'Carmilla' is a classic vampire story replete with mystery, tragedy - and ambiguity. 'The Vampyre' is a much earlier story will helped lay the foundation for the gothic genre. Each story played its part in making Bram Stoker's Dracula possible. 'Carmilla' by Irish author Joseph Sheridan LeFanu (1814-1873) was first published in 1872. LeFanu was a leading writer of ghost stories in the 19th Century. 'The Vampyre' by English writer and physician John William Polidori (1795-1821) was first published in 1819.