Carmilla vs Dracula

• Both Carmilla and Dracula are vampires with titles (Count, Countess)
• In both texts, there is a group of men as the 'heroes'
• Female sexuality in Carmilla is a lot less grotesque, potentially also less demonised
• Carmilla can be interpreted as a queer novel: She cannot change her name, or her identity, be married and therefore cannot be owned as property. Carmilla and Laura are two parts of a whole, drawn together. Dracula could also be interpreted as a queer novel, although more subtly- Dracula preys on female victims but maybe this isn't due to his attraction to them?
• Both Carmilla and Dracula involve the staking of people: Lucy is staked, as well as the 3 female vampires. In Carmilla, she is staked - whereas Darcula is only stabbed and at the same time his throat is slit
• Carmilla is a threat to the patriarchy whereas Dracula is the ultimate patriarchal fantasy
• Women as the primary consumers of the horror genre - the link of women and reproduction in horror is one threat that still resonates today.
• Carmilla is female-focused while Dracula is male-focused. Carmilla is described as beautiful while Dracula is described as animalistic.
• In Dracula, the main fear is the 'other' and racism is the main fear tactic.
• Carmilla is pure psychological horror whereas Dracula is more about reverse colonialism and some elements of female possession, punishing Britain. Dracula as a text is more concerned with empires and the propagation of the vampire race. Carmilla's inherent intimacy makes it more appropriate as a template for modern vampire myths.