In addition to being Black History Month, February is also recently known as Women in Horror Month. Throughout the history of horror, numerous women have published works that have won fans and a place in the literary world, but too often they are overlooked in the larger scheme of things.
Mary Shelley is probably one of the most famous female authors of the genre. Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus is a work on par with other horror gems such as Bram Stoker's Dracula, and it has spawned numerous movies and other adaptations. While it is also considered a science fiction story, one can't overlook the horror elements. What started as a friendly competition between peers to make a chilling story turned into an iconic vision. Frankenstein's monster has, throughout the years, become a symbol of the quintessential lost, potentially dangerous but also misunderstood being, struggling to find a place in the world. It is also a story of the corruption of power, science, life and death.
While critical reviews were mixed when the story was first published, it had immense popularity with readers. Still, the story was changed to fit with the overall conservative nature at the time. Both the original and the re-edited versions are popular to this day. This past January marked the 196th anniversary of the publication of the novel.
FEARNET would like to know how fans feel about Frankenstein. Is it worthy of its status? What are some of your favorite adaptations of this nearly 200 year-old work?
Nancy O. Greene started writing at the age of nine. Her short story collection, Portraits in the Dark, received a brief mention in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2007. Other works have appeared or will appear in ChiZine; Lovecraft eZine; Cemetery Dance; Tales of Blood and Roses; Haunted: 11 Tales of Ghostly Horror; Shroud Publishing's The Terror at Miskatonic Falls; Dark Recesses; Flames Rising; Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore! and others. She has a BA in Cinematic Arts (Critical Studies) and a minor in English (Creative Writing) from the University of Southern California, and is a former Fellow of Film Independent's Project: Involve.