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Frankenstein is the pioneering English Gothic horror novel, inspiring countless film adaptations and leaving a profound mark on modern horror. While it has earned its place as a classic and is commonly studied in educational settings, the tale behind Frankenstein’s creation is just as captivating as the book itself.
10. It Was Written as Part of a Contest
In the summer of 1816, Mary Godwin, her partner Percy Bysshe Shelley, John William Polidori, and Claire Clairmont (Mary’s stepsister) traveled to Lord Byron’s residence in Geneva, Switzerland. What was intended to be a relaxing holiday turned out to be rather gloomy. Unable to enjoy the outdoors due to persistent bad weather, the group passed the time by reading German ghost stories. This sparked Lord Byron’s suggestion that they each write their own supernatural tale, with the goal of creating the most compelling story.
Byron only produced fragments, while Polidori didn’t initially contribute much but later developed a story inspired by Byron’s ideas. Meanwhile, Mary retired for the night and had a vivid dream of a corpse coming back to life. This dream led her to write Frankenstein. Percy focused on supporting his soon-to-be wife’s tale, which Mary initially envisioned as a short story. She quickly penned the first chapters, and with Percy’s encouragement and editing, she expanded the narrative into a full-length novel over the next year or so.
9. Thomas Edison Adapted It into Film
The first film adaptation of Frankenstein was produced in 1910, lasting just 12 minutes. Edison Studios created a loosely inspired version of the novel. Initially considered sacrilegious, the film was thought to be lost until it was rediscovered in the 1950s by a private collector. Despite its liberties with the original story, it bears closer resemblance to the novel than the version most people recognize today.
In this version, the monster is created in a cauldron (skip to 3:35 in the video), slowly rising in a sequence reminiscent of orc births in The Lord of the Rings films. A skeleton’s head emerges first from the cauldron before rapidly transforming into a hairy humanoid figure. Later scenes introduce him with dramatic villain music (around 7:43), and a few frame skips (from 10:18–10:39) give the monster an eerie teleportation effect, similar to how ghosts appear in the TV show Supernatural.
8. The Famous Film Differs Greatly From the Book
In the original novel, the monster speaks quite eloquently, even reflecting on its own existence. However, in the iconic 1931 film starring Boris Karloff, and many subsequent adaptations, the creature communicates primarily through grunts. The character of the laboratory assistant, often mistakenly called 'Igor' (his actual name is Fritz in the film), does not appear in the book. Additionally, the movie portrays Frankenstein as a doctor named Henry, whereas in the novel, he is a young college student who creates the monster. The film draws inspiration from Peggy Webling's stage adaptation of Frankenstein. Kenneth Branagh’s 1994 adaptation, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, stays more faithful to the original novel.
7. It Was Initially Published Without an Author's Name
Frankenstein saw three different publications in the 19th century: it was first published anonymously in 1818, again in 1823 after its stage debut, and later in 1831 with substantial revisions to the original text. The 1818 edition featured an introduction by Mary Shelley’s husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Many critics at the time speculated that Percy was the true author, though modern scholars point to the novel’s long narrative style and its use of multiple narrators as signs of an inexperienced writer, which Mary Shelley was at the time. She was officially credited as the author in the 1823 edition. It was not unusual for her to become a writer, given that her mother was the renowned feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft.
6. The Modern Vampire Tale Was Born From the Same Contest
Lord Byron only managed to complete fragments of stories for the writing contest he initiated, including one inspired by German vampire folklore. John William Polidori built upon Byron’s ideas to craft his own story, which became The Vampyre. There was initial confusion about the authorship, as the first edition of the book was published under the title A Tale by Lord Byron. Byron quickly clarified that the work was entirely Polidori’s creation. However, Polidori did make a distinct reference to Byron through the character of Lord Ruthven, the vampire. The tale introduced several familiar elements, such as the charismatic vampire who is welcomed into a home (a motif echoed in modern stories like Let The Right One In), the hypnotic gaze, and, of course, blood-drinking. These ideas paved the way for Bram Stoker’s famous Dracula, written 70 years later.
5. A Personal Tragedy Fueled Mary’s Creation
Mary Shelley’s dream of a reanimated corpse was deeply rooted in personal loss. In 1815, she and Percy Bysshe Shelley had a daughter, but the baby, born two months premature, tragically died just 11 days later. This heartbreaking event contributed to the theme of resurrection in Frankenstein. Mary would suffer the loss of three children, with only one surviving to adulthood—Percy Florence Shelley. He had no children of his own, meaning there are no direct descendants of two of the most famous literary figures of the 19th century.
4. The Names Were Deliberately Chosen
Many people mistakenly refer to the creature as “Frankenstein,” but that’s actually the name of the scientist. The creator’s name is Victor Frankenstein, while the monster itself remains nameless. One of the terms used for the creature is “The Adam of your labors,” suggesting a clear parallel with the biblical story of creation. Some scholars believe the name Victor is a reference to John Milton’s Paradise Lost, where God is portrayed as the 'victor.' The monster even reads Paradise Lost and expresses sympathy for the Devil, cementing Milton’s influence on the novel.
The name “Frankenstein” wasn’t chosen at random either. It translates literally to “Stone of the Franks,” and there is a well-known Castle Frankenstein, which, according to historian Radu Florescu, Mary and Percy Shelley visited during their travels to Switzerland. The castle’s notorious chemist, Konrad Dippel, was rumored to have conducted experiments on human bodies. Florescu posits that Dippel, rather than a dream, was the true inspiration for Mary’s novel, and she did not attempt to conceal this reference.
3. Tragedy Struck All Participants of the Contest
Percy Bysshe Shelley drowned in 1822. Lord Byron passed away in 1824, likely from sepsis. John Polidori took his own life in 1821. Mary Shelley survived into the 1830s, but ultimately succumbed to a brain tumor in 1851. While it’s not uncommon to find tragic parallels throughout history, especially in the 19th century when death was widespread, one striking detail is that the only member of the infamous group to live a long life was Claire Clairmont—the only one who did not participate in the writing challenge.
2. Percy Shelley’s Alleged Love Triangle
As we mentioned earlier, Mary Shelley’s mother was the iconic feminist Mary Wollstonecraft. In the 18th century, feminists were known for unconventional approaches to family life, and Mary was the second child of her mother. Prior to Mary’s birth, Wollstonecraft had a daughter, Fanny Imlay, with an American man during her time in France. Claire Clairmont, the third child, came later.
Mary managed to win Percy’s heart (and much more), but Fanny clearly had feelings for him as well. Fanny never fully recovered from losing Percy to her younger sister. Despite maintaining correspondence with the couple, Fanny struggled with feeling like the intellectual outcast of the family. This burden eventually overwhelmed her, leading to her tragic suicide. Clairmont, who had a child with Lord Byron, is rumored to have had Shelley as the true father. The rumors, combined with the mistreatment she faced from her stepmother and stepfather, played a role in Fanny’s eventual downfall.
1. The Book Sparked Debate and Received Harsh Criticism
The controversy surrounding the novel stemmed from its God-like references. Frankenstein claimed he could not speak the words describing how he created the monster, drawing a parallel to the biblical moment when God uttered, “Let there be light.” As a creator, Frankenstein is depicted as detached, speaking passively and seemingly unaware of the consequences of his actions. The subtitle, “The Modern Prometheus,” references the Greek myth of Prometheus, who defied Zeus by creating humanity and endured eternal torment—his liver eaten by an eagle that regenerates every night. These complex monologues and the perplexing introduction contributed to the book’s poor reception.
Also, Victor exhibits some uncomfortable desires toward his adopted sister, which is pretty disturbing. While she’s not his biological sister, the implications were still controversial—even in the 1800s. The idea of wanting to have an intimate relationship with one’s sister raised serious eyebrows back then.
+ Numerous Frankenstein Films Have Been Made
While we referenced the classic Edison film and the iconic one with Boris Karloff, many other films have explored the Frankenstein creature in various ways. Some are more on the unusual side. Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter falls into that category. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein brings together a host of iconic movie monsters (The Creature, Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolfman), but one of the most unconventional is Dracula vs. Frankenstein. In this 1971 film, extraterrestrials reanimate two scientists to resurrect Dracula and Frankenstein's monster to unleash terror on the world. Now, that's a wild Halloween tale!
