Anno Dracula 1899

By: Kim Newman

Narrated by: William Gaminara

Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's Summary

A brand-new collection of chilling stories by master of horror Kim Newman, in which Jack the Ripper still stalks the streets, Frankenstein's monster rises from the Arctic ice, and the terrifying legacy of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde haunts fog-shrouded London.

This volume also includes a brand-new exclusive Anno Dracula story, 'Yokai Town: Anno Dracula 1899', which sets the scene for the forthcoming novel Anno Dracula 1999: Daikaiju.

©2017 Kim Newman (P)2017 Audible, Ltd

Critic Reviews

"A marvellous marriage of political satire, melodramatic intrigue, gothic horror and alternative history. Not to be missed." (The Independent)

Some gems here

I actually requested this book for review by mistake, peeps. I've wanted to read Anno Dracula for a long time and thought this was the actual novel and not the collection of stories.


Oh, well. I did enjoy some of the stories, and I did get a feel for Kim Newman's writing which is very much a mix between Justin Cronin and Joe Hill.


So, the stories.


FAMOUS MONSTERS

A bit of a drab reminiscence of a Martian's acting career. Not an auspicious start.


A DRUG ON THE MARKET

I got a kick out of this one, peeps. Someone revises Jekyll & Hyde's formula for the mass market with all the fun in the marketing and after effects.


ILLIMITABLE DOMINION & JUST LIKE EDDY

While I listened to both of these twice, I could not concentrate on the narrative it was so boring. Verdict: skip.


AMERIKANSKI DEATH AT THE MOSCOW MORGUE

Super creepy, trippy & entertaining. A fascinating concept of a world after the zombie apocalypse in the end of the 80s - beginning of the 90s in Moscow. I got another kick out of this one.


THE CHILL CLUTCH OF THE UNSEEN

30 Days of Night but the old guy in the chair is conversing with the monster instead. Boring.


ONE HIT WANDA

As in "one hit wonder", it's a fun story about a band with a cursed hit song which they can't stop singing.


IS THERE ANYBODY THERE?.

Another fabulous concept of a medium from 1920s trolled by a modern hacker, whom she entraps like a common spirit. Really entertaining.


THE INTERVENTION

This one left me confused. Either I missed something or wasn't clever enough to understand it.


RED JACKS WILD

One of my favorites, it's about a real Jack the Ripper hunting down his copycats. It was so good, I'd have loved to read a full novel about it.


SARAH MINDS THE DOG

It starts light and cute and quickly twists into something so much darker. It made me quite uncomfortable.


THE SNOW SCULPTURES OF XANADU & THE PALE SPIRIT PEOPLE

Not memorable at all. My mind kept wandering, and I could not understand the stories, especially the first one.


UBERMENSCH!

Awesome read. This was about a German Superman who worked with Nazis and is being interviewed years after by a monster hunter after the Wall collapsed. So freaking good.



COASTAL CITY

Meh. Not worth the read.



COMPLETIST HEAVEN

Another meh. It was really tiring to listen to this one, and I'm sure the narrator didn't enjoy the mad recitation as well.



UNE ETRANGE AVENTURE DE RICHARD BLAINE

Another good story involving Nazis hunting monsters in Paris. Very atmospheric.



FRANKENSTEIN ON ICE

I loved the concept! It would have made a fab movie, and it reminded me of Justin Cronin the most.


YOKAI TOWN: ANNO DRACULA 1899

Now, this was a good introduction to the actual novel, which I now want to read. Vampires and samurai in the same script seem like a win-win scenario to me.


Overall, it's not a good collection. There are a few excellent stories hidden among average ones, which does not improve your reading/listening experience, - that's why my rating was pretty low. Choose for yourself if it's worth the read.

2 people found this helpful

Bit of a let down!

I expected this would be a large short story (1899), and some others all set in the same continuity. a few of these stories are "ok", with one or two genuinley good ones. The 1899 story itself is very short and just a set up for his next book. Over all a bit of a dissapointment, would probably be better advertised as a collection of short stories with an Anno Drac story included. Narration is awesome as always by William Gamminara!

4 people found this helpful

Not Anno Dracula

Where does Anno Dracula 1899 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Its in the top twenty

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the various "alternate universes" that the short stories explore.

Which character – as performed by William Gaminara – was your favourite?

No character stood out. I find William Gaminara an excellent narrator,

Any additional comments?

This is not really a series of short stories set in the Anno Dracula world. The stories are of a similar form as Anno Dracula in that the protagonists are interwoven with real historical characters and cultural figures. There is however precious little crossover to the Anno Dracula world and if that is important to you you will be dissapointed. If you are happy with a book of disperate short stories, as I was, then you'll find this entertaining.

2 people found this helpful

Curate’s Egg - good in parts

A little disappointed that, as other reviewers have said, there is only a single short story from the Anno Dracula universe.
However as an insight into Kim Newman’s incredible, literary mind this book is worthy of a listen. Some of the stories did not grab me, but others such as the 20th century medium and the Frankenstein movies, I loved. The former for the storytelling and idea, the latter for the sheer knowledge and exuberance of the way it was presented.
The narrator, William Gaminara is always a delight and his performance in these stories is magnificent.