The modern image of the vampire largely emerged in the late 19th century. Dracula by Bram Stoker helped shape the pale, aristocratic predator that would become one of literature's most enduring monsters. Yet the earliest vampire legends were far less glamorous. Rooted in fear and superstition, these creatures were imagined as grotesque and terrifying revenants rather than the seductive immortals we think of today. Historical illustration from Varney the Vampire (1845–1847).