Frankenstein: Delightful Vortex of Ire

A poet by the name of Lord Byron was curious about who out of his friends could write a better horror story, to everyone's surprise the winner turned out to be 18-year-old Mary Shelley.

It's been almost two centuries since Mary Shelley first anonymously published Frankenstein; and a good thing she did, because without the blazing trail of this Modern Prometheus, latter sci-fi offerings would suffer monstrously--pun intended.

Much to the likeness of Dracula by Bram Stoker, the story of Victor Frankenstein is written in a series of letters by explorer Captain Robert Walton, to his sister, Margaret Walton. The book is split into three parts. The beginning of the book introduces Captain Walton's narrative: a man who comes across the stranded and near dead, Victor Frankenstein in the North Pole region.

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After the rescue, Victor begins to recover from his wounds and gradually narrates to Captain Walton about his accursed creation, and why he has pursued it to the desolate lands of North Pole.

'You seek knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you.'

Written with imaginative and affluent flair, the story of Frankenstein and his monster, is as much about the folly of unchecked passion, as it is about the very nature of what it is to be human. To become much more than his predecessors, the studious Victor dedicates himself to the exuberant task of exploring the mysteries of creation through the use of Chemistry. The triumph of his labours: animated by the lightning, an eight feet tall deformity the (nameless) monster.

The exact steps of the monster's creation are left ambiguous, leaving the reader to come to his/her own conclusion. It is what happens after the lifeless matter gets activated that matters. Repulsed by the toils of his labour, Victor condemns the demon he has created, leaving the monster to wonder the lands confused and alone.

'It is with considerable difficulty that I remember the original era of my being: all the events of that period appear confused and indistinct. A strange multiplicity of sensations seized me; and it was a long time before I learned how to distinguish between operation of my various senses.'

With this statement the monster begins to recall his origins and gradual ascension to awareness. This part of the book is unique because it gives the reader a fresh perspective on perceptions of becoming mature through understanding. But unlike a loved human child, the monster's efforts to join the human race are spurned by hateful spite and violence. And this in turn poisons the well that is the beast's yearning for friendship.

What comes after is not too surprising; in his sad exile, the monster concocts and idea: he demands of his creator a concubine in the likes of his original creation. Despite promising the monster a companion, Victor does not create another being. This action enrages the monster prompting him to extract great vengeance onto Victor, tearing away from him all he holds dear and sacred.

Mary Shelly had a keen eye for detail, reverence of nature, and great interest in supernatural forces. With these three characteristics she has crafted an enduring tale of scientific passion, wondrous natural wonders flooded with panoramic Gothic imagery, and a touch of occult art. Frankenstein has inspired a whole genre of horror and sci-fi fiction writers and artists. Like a being born from a passionate mind, this novel is one of a kind.

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One of my favourite artistic visions of the famed monster--Darkstalkers rule!