Frankenstein Friday – October 25, 2024

History of Frankenstein Friday

Human history has never been without monsters. Myths, folktales, epic stories have all had a monster or two, even tales from ancient civilizations like the Aztecs or Incas. While appearances and characteristics might differ, these monsters have appeared across cultures. Of these, Frankenstein’s monster is one of the best-known of all time.

In 1816, Mary Shelley, wife of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to visit their friend, poet Lord Byron, at Villa Diodati. The group also consisted of physician John Polidori. A volcano erupted in Indonesia causing severe rain and climate abnormalities, meaning the group was stuck inside the house where they read ghost stories to pass the time. Lord Byron subsequently proposed a competition to see who could come up with the best ghost story. Mary Shelley won this contest with “Frankenstein”; Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley did not finish their stories, but Polidori wrote the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”, “The Vampyre”. “Frankenstein” was anonymously published two years after when Mary was only 20 years old. The dedication in the very first edition was to William Godwin, Mary Shelley’s father. Percy Shelley wrote the preface, which is why many people assumed he wrote the book. Shelley republished it under her own name in 1823, with a third edition coming eight years later that explained how the story came to be. This final version is what most readers are familiar with today. The story spawned editions upon editions of prints in every language, and countless movie adaptations, over almost two centuries.

While Shelley always maintained she came up with the name of ‘Frankenstein’ (meaning ‘Stone of the Franks’) herself, critics believe she was influenced by a castle with the same name. The castle’s previous inhabitant was one Konrad Dippel, an unbalanced alchemist obsessed with creating an elixir that would help people live for over a hundred years. It was rumored that he dug up bodies and experimented on them, just like Victor Frankenstein in Shelley’s book.

Ryan MacCloskey from Westfield, New Jersey, founded Frankenstein Friday in 1997 to celebrate the characters, the book, and the author. He chose Friday for the celebrations because of the fun alliteration it makes with Frankenstein. Plus, he says, it is easier to be festive on a Friday than any other day.