Dracula

A slow burn by modern standards but the atmosphere is unmatched. Best read on dark, stormy nights.

Gothic literature at its peak. Every horror writer since owes a debt to this novel.

The ship arriving in Whitby with everyone dead is cinematic decades before cinema. Stoker was a visual thinker.

Mina is the unsung hero. Without her organizational skills, Dracula would have won. Brain beats brawn.

The ensemble cast approach works brilliantly. Each narrator adds a piece of the puzzle.

Forget sparkly vampires. This is the real deal. Dracula is terrifying because he's sophisticated evil.

The count climbing down the castle wall like a lizard is an image that haunts me to this day.

Some parts feel dated (Van Helsing's endless speeches) but the core horror is eternal.

Harker's journal at the start is pure suspense. You know something is wrong but Harker keeps rationalizing.

The sexuality beneath the surface is what makes Dracula timeless. Stoker tapped into primal fears.