Bob on Bram

I agree that Bram Stoker's Dracula is a central icon to the figure of 
the vampire. The novel essentially took a folklore monster and made it 
into a darkly romantic and mysterious figure. There is no doubt in the 
novel that Dracula is a monster and a force of evil, but there is 
something alluring and beautiful about him and brings forbidden desires 
to surface. This is the kind of quality that nearly every vampire in 
film and literature since has embodied.

Interesting note: Even though he is the title character, Dracula is only 
physically seen in about 30% of the novel.