(born Nov. 8, 1847, Dublin, Ire.—died April 20, 1912, London, Eng.) Irish writer. Though bedridden until he was seven years old, Stoker later became an outstanding athlete. He was in the civil service for 10 years and the manager of actor Henry Irving for 27 years, writing letters for his employer and accompanying him on tours. During this period he began writing fiction; his masterpiece was the immensely successful gothic novel Dracula (1897). Derived from vampire legends, the tale became the basis for a whole genre of literature and film. None of his other works, including The Lair of the White Worm (1911), approached its popularity or quality.

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(born Nov. 8, 1847, Dublin, Ire.—died April 20, 1912, London, Eng.) Irish writer. Though bedridden until he was seven years old, Stoker later became an outstanding athlete. He was in the civil service for 10 years and the manager of actor Henry Irving for 27 years, writing letters for his employer and accompanying him on tours. During this period he began writing fiction; his masterpiece was the immensely successful gothic novel Dracula (1897). Derived from vampire legends, the tale became the basis for a whole genre of literature and film. None of his other works, including The Lair of the White Worm (1911), approached its popularity or quality.

Learn more about Stoker, Bram with a free trial on Britannica.com.

• mechanical stoker - a coal-feeding device on a steam locomotive
• stoker (cone cleaning implement) - an Australian colloquial term for any slender cylindrical instrument used to clear debris from a cone.
• stoker (occupation) - a job on a coal-powered steam ship to stoke the boilers.
• stoker works - a facility where mechanical stokers were manufactured.

People

• Austin Stoker (born 1943), West-Indian born, African-American actor
• Abraham "Bram" Stoker (1847–1912), Irish writer
• Frank Owen Stoker (1867-1939), Irish male tennis player
• Mary Stoker Smith, general assignment reporter and a weekend evening anchor for KYW-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Michael Stoker, Director of Imperial Cancer Research Fund Laboratories from 1968-79
• Richard Stoker (born 1938), British composer and writer
• James Stoker (born 1989) British Internet personality, film maker, and animator...

Other

• Bram Stoker Award, recognition presented by the Horror Writers Association
• Stoker the Broker, title of a comic strip created by Henry Boltinoff
• "The Stoker", short story by Franz Kafka.