“Frankenstein” refers to Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel about Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who creates a monster from dead body parts. The novel critiques the power of science and industrial revolution. The monster became a cultural icon through films, comic books, and novels.
The word “Frankenstein” can refer to several things: Mary Shelley’s 1818 book, one of many films of the same name, or any of various depictions of Frankenstein’s monster itself.
Frankenstein, the novel, first written in 1818, but revised in the version read today in 1831, is by Mary Shelley, wife of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. The gothic horror novel is about a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who decides to create a living person from various organs and body parts of people who have died. His plan works, but when the creature comes to life, it’s horrific. He immediately escapes from the scientist’s laboratory and kills Victor’s brother.
Later, the creature begs Frankenstein to build him a mate, but the scientist doesn’t complete the task, so the creature kills his wife and best friend. The novel ends with Victor’s death aboard a ship pursuing the creature, and the creature kills itself. Many critics believe the novel is a critique of the industrial revolution and the power of science.
Throughout the book, the creature is referred to as “Frankenstein’s monster,” not as Frankenstein himself, as he is often known in popular culture. The 1931 film adaptation, starring Boris Karloff as the monster, loosely follows the plot of the novel. Boris Karloff also starred as the monster in two spin-offs from the original film: Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein. Although the franchise continued into the 1940s, the later films were B-movies bearing little resemblance to the original novel.
The films of the 1930s and 1940s transformed the monster into a popular cultural icon. Later films that featured a character based on the monster included the 1970s Hammer Film Productions films Frankenstein, 1957’s I Was A Teenage Frankenstein, and Mel Brooks’ horror comedy Young Frankenstein.
Frankenstein’s monster has also become a popular character in comic books from DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Horror novelist Dean Koontz has written a series of books loosely based on Mary Shelley’s original novel. In 1994, a film called Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was released. Starring such well-known actors as Kenneth Branagh, Robert De Niro and Helena Bonham Carter, the film was an attempt to create a respectable counterpart to the original novel; however, the film was not a box office success.
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