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Richard Marsh once said that the three scariest things in this world are bugs, seductive women and brown people.

Okay, he didn’t say that. He probably thought it, though, and then decided to write a book in which the villain is all three.

That book is The Beetle, an 1897 novel published just four months after Bram Stoker’s Dracula. You know, the one we all just finished reading. In fact, it originally outsold Dracula before falling into obscurity outside of scholarly circles. This was a good thing.

The two books have extremely similar premises, involving a foreign supernatural threat wreaking havoc on London before being stopped by a group of Upstanding Members of Society™ (ft. a rich dude, a morally dubious scientist and a smart lady whom everyone is in love with.). The difference is that while Dracula is good, The Beetle is a disaster.

If morbid curiosity has grabbed you by the hand, hit subscribe!

When will I receive emails?

The Beetle Weekly will begin on December 7, 2023, and update every Thursday for the next few months.

Is there anything I should be aware of?

Britain’s occupation of Egypt is at the core of this story and the portrayal of Egypt is blatantly orientalist. Please be prepared for period-typical racism and discussions of colonialism. The novel also features insensitive depictions of assault and trauma.

Additional Content Warnings:

Racism, xenophobia, anti-Arabism, sexism, sexual assault, animal death.