ABRAHAM "BRAM" STOKER (1847-1912) was such a sickly child that he could hardly even stand on his own two feet until he was seven years old. He made up for this early weakness, however, and became the champion athlete of his year at Trinity College, Dublin, where he was at university. As with many sickly children, he had plenty of time to read and developed an abiding passion for literature.After university, he followed his father into the Irish Civil Service in his native Dublin, but soon became bored and disenchanted with this career. He enjoyed the theater, and to give his life some variety, he became an unpaid drama critic for the Dublin Mail. The most famous actor of the time was Sir Henry Irving, and in 1876 Stoker helped advertise Irving's visit to Dublin. Naturally enough, the two men met. They became firm friends, and from 1878 until Irving's death in 1905 Bram Stoker's main job was as Irving's manager and secretary. In 1878 he also married Oscar Wilde's former girlfriend, Florence Balcombe.He was also pursuing a literary career. He wrote about a dozen books, but is today remembered for only one-Dracula, which was first published in 1897. The book is a true masterpiece of the macabre: with its parade of evil monsters and its compelling storyline, it was an immediate success, and has remained so ever since.The definitive film version was made in 1931 with Bela Lugosi in the title role. Since then, dozens of Dracula films have been made, a recognition of the enduring fascination with one of the great villains in literature.