Laura Bashraheel Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Setting itself apart from typical Western versions of vampire legends including the teenaged bloodsuckers in The Twilight Saga, “Al-Mukhawziq” (“The Impaler”) investigates the beginnings of Count Dracula, the protagonist in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel “Dracula”. While Stoker's Dracula was a vampire who manages to spread his demonic plague in Victorian London, the real Count Dracula (aka The Impaler) was a sadistic 15th century Wallachian warlord who built a horrific reputation while resisting the Ottoman invasion. The details associated with these historical facts are as fascinating and shocking as any horror fiction would be. Ashraf Fagih, the writer behind the historical horror novel, is currently wrapping up his Ph.D. in Computer Science in Canada after which he will rejoin King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals as a faculty member. In his leisure time, Fagih writes sci-fi and, very recently, historical fiction in Arabic. “Today the Dracula-culture is well-established worldwide. Yet, I felt that it was necessary to expand on the more realistic Eastern version of the legend. To narrate the old story but by the vocabulary and from the perspective of its first victims, who were definitely Ottoman,” said Fagih. Although the name of the novel, especially in Arabic, is provocative and may be considered explicit, Fagih believes the title is attractive and genuine. “Whether it is appropriate or not, though, is another question. Still, the title is totally authentic given the story's historical background,” he explained. To write the novel, Fagih started collecting references and began writing in March 2012. To his surprise, he finished the first draft within four months. The 255 page novel starts off slowly describing Dracula's legend and the carnage he left behind and how he was sent back to life after selling his soul to the devil, swearing to get revenge on the Ottomans. As the main character, a Turkish officer named Orhan, is sent to Transylvania to investigate rumors on the return of the deceased Dracula, the novel starts to give increasingly graphic details on the torturous methods The Impaler used while seeking revenge. Throughout the novel, Dracula, or “The Impaler,” is described as the son of the devil who was sent from hell to exact revenge on the Ottomans who tortured him when he was a child and overtook the throne of his ancestors. The Eastern version of Dracula's myth becomes more realistic toward the end despite the staggering metaphors used to portray a sense of horror, which in some scenes is too graphic to believe. As a Saudi writer, Fagih sees that young Saudi talents are welcomed by both critics and publishers. “In fact, Saudi Arabia represents one of the largest talent pools in terms of Arabic novels. The problem, in my opinion, is in the lack of local idols. The Saudi novelist base is relatively very young,” he said. “Reading (books, not Web browsing) is still considered a rare and highly intellectual practice. Though there are signs of change as the younger generation is more eager to discover the world of literature and have a voice through it,” he added. “The Impaler” was first published as an e-book on Sibawayh and still limited to iOS devices. Although Fagih planned for a hard copy edition to be published simultaneously, the e-book version took shape faster and was released last September. Given the limited distribution of the novel's electronic version, feedback has been great. The paperback version hit the shelves in January and will be present in Riyadh Book Fair in March. “Apparently, readers are keen to learn about untold history and be exposed to different genres. I can't wait to see the reaction to the hard copy when it reaches a wider audience,” he said while alluding that he is looking for an enthusiastic translator.
