Dracula Lives!

The Dracula legend has remained extraordinarily popular in its many incarnations over the years. Some intriguing proof:

• There have been more than 200 filmed versions of the Dracula story since Nosferatu. Among the actors who have portrayed the count on screen are Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Frank Langella, Jack Palance and Gary Oldman.

• Celebrated author Anne Rice’s novels, including the 10 that comprise her “Vampire Chronicles,” have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.

• Elizabeth Kostova’s 2005 debut novel, The Historian, chronicling a fictional search for the real-life Dracula figure, shot straight to the top of The New York Times Bestseller List, has been translated into 44 different languages, sold more than 20 million copies and earned its author a $2 million advance on the movie rights.

• Those who want to go Dracula-hunting for themselves have revolutionized the tourism industry in Romania. Some tours stick strictly to history, offering opportunities to visit Vlad the Impaler’s birthplace, fortified castle and potential burial site. Others, like those offered by the Transylvanian Society of Dracula, let participants dine on the meal eaten by Jonathan Harker at the Golden Krone or attend a masked ball at Castle Dracula.