Not only is “Dracula Remains” by Varon Cook one of my favorite stories in Spawn of Nightmares: Meet the Monsters, but it also serves as a keystone to the anthology’s thematic structure. 

“The world has forgotten me,” says Dracula at the beginning of the story. “There was a time when my name summoned such terror! Such dread! The mere whisper of the name Dracula sent priests clutching for their crosses and villagers scurrying to shutter their windows and bolt their doors.”

But things are different these days, he laments. “Now I am reduced to wretched anonymity, a ridiculous creature of fairy tales and childish make-believe.”

That’s about to change, however. Now living in New Orleans, Dracula is on an aggressive comeback tour. “I want everyone to know my name,” he says. “and the new terror that stalks their nightmares.” To paraphrase an old, obscure song by AC/DC: Dracula’s been gone too long and he’s glad to be back.

And that’s basically the theme of Meet the Monsters—to reintroduce all the monsters that people have forgotten about. Other examples include: “The Wolfman’s Curse” by Revna Zil, “The Boogeyman Was Real” by Tina S Transformation [sic] and “Night Shoot” by Andy Holberry. 

There are more than vampires, werewolves, boogeymen and zombies (and reptoids) in this book. Readers will also find stories about ordinary people transforming into new, modern-day monsters. 

A.V. Donaldson’s story “The Midnight Parlor” is about a woman who inadvertently becomes a horrible abomination because of her ignorance. “This is the price I have to pay for playing with magic,” she cries, “magic I had no idea I was even playing with.”

“The Monster They Made” by Brody Butcher is about a serial killer who likes to cosplay as various monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolf Man and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. It all makes sense to him. After all, he’s only murdering bullies and troublemakers. They all killed the man he was, and now they’re being killed by the monster they made. 

No monster anthology feels complete to me without a Bride of Frankenstein story—and this one’s got two good ones. “What Lingers” by David E. Anderson is about the continuing love story shared by Adam (the first man) and his wife Shelly (a.k.a. Shelley). And “Beauty Is Sacrifice” by Audriana Yasmeen tells the story of Dr. Gene Frankenstein and his patchwork mate. Forever and always, she is obedient as a well-trained bride. 

[ Spawn of Nightmares: Meet the Monsters / Edited by David E. Anderson and Brody Butcher / First Printing: March 2025 / ISBN: 9798313372754 ]