 The charismatic and sophisticated vampire of modern fiction was born in 1819 with the publication of The Vampyre by John Polidori ; the story was highly successful and arguably the most influential vampire work of the early 19th century . However , it is Bram Stoker 's 1897 novel Dracula which is remembered as the quintessential vampire novel and provided the basis of the modern vampire legend . The success of this book spawned a distinctive vampire genre , still popular in the 21st century , with books , films , and television shows . The vampire has since become a dominant figure in the horror genre . 
