FRANKENSTEIN, M.D.

MODERNIZATION

Most of the novels written in the early nineteen century are not well-known today. Most of them are of interest only to scholars and collectors and ignored by the general public,. Relatively few titles are still in general circulation today because of their influence on contemporary literature. Most people will recognize the titles, “Jane Eyre”, “Pride and Prejudice” or “Ivanhoe”. But only one title will be recognized by all.

Frankenstein.

The novel “Frankenstein” arguably the first science fiction story, was written in 1818 by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley who did something extraordinary. She created a new type of story (science fiction), a new type of villain (the mad scientist) but more importantly a new monster. The other creatures, mummies, vampires, ghosts and wolfmen popular in the public imagination, are based on old legends. But the unnamed “creature” in the book, brought to life by science, sentient and bent on revenge after being abandoned by it's creator was a new original concept.

We are familiar with 'Frankenstein' not because of it's historical literary innovation, position in the English romantic movement or female authorship but because of it's creature.

To be fair the version of the creature, or 'monster' that the general public is familiar comes not from the novel but from the American movie adaptation in 1931. The original creature was voluble and well spoken, the movie monster a grunting savage.

The differences in those two incarnations of the monster does not change the themes of the story on the nature of evil and the moral consequences of playing God. Numerous variations of the story have explored these themes from different angles. Other adaptations inspired by the original concentrate on the science fiction or horror tone or use it as a comedy or action vehicle.

Life finds a way

Victoria and her experiment

For example, the recent web series 'Frankenstein MD' uses most of the current story adaptation popular tools such as transmedia output, reimagining, remediation, adaptation retelling and gender swap.

The challenge of interpreting Frankenstein is that the story has two main characters very different from each other. Adaptations can focus on one the other or the interaction between both. In this case the story is very much the scientist's, focusing on the steps that lead to her decision to create life. In the original Shelley story the science that lead to the experiment is glossed over, whereas in this webseries it is the main motif. Frankenstein MD is a minute detailing of the evolution of the reasoning that leads to the creation of the creature.

This version of Frankenstein shares the hubris of the original novel's character. She does her experiments because because she can. The edutainment episodes cover the steps leading to the discovery of the secret of life with the added discussion on the ethics of such a decision. In this version, the last step of creating life is done out of guilt and naivety.