The two gothic novels, Dracula and Frankenstein, introduced two of the most terrifying characters in all of literature. Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, and Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, both feature elements of terror and create a tense mood and frightening image. In these two novels, the other characters are not able to see the actions of these evil creatures. Although both novels depict truly evil spirits, Dracula is far more terrifying than Frankenstein in part because of its bloodthirsty vampires, mysterious deaths, and dark gothic tone. Dracula is indeed the scarier story of the two. Although Frankenstein is a rather frightening adventure, the monster does not create a scene to some extent like Count Dracula does. Victor Frankenstein, the creator of the monster, uses his vast scientific knowledge, specifically in chemistry, to create it. Unlike Dracula, characters killed by the monster die. Count Dracula's victims are undead and roam the earth creating other monsters. With Dracula, the reader has the feeling that he could be the next victim. In Burt's references, Senf's opinion "No other work, except the Bible, has had such an influence on Anglo-American culture (Burt ¶ 1). » According to the Gale Literature Resource Center, “Frankenstein was first published in 1818. It was the first novel to be written in such disturbing detail. Even though Dracula was published many years late, it brought a completely different type of literature to the board. In this century there was a fascination with gothic horror and these two novels fit perfectly. Throughout Dracula, a sense of failure and doom prevails due to his supernatural powers. Dracula...... middle of paper...... n. As you can see, evil traits are present in both Dracula and Frankenstein, but the presentation of this evil is different in the two novels. Rarely has another novel been able to come close to the dismay experienced by the witness in Dracula. Bram Stoker has written a true work of art that can never be surpassed. With a willing suspension of disbelief, Stoker makes his tales of Dracula terror seem like they could actually happen. The image created by the author is horrible and its tone evokes the most terrible adventure. Works Cited Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Penguin Classics, 2006. Print. Stoker, Bram. Dracula. New York: Bantam Classics, 2005. “Frankenstein” print. 19th century literary criticism. Ed. Jessica Bomarito and Russell Whitaker. Flight. 170. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Information Resource Center. Internet. February 23. 2010.