Category Archives: Group 1
Portal & Cube(s)
Portal reminds me of Cube, Cube2, Cube Zero
Jim Henson (Muppetman) made a earlier version in 1969
Comment on The Science of Frankstein by Mark Sample
Very intriguing thought experiment. What interests me most (especially in the context of our other reading this semester) is, which of the four scenarios would be most disturbing, causing that cognitive estrangement Suvin deems necessary to science fiction?
I think the answer is clearly (3) Inhuman Children. Hybrids that cannot be easily categorized upset both our sensibility and the “natural order of things” (which is usually not so natural after all). Continue reading
The Science of Frankstein
Our discussion in class prompted a few thoughts about what would happen if Frankenstein had actually created a mate for his monster and therefore attempted to pass on the legacy of these monsters. 1) No progeny. They come from dead bodies, their reproductive organs are nonfunctioning. 2) Regular children. Both Frankenstein and his creature both […] Continue reading
Sympathy for Victor?
The general public typically have a hard time sympathizing with Victor. In class we had a discussion about sympathizing with the Monster or Victor and I spent some time thinking about that notion after class. For me, I tend to sympathize with Victor as well as the Monster. I won’t spend time talking about the […] Continue reading
“Stoned Shelley”
Josh raised a question about Shelley’s association with drugs that I wanted to investigate for my post today: “Did Shelley have much exposure to drugs/addiction?” While it is a fact that Frankenstein was inspired by a “waking nightmare” (pg. 11) people have claimed that the nightmare influenced by opium. Mary Shelley’s husband, Percy, was infamous for […] Continue reading
The True Monsters
The term monster is an often exaggerated term. I will be frank and ask what actually defines the term monster? Most people would usually believe the definition as some sort of hideous or terrifying form that seeks to cause destruction or extinguish mankind. That is actually partially true, but in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, there is […]
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Frankenstein vs. Of Mice and Men
The story of a smart man and his gigantic, burly, innocently-stupid companion who unwittingly kills people. It ends in tragedy.Is this Frankenstein or John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men?On the surface, these two novels have a number of similari… Continue reading
Comment on “No, it’s pronounced “Fronkensteen” by Christina
Hollywood by nature is sensationalistic so it is no surprise in each Frankenstein movie the focus has been so grievously misplaced. It’s playing to the expectations of the public, not so much setting them. The public is morbidly curious (just look how traffic stops when there is an accident)about things that are extraordinary (usually not in a good way). In the Frankenstein movies I’ve seen, the tension rests mainly on moments that play on our morbid curiosity or ability to take us somewhere we have not been before. I don’t even think this is a question of interpretation, “artistic” or otherwise, but interpretation as to what will yield the most money (and the lack of the author’s input).
In response to your comment about Victor not fleeing, if he fled, the movie is pretty much over in the eyes of Hollywood. After all, who would want to see an 80-90 minute drama of a man struggling with moral and ethical choices and the consequences of such? It would certainly be a much slower paced movie. How would such a movie be made and cast? Can you think of a movie that stayed pretty true to the book? The only recent series I can think of that stayed true to the book(s) is the Game of Throne series. I suspect this is so because Martin had a heavy hand in it (there are direct quotes from the book).
In case you are wondering how many Frankenstein movies, there are at least 42 http://www.eeriebooks.com/blog/horror-movies/42-frankenstein-movies-to-see-before-you-die/
But fear not, I found a graphic motion comic that stays true in the It’s Alive scene: http://youtu.be/T8Mm5ypkYf0
On another note and distinction, the book allows us to judge the creature abhorrent (I found him abhorred but not abhorrent) whereas the movie has already judged, for us, the creature abhorrent. Continue reading
Frankenstein: Science Fiction or (some sort of) Philosophical Fiction?
I have finished Frankenstein and been left wondering – is it science fiction or some sort of philosophical fiction? While Victor’s Aggripa-like creation of the creature could certainly be described as science fiction (in lay terms), I feel like it is more like a springboard to discuss philosophical questions such as: nature vs. nurture; good […]
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