Bram Stoker (1847–1912) was an Irish author, theater manager, and literary figure best known for writing Dracula (1897), one of the most influential horror novels ever published. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Stoker worked for many years as the business manager of actor Sir Henry Irving while writing novels and short stories in his spare time. Although he wrote more than a dozen novels, Dracula became his enduring masterpiece, shaping the modern image of vampires in literature, film, and popular culture. Today, Bram Stoker is regarded as one of the founding figures of Gothic horror.