There are not many literary characters that a 7-year-old boy, a teenage girl and a 90-year-old man can agree are great, but it seems Dracula and Sherlock Holmes have done just that. With numerous variations, story lines, updates and off-shoots, these two iconic victorian era superstars are still making new generations of audiences excited, thrilled and captivated. As a wonderful addition to this year’s Big Orange Book Festival, vistiors will get the opportunity to sit down with a master historian and educator on the subject, Leslie Klinger.
As one of the world’s foremost authorities on Sherlock Holmes and Dracula, Klinger has been using his passion for these literary icons to educate and progress their stories all throughout the pop culture world. As an educator, Klinger has sat on panels at Comic-con, World Horror Convention, World Fantasy Convention, Vampire Con and has even taught classes at UCLA on the subject. He has also been involved in numerous high profile projects featuring these characters, including consultation on Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) movies.
While Dracula and Holmes may be a large focus of Klinger’s time, he is also an avid supporter of the mystery and horror genres as a whole. Klinger has served as a three term President of the SoCal Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America and sits on its National Board. He is also treasurer of the Horror Writers Association. As a force in the literary world, his introductions and essays have appeared in numerous books, graphic novels, academic journals, newspapers and magazines. Klinger also reviews books for the Los Angeles Times.
Join us for a captivating look and discussion on the history and future of these iconic fictional characters with the man who knows them best.
Photo courtesy of www.lesliesklinger.com
