Welcome to the samurai action blog. The samurai films in Japan are like the Western film of the United States. Both were once very popular, but not as much now. Both themes pop up every so often bringing up the hopes for some sort of revival, but that has not yet happened. In 2010, I published a book, titled, Sword of the Undead, which re-told Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula, with a samurai twist. (Click here for excerpt)







Monday, May 31, 2010

Sword of the Undead

The first post for my blog is to introduce my novella, Sword of the Undead.  It is Bram Stoker's Dracula, re-written, but instead of the vampire being named Dracula, he is named Kageura, and instead of taking place in 1890's Translvania/London, it takes place in 1872 Japan/Los Angeles.

In 1872, Jonathan Harker travels to Japan to inform Lord Hidetora Kageura that the castle the lord commissioned to be built in Los Angeles, California, has been completed.  Leaving Harker for dead, Kageura relocates to the United States.  Meanwhile, Harker's friend, Lucy, dies from a mysterious ailment, which Dr. Van Helsing determines is a vampire's bite.  Harker, still alive, returns to the United States, but now his wife, Mina, is the vampire's target.

Sword of the Undead introduces a new vampire: a Japanese samurai lord, and a new vampire slayer, legendary swordsman, Yagyu Jubei.  Jubei arrives at the Harker household looking for a mutual acquaintance, but instead, encounters the vampire.  Incorporating real events in Japanese and United States history, Sword of the Undead combines old-fashioned horror with classic Japanese samurai drama.

The book contains a glossary to help with unfamiliar terms.