The Vampire Before Dracula

Before Bram Stoker’s Dracula ever stalked the pages of gothic fiction, another vampire haunted the European imagination who was beautiful, mysterious, and female. Her name was Carmilla, and she changed the shape of vampire literature forever.

A Forgotten Gothic Masterpiece

Written by Sheridan Le Fanu and first published in 1872 as part of his collection In a Glass Darkly, Carmilla is one of the earliest known vampire stories in English literature. It’s a chilling and deeply atmospheric tale set in a remote castle in Styria (modern-day Austria), blending mystery, sensuality, and the supernatural.

Le Fanu’s story broke boundaries for its time. Long before Dracula made Transylvania famous, Carmilla introduced readers to the idea of the vampire as both alluring and terrifying—a creature that draws its victims in through love and fascination as much as fear.

A Strange Visitor in the Night

The story is told through the eyes of Laura, a lonely young woman who lives with her father in an isolated castle. Her quiet life is upended when a carriage accident brings a mysterious young woman named Carmilla into their home. Carmilla is beautiful but strange, at times tender and affectionate, at others distant and unsettling.

As days pass, Laura becomes increasingly drawn to her guest. Yet strange events unfold around them: nearby villagers fall ill, whispers of a “plague” spread, and a shadowy figure is seen drifting through the night. Laura begins to suffer from disturbing dreams and unexplained weakness.

Eventually, the horrifying truth emerges. Carmilla is a vampire who preys upon young women, feeding on their life force under the guise of friendship and affection. In the story’s haunting climax, Carmilla is discovered sleeping in her tomb, her body preserved and beautiful, and finally destroyed by the men who seek to end her reign of terror.

A Tale Ahead of Its Time

Carmilla was groundbreaking not only for its depiction of vampirism but also for its exploration of feminine power. The relationship between Laura and Carmilla is layered with an emotional intimacy that was a bit too bold for Victorian readers.

Influence and Legacy

Le Fanu’s vampire set the stage for every elegant, seductive creature of the night to follow. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) was influenced by Carmilla, and even today, echoes of this story can be seen in works ranging from Interview with the Vampire to Crimson Peak. While Carmilla herself meets a tragic end, her spirit lingers in the Gothic imagination as an eternal flame flickering in the shadowed corridors of horror literature. Carmilla is currently in the public domain and is available for free on the Project Gutenberg website.