Amazon.com description: Product Description: Abraham "Bram" Stoker (November 8, 1847 - April 20, 1912) was an Irish writer, best remembered as the author of the influential horror novel Dracula. In his honor, the Horror Writers Association recognizes "superior achievement" in horror writing with the Bram Stoker Award.He supplemented his income by writing a large number of novels, his most famous being the vampire tale Dracula which he published in 1897. Before writing Dracula, Stoker spent eight years researching European folklore and stories of vampires. Dracula is an epistolary novel, written as collection of diary entries, telegrams, and letters from the characters, as well as fictional clippings from the Whitby and London newspapers. Stoker's inspiration for the story was a visit to Slains Castle near Aberdeen. The bleak spot provided an excellent backdrop for his creation.