Abraham Stoker was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1847. He was the third of seven children but was himself bedridden with an unknown illness until starting school at the age of seven. He remarked later in life that this long period of inactivity is what gave birth to his rich imagination. This led to an interest in the theater, but he first approached it from the direction of a critic, which helped establish his general writing acumen. The quality of his writing led to an invitation by the London Society to publish a few of his fictional short stories. In time, his affiliation with theater led to his becoming manager of the Lyceum Theater in London where he was introduced to various notable members of high society, including Arthur Conan Doyle, and led on various tours around the world. During these travels, he became enamored with various locations and histories, including dark tales of the Carpathian Mountains in central Europe. It is widely believed that these myths and folktales inspired him to write "Dracula." Originally published in 1897, "Dracula" was well-received at the time, but it did not become a worldwide legacy until after his death in 1912.