On a dreary and rainy summer evening in 1816, in a house on the shores of Lake Geneva, Lord Byron posed a challenge to his house guests to create a Gothic ghost story. Lord Byron, and his close friend Percy Shelley did create some Gothic works of poetry. But it was Mary Shelley and Dr. John Polidori who began two master works of fiction during those rainy nights. One being Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein, or a Modern Prometheus" and the second being Polidori's short novella "The Vampyre". Mary Shelley's work delved into science, gothic horror, and gothic romance. It essentially became one of the first works of science fiction having speculated about the reanimation of dead flesh to create new life. Her novel has become a classic in this genre, and has entered popular culture in movies, tv shows, and even commercials.
The most recent media iteration of Frankenstein now comes under the direction of Guillermo del Toro, to be released on Netflix in November 2025. Del Toro has already proven himself a master of the horror and gothic genres in his movies, and I look forward to seeing his interpretation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
In order to prepare for this epic event, check out some book and movie resources available at the San Jose Public Library!
Books:
Movies:
Inspired By:
Guillermo Del Toro Movies:
Final Thoughts:
- It is my favorite time of year right now. The cooler weather and the longer evenings are just perfect for reading or viewing the content listed above!
- Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein has long been a family favorite. My Dad quotes many of the lines on a regular basis and I can do a perfect impersonation of Terri Garr's character of Inga, complete with German accent.
- Fact: The movie Re-animator is based on H.P. Lovecraft's novella of the same title. But he admitted to wanting to create a parody of Mary Shelley's novel and, in doing so, created even more serial novels first published in Home Brew and Weird Tales magazines. This led to the stories being published in comic form and eventually led to the movie series.
- Which commercial and what product is advertised by a Frankenstein-like character? If you are a Gen X'er you know the answer!
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