Horrors!

Although he died in 1912, Irish novelist and short story writer Bram (Abraham) Stoker is still widely known for his classic horror novel, Dracula. Stoker's tale of the undead is itself undead, having inspired thousands of stories and movies since it first horrified the world in 1897. Dracula has never been out of print; it's been translated into every major language and several minor ones; it's been reborn in two hundred film incarnations; and the only book in history to have sold more copies worldwide is the Bible.

Small wonder, then, that the Horror Writer's Association invoked Stoker's name when they created their most distinguished award.

The Association was conceived in the mind of author Robert R. McCammon in the mid-1980s. Believing his fellow horror writers should have an organization geared to the needs of their genre, he suggested the name of HOWL (Horror/Occult Writers League). The first formal meeting of the infant organization was held in 1985, where the suggestion was made to shed the cutesy name and adopt a more serious appellation, Horror Writers of America, in order to help the association's mission to dignify the genre. (They later changed the name to Horror Writer's Association to accommodate an international membership.)

During his tenure as the organization's first president, Dean Koontz was instrumental in creating the annual award for superior achievement, which the membership ultimately voted to adopt and name after the author of the best-selling novel of all time.

The Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement is presented annually to creators of artistic works that have substantially influenced the horror genre. Although the award usually goes to a writer, it is sometimes bestowed for accomplishments in other creative fields. In order to be eligible, a candidate must be at least sixty years old or have produced professional work in the field of horror for thirty-five years or more. Recipients must also be alive at the time HWA's president is informed of the committee's decision.

Unlike prizes given for one significant work, this award recognizes achievement over a lifetime, and the recipient is chosen by a committee consisting of five active HWA members whose writing represents the varied types of fantasy, horror and occult fiction. The committee considers recommendations submitted by the HWA's membership at large; however, they are not obliged to pick a winner from among those recommendations but may chose a recipient of their own selection.

If they are in unanimous agreement, the committee may bestow two awards in a single year; since a beating heart is one of the qualifications, a deserving person might not be eligible next year. For that reason, Fritz Leiber, Frank Belknap Long, and Clifford D. Simak each received the award in 1987, the first year it was given. (In case you're wondering, Simak died within a few months of receiving the award; but Leiber didn't depart this earth until 1992 and Long made it until 1994. But who knew? These are fiction writers, not clairvoyants.)

Since then, other winners have included Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, Joyce Carol Oates, John Farris, Stephen King, and Anne Rice. (You knew Anne Rice would be in the list, didn't you? But did you know that in 2004, she returned to the Roman Catholic faith of her childhood and vowed never to write another vampire story? In a Newsweek article she declared that she would "write only for the Lord." In an interview with Christianity Today, she said, "I would never go back, not even if they say, 'You will be financially ruined; you've got to write another vampire book.' I would say no. I have no choice. I would be a fool for all eternity to turn my back on God like that.")

In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award, Stokers are bestowed in eight other categories: Novel, First Novel, Short Fiction, Long Fiction, Fiction Collection, Poetry Collection, Anthology, and Nonfiction. In an effort to avoid mean-spirited competition, the committee seeks out new and neglected artists for these awards.

The winner receives a miniature replica of a haunted house, whose door opens to reveal a brass plaque engraved with the name of the winning work and its author. What horror writer wouldn't want one of those sitting on his/her mantelpiece? Sarah Langan, who last year took one home for her novel The Missing, and Joe Hill, who received the First Novel award for Heart-Shaped Box, can drape theirs with a few cobwebs and celebrate Halloween in good style.

Never heard of those authors? Neither did I. But thanks to the Bram Stoker awards, now we know of them; so if horror is your thing, run to your library and check them out before they vanish. But if you don't see them on a shelf, try looking at the ceiling – they might be there, hanging upside-down.