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The Fright Stuff

204 Years of Victor’s Bad Life Choices

Hey‌ ‌there‌ horror fans, ‌I’m‌ ‌Jessica‌ ‌Avery‌ ‌and‌ ‌I’ll‌ ‌be‌ ‌delivering‌ ‌your‌ ‌weekly‌ ‌brief‌ ‌of‌ ‌all‌ ‌that’s‌ ‌ghastly‌ ‌and‌ ‌grim‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌world‌ ‌of‌ ‌Horror.‌ ‌Whether‌ ‌you’re‌ ‌looking‌ ‌for‌ ‌a‌ ‌backlist‌ ‌book‌ ‌that‌ ‌will‌ ‌give‌‌ you‌ ‌the‌ ‌willies,‌ ‌a‌ ‌terrifying‌ ‌new‌ ‌release,‌ ‌or‌ ‌the‌ ‌latest‌ ‌in‌ ‌horror‌ ‌community‌ ‌news,‌ ‌you’ll‌ ‌find‌ ‌it‌ ‌here‌ in‌ ‌The‌ ‌Fright‌ ‌Stuff.

There are so many classic novels that have made horror into the genre we know and love today, and every horror reader has their favorite. For me, it’s always going to be Frankenstein. Hands down, Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel is the book that I can read over and over again. I love every single page of the whole man vs death, playing God, Miltonic-inspired, Romantic mess (and I do love mess) that is The Modern Prometheus.

Which is why I like to take a moment every year to say: Happy Birthday, Frankenstein! Published on January 1, 1818, Frankenstein turns 204 this year, and is still as captivating and haunting as ever. So let’s celebrate!

Adaptations

cover of the dark descent of elizabeth frankenstein by kiersten white

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White

When it comes to Frankenstein adaptations, this is one of my favorites! White recenters Mary Shelley’s original novel around the figure of Elizabeth Lavenza, who as a young child was taken in by the Frankenstein family to be a companion to their strange, frightening son Victor. She grew up doing her best to become indispensable to the family, cementing her place in luxury and ease through her ability to manage Victor’s dark and dangerous moods. But behind Elizabeth’s calm, sweet, tame-the-beast exterior she has teeth and ambition of her own.

cover of victor lavalle's destroyer

Victor LaValle’s Destroyer illustrated by Dietrich Smith, with Joana Lafuente

I love including graphic novels on this list when I have the chance, particularly when they’re as beautifully illustrated and compellingly written as this. Destroyer drags Mary Shelley’s novel into the new century and continues the creature’s journey hundreds of years after the death of Victor Frankenstein. Gone, however, is the sympathetic creature who wanted only love and human connection. After so many long years alone, all the creature wants is to destroy humanity completely. At his side is one of Frankenstein’s own descendents, Dr. Baker, a grieving mother who’s son was killed in an encounter with the police, and who wants to see humankind wiped out almost as much as the creature does.

Cover of Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz (January 18)

I’m breaking my own rules a bit here, because I really do try (though I don’t always succeed) to not talk about the same book two years in a row. However! Not only is Anatomy an exciting new January release (out almost exactly one week from today), it’s also a delightfully gruesome Frankenstein-inspired YA horror. Hazel Sinnett’s only desire in life is to be a surgeon, healing bodies and maybe even finding a cure for the terrible Roman Plague that claimed her older brother’s life. She will do whatever it takes to overcome the barriers in her way, even dressing as a boy in order to attend classes on anatomy. When her ruse is discovered, however, Hazel finds herself thrown out of the classroom, leaving her no choice but to continue her studies of the human body in private. By any means necessary.

Unwieldy Creatures by Addie Brook Tsai (August 2)

You’ll have to wait until August to get your hands on this Frankenstein adaptation, but everything I’ve read so far suggests it will be well worth the wait! Billed as a queer gender reversal of Mary Shelley’s original novel, the narrator of Unwieldy Creatures is a medical intern who finds her prized internship in the the country’s most prestigious embryologist lab upended when the renowned star scientist of the lab, Dr. Frank, has a breakdown and ends up couch surfing in the intern’s house. While she recovers, Dr. Frank tells the intern her story of an experiment gone wrong. A tale of ambition, murder, and bloody revenge.

Unwieldy Creatures doesn’t have a cover yet, nor is it available to pre-order, but the link above will take you to the publisher’s forthcoming titles page, so keep an eye out as we get closer to August!

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Frankenstein Swag

Frankenstein Out of Print T-Shirt

Frankenstein T-Shirt

I love the simple but bold, graphic design of this Frankenstein t-shirt by Out of Print. They really do have the most wonderful gifts for the book lovers. And if you’re not a fan of the classic t-shirt shape, I recommend checking out the relaxed t-shirt version of this same shirt. So slouchy and comfortable!

Frankenstein Title Page Shawl Scarf

1818 Frankenstein Title Page Shawl Scarf

Do I need another giant shawl scarf in my life? Not really. I have only one neck to wear them on. But I have to admit, this looks like the softest scarf in the world, and I kind of want it.

Frankenstein Title Page Print

1818 Frankenstein Title Page Print

If, however, you decide that no, you don’t need another giant scarf, may I recommend picking up a print of the same title page instead?

Love and Rage Frankenstein Quote Mug

Love and Rage Quote Mug

Okay, go ahead and call me out. This quote is NOT from Shelley’s Frankenstein. Not technically. It is, in fact, from the glorious, ridiculously dramatic 1994 film adaptation, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. But since my obsession with that movie will never die, I couldn’t resist.

Fresh From the Skeleton’s Mouth

Over at Book Riot we’ve got your horror needs covered with a list of horror manga titles to creep you out, and a wonderful piece on Edith Wharton’s much neglected career as a writer of scary stories.

Hailey Piper (Queen of Teeth), Eve Harms (Transmuted), and Gretchen Felker-Martin (Manhunt) will be reading for the Lovecraft Arts & Sciences Arcade Asylum event on February 12th, so don’t forget to sign up! Admission is free and the event will take place via Zoom.

As always, you can catch me on twitter at @JtheBookworm, where I try to keep up on all that’s new and frightening.