There's not much I love more than haunted things and horror origin stories...well, other than puppies and iced coffee. Being that it is Women in Horror month, I started looking into the origin story of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. The history is more interesting than you think. The Year Without a Summer The year of 1816 was known as the year without a summer. In April 1815, there was a volcanic eruption. The eruption of Mount Tambora (located in present-day Indonesia) was the most powerful volcanic eruption in human recorded history. It is reported that the[...]
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Frankenstein
0 There's always a new book out about Frankenstein, and that's fine by me. The newest to cross my screen is Making the Monster: The Science Behind Mary Shelley's Frankenstein by Kathryn Harkup and I could not be more interested. I don't have an opinion yet, as the book doesn't release until February 8th, but I'm excited to take a look. What a beautiful cover. The year 1818 saw the publication of one of the most influential science-fiction stories of all time. Frankenstein: Or, Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley had a huge impact on gothic horror and science fic[...]
In the summer of 1816, a group of artists, poets, and friends gathered together at the Villa Diodati on Lake Geneva in Swizerland. Sounds quaint enough. So here’s the dirt, and I’m paraphrasing liberally from a couple of different sources: Mary Shelly’s step-sister, Claire Clairmont, had the idea: she was hooking up with Lord Byron and even though he wasn’t really feeling it, she decided to “surprise” him in Swizerland though he never really invited her along for the trip. With her, Claire brought Mary and her main squeeze, Percy, along for kicks. Pe[...]
It's Gothic Horror month here at The Midnight Society. There have already been some fabulous posts like Both Things I Know About Gothic Horror I Learned from Jane Austen Who Learned from Ann Radcliffe from Erica Davis and My Favorite Gothics from Jenna Lehne. Today I wanted to talk about Gothic literature and tell you a little more about it. There's so much I could say about this subject, as it includes most of my favorite stories and authors, but for the sake of not rambling, I tried to keep my wits about me. But first, let me share my Gothic lit[...]
Somehow, despite being endlessly excited for the upcoming Victor Frankenstein movie (starring Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy, two of my favorites!) I have yet to post about it on The Midnight Society. If you haven't heard about it, this may actually be a blessing, because we still have to wait until November 25th for this to hit theaters. So long! But, still. You need to be informed of its glory. Here's the poster... LOVE! And here is the pretty, pretty trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pxZxY_Siyc *pets the screen* It's been ages since they've[...]
Frankenstein's monster's stitches were done so roughly in the original film so people would immediately look at him and know he was a monster. Those stitches have since become a symbol for the monster. You can paint your nails black and green, with stitches tieing the colors together, and people will get the reference. Look at your monster nails! But the theme we come back to when we talk about Frankenstein, is that the creature wasn't the monster. Victor, the doctor who created him, was. He created this person, for his own selfish reasons, with no thought to[...]
And now, a commercial break. But a themed one. There are a TON of Frankenstein commercials out there, but this one is probably my favorite. It uses imagery from the original tale, and...and... it's funny. I believe it was filmed on the same lot as the original movie. Correct me if I'm wrong on this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS0XceWlGAs[...]
Today we have a real treat on The Midnight Society: an interview with Mackenzi Lee, the author of the upcoming Frankenstein reimagining, THIS MONSTROUS THING. I actually decided to start calling this post series "Frankenlove"after talking with her on twitter. She's fun, she's knowledgeable, and she loves Frankenstein! So here we go... Do you remember first falling in love with Frankenstein? What drew you to the story? You never forget your first time, do you? My first exposure to Frankenstein came in high school, when it was one of our optional summer reading bo[...]
Mackenzi Lee, author of the upcoming novel THIS MONSTROUS THING (who will be interviewed here soon!) inspired the new title for these Frankenstein themed posts: Frankenlove! I actually really love this dorky little banner I made, so you better love it, too. Today, we're going to share several fun and different bits of Frankenstein greatness. 1. Frankenstein's monster was on a postage stamp. Twice! In 1997 and 2002. 2. Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller were in a Frankenstein play in 2011. It was broadcast in cinemas around the world, but still no D[...]
It’s the third Friday of the month and I know you’re excited for Dr. Who day! Where I search for horror in a sci-fi show, which isn’t difficult at all. In my last post, we met the Daleks, who run rampant throughout the series, however, today’s monster appeared in one episode. The Brain of Morbius was originally broadcast in 1976, written by Terrance Dicks and Robert Holmes. The Fourth Doctor and his fabulous companion Sarah Jane... land on the rocky planet Karn littered with wrecked spaceships and a headless body of the alien. Of course in true Doc[...]