2018 marks 200 years since the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Christopher Frayling explores its enduring appeal and its ability to remain a cultural touchstone over the centuries. Although Shelley has often sat in the shadow of her much celebrated husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, it is her monster that has stood the test of time. Beginning with its birth as limited edition literature, Frayling traces its many adaptations – on screen (120 films), stage, in novels, comics, and in advertisements. He looks at the many interpretations of the novel from female gothic to the origin of science fiction and genetic engineering, even unveiling brand new research on the novel’s origins.
This talk is part of Off the Shelf's Frankenstein 200 strand and is accompanied by many other Frankenstein-inspired events in the programme, including a pop-up performance in the General Cemetery and a free screening of Blade Runner.
- Words by
- Hannah Clugston
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