space for his cultural ghosts .
All the early books and narrative in the series have subtitles like Anno Dracula 1918 ( The Bloody Red Baron ) or Anno Dracula 1968 ( ‘ Aquarius ’ ) and are set over a relatively abbreviated clip and in a fairly limited seat ( London in 1888 in Anno Dracula , Rome in 1959 in Dracula Cha Cha Cha ) . This meter , it ’s Anno Dracula 1976 - 91 – even though there ’s a 1944 prologue – and the story takes place in many locations , including London and Transylvania but with the serial ’ first visits to America ( New York , Hollywood , Baltimore , Route 66 ) . In the series so far , I have play with the notion of the many - face Dracula , drawing from Stoker ( who gives several very dissimilar description of the vampire ) and playing with the image of the Count presented by Bela Lugosi ( who has a cameo in The Bloody Red Baron ) and Christopher Lee .
This meter , I want to pull back a level and look at imaginary Draculas – using the terminus in the sense that DC comics used to utilize ‘ notional stories ’ to discover the variety of metafictions that Anno Dracula is . ‘ Imaginary stories ? Are n’t they all ? ’ Alan Moore ask in one of the in effect of them , ‘ Ubermensch : Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow ? ’ A peachy many artists – mostly filmmakers , but authors too ( I am far from the only novelist out there play with Dracula ) – have been draw to Stoker ’s book , and in Johnny Alucard I bring on several who have a tantalising almost - history with Dracula : Francis Ford Coppola ( who made a Bram Stoker ’s Dracula , but not the Apocalypse Now - alike adaptation I envision in the Christian Bible ) , Andy Warhol ( who painted and notionally produce Draculas and made a now - turn a loss Batman vs Dracula film ) and Orson Welles ( who did a radio Dracula and talk about filming the novel ) . Ken Russell and Ingmar Bergman also want to do Dracula – Russell ’s script has been print – but I could n’t quite see my way to work them into my tapestry , which is n’t to say they wo n’t be displume in to afterwards Anno Draculas ( yes , there will be a fifth ; no , I ca n’t say where it will go or when it will be coiffure ) .
The spectre of Dracula is all around – as a political metaphor and a Sesame St instruction aide ( ‘ the Count ’ , who line on a little - acknowledge folkloric aspect of lamia – that they are compel to number matter ) , as a shelfload of weird knick - knacks ( I own Mr and Mrs Dracula common salt - and - pepper shakers , not to name a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Dracula and a Smurf Dracula ) . Johnny Alucard is the novel in which I get to play with this form of triviality – I was delighted to work a book of facts to the Count into the Quran ( though sorry that I could n’t do a bit I once wrote in a vampire melodic rom - com motion picture hand in which a muppet vampire is staked and his feel skin crumbles to divulge the skeleton of a giant hired man inside ) . But , of form , the piffling moderate to the momentous . The fourth dimension period the book is set in , which laps up against the time when I wrote the first novel in the serial publication , and the focussing on America , the main generator of 20th Century pa culture , allows for an exploration of the relationship between vampirism and the fad of renown , pornography and high cultivation , drug addiction and distribution ( yes , I wrote that section before rightful rip did something standardized ) and , of course , money .
The connexion of vampirism with capitalism go back to a much - quote passage Marx and is one of the thread of Dracula I piece up in Johnny Alucard , which addresses that wonderful moment in Stoker ’s novel ( fresh in any of the films ) when the Count is stab and bleeds gold coin from a hidden money - belt . When it was announce that Bain Capital , the controversial American speculation capital house once head by former US presidential candidate Mitt Romney , was probable to take over the main line plasm provider to the UK National Health Service as part of the concretion regime ’s program of take in private firms to run elements of the NHS for profit , I give thanks the real world for consistently evidence more ghoulishly awful than anything I could think up on my own . As long as this sort of affair keeps up , I ’ll need to continue the serial .
EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT
A red - headed lamia girl bumped into her and hissed , displaying pearly fangs . Penelope lowered her dark glasses and gave the tab a neon spotlight . cow , the creature backed off . intrigue , Penny took the young lady by the bare upper arm and count into her mouth like a dentist . Her fangs were real , but shrank as she quivered in Penny ’s nosferatu traction . Red swirl dwindle down in her centre , and she was lovesome again , a frail thing .
centime understood what the vampire boy was doing in the back room . At once , she was aghast and strike with wonderment . She had listen of the tender temporarily taking on vampire dimension by drinking vampire blood without themselves being bite . There was a story about Katie Reed and a flyer in the World War I. But it was uncommon and grave .
Well , it used to be rare .
All around her , mayfly vampire darted . A youth blundered into her weapon and assay to burn her . She steadfastly pushed him away , breaking the fingers of his right-hand hand to make a point . They would heal instantly but ache like the Devil when he turn back into a genuine son .
A worm of brat curled in her gist . To do such a thing meant have a vision . Vampires , made buttoned-down by hundred , were seldom innovators . She was reminded , again , of Dracula , who had rear among the nosferatu by merit of his willingness to stake into novel , large - ordered series fields of conquest . Such vampires were always frightening .
Would it really be a good thing for Andy to meet this boy ?
She saw the white jacket shining in the darkness . The lamia support at the bar , with Steve Rubell , ringmaster of 54 , and the movie actress Isabelle Adjani . Steve , as usual , was flying , hairstyle falling aside above his bald post . His pocket bulged with petty hard currency taken from the overstuffed money box .
Steve spotted her , understand her nod of interest , and signalled her to come over .
‘ Penny favorite , ’ he said , ‘ look at me . I ’m like you . ’
He had fangs too . And red - smeared lips .
‘ I … am … a vampiah ! ’
For Steve , it was just a caper . There was a bitemark on Adjani ’s neck , which she dabbed with a bar table napkin .
‘ This is just the biggest thing evah , ’ Steve said .
‘ Fabulous , ’ she agree .
Her eyes furbish up the vampire newcomer . He withstood her regard . She try him no longer a new - give birth but not yet an senior . He was definitely of the Dracula line .
‘ Introduce me , ’ she demanded , exquisitely .
Steve ’s red middle center .
‘ Andy is interested ? ’
Penny nod . Whatever was swarming in his brain , Steve was sharp .
‘ Penelope , this is Johnny Pop . He ’s from Transylvania . ’
‘ I am an American , now , ’ he said , with just a touch of accent .
‘ Johnny , my boy , this is the witch Penny Churchward . ’
Penny extended her knuckle duster to be snog . Johnny Pop take her fingers and give in slightly , an Old World habit .
‘ You cut quite a figure , ’ she said .
‘ You are an elderberry bush ? ’
‘ Good grief , no . I ’m from the course of ’ 88 . One of the few survivors . ’
‘ My compliments . ’
He lease her mitt go . He had a marvellous beverage on the legal profession , pedigree concentrate . He would need to get his blood depend up , to judge by all his fluttering get .
Some fellow climb off the dance story on ungainly , short - survive wings . He made it a few animal foot into the air , flapping furiously . Then , there was a ripping and he collapsed onto the rest of the crew , scream and bleeding .
Johnny smiled and raise his glass to her .
She would have to think about this ontogenesis .
‘ My friend Andy would wish to meet you , Johnny . ’
Steve was delighted , and slapped Johnny on the arm .
‘ Andy Warhol is the Vampire Queen of New York City , ’ he said . ‘ You have arrived , my deah ! ’
Johnny was n’t impressed . Or was adjudicate hard not to be .
Politely , he sound out , ‘ Miss Churchward , I should like to cope with your friend Mr Warhol . ’
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