Although they may not be your usual hero, vampires have captivated us for millennia.
The Vampyre, penned by John Polidori in 1819, was the first short fiction about the monster in the English language.
More came after, with F.W. Murnau’s silent picture Nosferatu (1922) being influenced by Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897). Now being remade by Robert Eggers, it will be released in the UK in 2025 and star Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, and Bill Skarsgård.
But why are we so interested in vampire fiction?
Mark Gatiss, an actor and writer, developed an early obsession with vampires.
The “horror obsessive” has been a part of the drama programs Sherlock and Dracula for as long as he can remember.
From a love of terrifying stories as a boy, Gatiss went on to play Dracula in an audio production, a documentary about the monster, and a 2020 series in which the Count (Claes Bang) travels to London.
He claims it was “too good to be true” to have the chance to bring Stoker’s famous vampire to life.
It’s an imperishable myth, much like Sherlock Holmes, and you really must do it if someone gives you the chance,” he says.
