Cirrus@Austlit

Jason Nahrung seeks to answere the questions: 'Why are so few Australian vampire stories set in Australia?' and 'In what ways can the metaphorical elements of vampire Gothic be applied to the Sunburnt Country?' by examining examples of Australian vampire narratives, including film. Particular attention is given to Mudrooroo’s Master of the Ghost Dreaming series which, more than any other Australian novel, succeeds in manipulating and subverting the tropes of vampire Gothic. The process of adaptation of vampire Gothic to the Australian environment, both natural and man-made, is also a core concern of Nahrung's novel, Vampires’ Bane.

Nahrung argues that Australia’s growing urbanisation can be juxtaposed against the vampire-hostile natural environment to enhance the tropes of vampire Gothic, and make Australia a suitable home for narratives that explore the ongoing evolution of Count Dracula and his many-faceted descendants.