The Dualitists

The Dualitists (1887) is a short story by Irish author Bram Stoker. Written at the beginning of his career, The Dualitists helped to establish the Irish master of Gothic horror’s reputation as a leading writer of the early-twentieth century. Controversial for its gruesome subject matter and bleakly comedic vision of corrupted youth, The Dualitists is a largely underappreciated story that deserves reassessment by readers and academics alike. After years of trying to have children, a husband and wife finally find cause to celebrate. Welcoming a set of identical twins into the world, they prove far too lenient, doting on their boys while turning a blind eye to their mischievous behavior. Starting with objects and furniture around the home, the twins are consumed by their destructive tendencies. Soon, they grow tired of breaking things, and begin experimenting with live subjects, first on animals, and then on the children of their neighborhood. As their acts grow more violent by the day, their strange ability to pacify their parents proves not only unsettling, but increasingly dangerous to all who stand in their path. The Dualitists is a gripping work of horror and black comedy by Bram Stoker, the secretive and vastly underrated creator of Dracula, one of history’s greatest villains. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Bram Stoker’s The Dualitists is a classic of Irish literature reimagined for modern readers.