Judging Books By Their Covers: The Hand of Dracula

Next up in aesthetic central: Red and blue do what they do for a gothic blend. Let’s dive in.

The Hand of Dracula by Robert Lory

Published: 1973, New English Library/Pinnacle Books

Cover Artist: Bruce Pennington

Just looking- It’s a cover begging for a Prince song as long as said Prince song would feature the harpsichord.

What it makes me think – I know. That was a weird first thought I just typed up there. I think the whole purple scheme is what made me think of Prince. Let’s dive a little deeper. Following the moonbeam offers a nice contrast. I follow it from the 1960s to a darker 1970s. And the Bradley-style font that dominates the cover and pulls you in? Well, that has a Germanic-half-timbered-house-full-of-vampires in 1974 written all over it.

Would I buy it? Yes. Vampire lady rising out of a coffin under the moonlight as Dracula looks on, what’s not to like?