As an Early Reviewer win, I received Issues 1, 1.5, two stand-alones, and Issue 2 of this series and I have to say I really thought it was pretty amazing. I've read quite a bit of Dracula-inspired fiction over the years and most of it comes across as beginner fanfic with too many letter V words involved, but this stuff was all pretty good. I could have done without a couple of the stories that were phone text-based conversations, but that does make sense for a modern take on an epistolary story. I just found the formating to be too clunky to enjoy the story. The standout author for me was Mia Dalia, whose story In Ink, In Blood appears in Issue 1.5. This story for me was by far the best of the series and I will be looking for other works of theirs for sure. Overall, very decent anthology. ( )

After 125 some-odd years, Dracula is still a big draw. Who would have thunk a daily email like Dracula Daily would unite the internet (or at least Tumblr) so thoroughly. Somehow, editor Tucker Christine has their fingers firmly on the pulse (har har) of the zeitgeist. 2022 brought issue one of Dracula Beyond Stoker, a collection of short stories reimagining, expanding upon, and playing with the renowned count. In this year 2023, issue two unveils Renfield – Dracula’s familiar(?), fanboy(?), next-door-neighbor(?), and Judas (who also had a movie all about him this year, something must be in the water).

Renfield is a strange figure in the corpus of Western literature. As writer Toothpickings acknowledges in their brief essay at the close of the issue, this fellow arrives in the novel fully-formed, already imprisoned in Dr. Seward’s sanitarium, and provided no backstory. He is a cipher, his connection to Dracula never clear, and his motivations a mystery except for his systematic consumption of living things and his eventual betrayal of his “master”. Almost every film adaptation of the novel has either written him out or provided him a backstory to try and explain what he's even doing here. In other words, that padded cell is a playground for imaginative writers.

The eleven stories and one poem in Dracula Beyond Stoker issue two approach Renfield from every angle. A few try to provide a backstory and inner voice, like Kai Holmwood’s ‘The Matter of Vivacity’ (a highlight) or Mark Oxbrow’s ‘The Killing Jar’. Some riff on the theme, like Emma Kathryn’s ‘The Spider Logs’, combining Dracula with Alien to great effect. John Kiste’s ‘Renfield, M.E.’ is a delightful send-up, framing Renfield as the weird medical examiner and every other character a player in an all-too-human plot. Cat Voleur’s ‘The Crushing Weight of an Elephant’s Soul’ shockingly takes the point of view of all the many-legged critters that feed Renny’s inhuman hunger. While in that story, they lead to his downfall, in Jeremy Megaree’s ‘Zoophagus’, those bugs instead spell his salvation. Jack the Ripper even shows up, though who could hold a candle to Vlad, really?

The whole collection is fun, often heartfelt, and repeatedly chilling. There is a lot of creativity here, which speaks to the significance of Dracula in our literary landscape. That said, the final original story, Amelia Mangan’s ‘R.N.’, is a revelation. I have not been as deeply unsettled by a story in a minute, and if Ellen Datlow does not anthologize it as one of this year’s best, I will eat any hat offered to me.

According to their website, Issue 3 of Dracula Beyond Stoker will be themed around poor Lucy Westenra. I really just can’t wait to see what Christine’s contributors put forward. Sleep tight, enjoy the music of the creatures of the night, just hope none of them make it through your window… ( )

I enjoyed reading this collection of stories. Renfield is an interesting character in Bram Stoker's Dracula, and these fans of the classic present a nice variety. Some worked better for me than others, but I had fun. ( )

This is a book of generally short fan fic focusing on Renfield. Although the quality of the stories varied there were several very inventive takes on the theme and I enjoyed enough of the stories that I’d recommend it ( )

As stated on the front cover, Dracula Beyond Stoker (Issue 2: Renfield) is “a fiiction journal dedicated to celebrating and continuing the legacy of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.” This is a collection of fan fiction focusing on the character of Renfield, Dracula’s faithful servant/accomplice. Hardcore fans of Stoker’s classic vampire tale will certainly be intrigued by the concept and execution. But casual fans like myself, who’ve read and enjoyed the novel, are probably not the target audience for this type of fiction journal. As with any anthology, the quality of the solicited entries varies. But I find that the biggest problem with fan fiction in general, and particularly that which seeks to augment a true classic, is that the stories will inevitably pale in comparison to the original work. But for those who yearn for more, beyond Stoker’s words and beyond his characterizations, this series should be very well-received. ( )