In 2017, right after it was published, I read the book Powers of Darkness. Powers of Darkness is a Icelandic adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula from 1899. It was published anonymously in a newspaper and credited to Stoker and an unidentified author. While it shares the same main character, it differs significantly from the original, adding new characters and plot elements.

Powers of Darkness downplays the vampirism of Dracula and portrays him as the leader of a cult seeking world domination. It was long believed to be based on unpublished materials from Stoker, but recent research suggests it might be a forgery created without his knowledge or consent.

It is now known that the Icelandic version was based on a Swedish version. The Swedish version Mörkrets makter was first published in the Swedish newspaper Dagen from 1899 to 1900. Makt myrkranna is the Icelandic version of Mörkrets makter. It was first serialized in a newspaper and later published as a book in 1901. The Icelandic version is shorter than the Swedish one and includes references to Icelandic sagas. While the Swedish version maintained the epistolary format of Stoker’s novel, the Icelandic version abandons it after the Transylvanian section.

Re-reading Powers of Darkness right after re-reading Dracula significantly changed my impression of the Icelandic version. When I first read Powers of Darkness, 8 years ago, I remember liking it. This time is was a not as enjoyable an experience as I remember.

If you are a literary “Completionist” as I can tend to be, it is probably worth your time. But if I were you, I would just stick to the original. You will not be disappointed.