Next year will see the publication of the first official authorised sequel to Bram Stoker's classic gothic horror novel, Dracula.

Dracula: The Un-Dead is written by Stoker's great-grandnephew Dacre Stoker with Dracula historian Ian Holt, and is set in 1912, when someone is stalking the survivors of the original novel. Stoker and Holt have used Bram's Stoker's handwritten notes for his story, originally entitled The Un-Dead, and have included characters and plot threads that were created by Bram Stoker for his novel.

Dutton US, Harper UK and Penguin Canada have acquired the rights, with Penguin's senior editor Laura Shin commenting that she "found the work to be a virtually seamless continuation of the original. The story has all the hallmarks of a historical novel, but with a modern sensibility that gives it wide-spread appeal."

Dracula: The Un-Dead will be published in October 2009.