A Tale of Two Villains: Theme and Symbolism in Dracula and the Harry Potter Saga

Prepare to be delightfully surprised to discover that the godfather of all vampires and the infamous dark wizard share a deep character bond that goes far beyond the title ’monster.’ Be intrigued to uncover what a coffin and a horcrux share or to dig further to unearth that the often-overlooked scars which Bram Stoker wrote of in Victorian England are just as significant as those described by J. K. Rowling in the modern era. Indeed, it cannot be a mere coincidence that Dracula was hurt in 1897 and 100 years later, Harry is too. Bookshelves and databases are full of fascinating sources celebrating the supernatural worlds created by beloved authors Bram Stoker and J.K. Rowling. The millions of fans of Dracula and Harry Potter consist of all age groups and varied enthusiasm, ranging from a curious reader or leisure cinema observer to seriously devoted academic scholars. However, followers of each universe have been chiefly segregated - rarely mingling apart from an occasional culture convention, widely dominated by Star Wars, Star Trek, and Marvel heroes’ groupies. This is most unfortunate because Stoker and Rowling readers have a lot in common. This is because Count Dracula and Lord Voldemort have much in common. In fact, these two internationally acclaimed bestselling novels possess a remarkable kinship. A Tale of Two Villains is a love letter to both sets of fans paying homage to two superb authors and their extraordinary respective works. It is the first text to set both masterpieces on pedestals, side by side, analyzing the words on the page and the thoughts behind them - exploring their similar themes, unique parallelism, and mystical symbolism. The author delves profoundly into the interesting characters, their traits, conflicts, and motivations, to show how literary art is born. This book is a must have for any Stoker or Rowling reader, as it is the first of its kind ever published.

CALVIN H. CHERRY is a published author and fantasy and horror scholar. He maintains an author Facebook page and YouTube channel where he posts weekly blogs (written or video), sharing information about the research effort, writing progression, and publication process that went into his debut novel STOKER: Evolution of a Vampire (c) 2018, along with lectures about Bram Stoker, Dracula, Vlad the Impaler and all things vampires. He has spoken at numerous colleges and bookstores around the southeast and has been interviewed by several radio and news stations about his novel and his passion for lite