“Similarities in Dean Koontz’s Hideaway and Bram Stoker’s Dracula”

To say there are similarities between the novel hideaway by dean koontz and bram stoker's dracula is an understatement - there are so many plot, character and thematic parallels, with very little derivation on koontz's part it is nearly the same story. First, the character of Vassago, or Jeremy Nybern, is similar to the character of dracula. Both of them share such qualities that they both are portrayed as child-like in their motives and basic urge to kill innocents; they reside underground; both prey on women; both hate religion, or more specifically Catholicism; dracula and Vassago have supernatural powers in which they can communicate through others; and when the characters do their dirty work, it is under the comfort of darkness. The plot between the stories is very similar as well. Both dracula and hideaway follow the main protagonist as he threatens the nuclear family. As dracula preys upon the women, like Mina and Lucy to hurt the male counterparts, Vassago preys upon women, but to hurt creation which is the main idea of the nuclear family - women are the means in which new life will emerge.