Sure, it鈥檚 the most famous vampire novel, but 鈥淒racula鈥� isn鈥檛 the first one. Nor was it the most unusual. Sheridan Le Fanu wrote 鈥淐armilla,鈥� about a lesbian vampire who stalks lonely young women, in 1871. 鈥淰arney the Vampire鈥� by James Malcolm Rymer, an 1845-47 gothic horror series, also preceded 鈥淒racula.鈥� (In fact, 鈥淒racula鈥� was probably inspired by 鈥淐armilla鈥� and 鈥淰arney the Vampire.鈥�) And in 1819, John Polidori penned 鈥淭he Vampyre鈥� based on the summer he spent with Frankenstein creator Mary Shelley, her husband poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Lord Byron. These, and many other works and life experiences, helped inspire Stoker to write 鈥淒racula.鈥�
