“Twenty Years of Fear” Scarezone, Universal Studios Florida, 2010.
On this date in 1797, English novelist Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was born in London. Although her other works have increased in popularity in recent years, Shelley is primarily known for her 1818 Gothic novel, “Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus.”
Shelley came up with the idea for “Frankenstein” while on holiday with her husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley:
Mary, Percy, Lord Byron, and John Polidori decided to have a competition to see who could write the best horror story. After thinking for weeks about what her possible storyline could be, Shelley dreamt about a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made. She then wrote Frankenstein. [source]
While initial reviews of “Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus” were unflattering, the novel was popular with the public. The work was also regularly adapted for the theater, including Richard Brinsley Peake’s 1823 play, “Presumption; or The Fate of Frankenstein” [source]. In 1931, Universal Pictures released their low-budget horror film, “Frankenstein.” Directed by James Whale and starring Colin Clive and Mae Clarke, the film was an immediate box-office success. It also made “The Monster,” as portrayed by Boris Karloff, into a horror icon that is still visible today.
“Frankenstein” has made a number of Halloween Horror Nights appearances over the years. As one of the main “Universal Monster” characters, “The Monster” was used as a co-Icon for the first-ever HHN event: 1991’s “Fright Nights.” More recently, the character was given a steampunk makeover for 2009’s “Frankenstein: Creation of the Damned” house, although a Karloff-esque version also appeared in that year’s “Horrorwood Drive-In” scarezone.
Photo by Mark Walter.