Romantic and Horrific Stories (2021) is a collection of short fiction by Bram Stoker. Although he is largely remembered as the author of Dracula (1897), one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Stoker was a versatile writer whose gift for transmitting terror is matched by his ability to craft convincing and moving tales of love. “The Crystal Cup,” first published in London Society in 1872, is the story of an artist who is forced to create a flawless crystal vase for the king. Having left his wife and home behind, he suffers under a series of constraints and grueling demands. “The Chain of Destiny” is a bestselling epistolary tale featuring hypnotism, magic, and supernatural elements that first appeared in The Shamrock in 1875. In Stoker’s 1898 tale “Bengal Roses,” A teenager from the country falls for a beautiful young woman, but soon discovers she loves an older cavalry officer. First published in Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper in 1899, “A Yellow Duster” is the story of two old men whose lifelong friendship is threatened by a mysterious secret. Curious about a dust rag found in his friend’s display case, the story’s protagonist asks the collector of rare and priceless objects why he has preserved something so seemingly worthless. Other stories collected herein include “Our New House,” published in the Boston Herald in 1895, as well as “The Burial of the Rats” and “A Dream of Red Hands,” both of which appeared in Dracula’s Guest and Other Stories (1914). Romantic and Horrific Stories compiles a dozen works of short fiction by Bram Stoker, the secretive and vastly underrated creator of Dracula, one of history’s greatest villains. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Bram Stoker’s Romantic and Horrific Stories is a classic of Irish literature reimagined for modern readers.
