“Edison’s Frankenstein” is a popular name for the first Frankenstein film, made 100 years ago by the Thomas Edison Company. It is also the title of a superb short story by Chris Roberson, currently nominated for a Sidewise Award, honoring Alternative History fiction.
No reference to the movie here, but a judicious title nonetheless for a story set in an alternate timeline where a miraculous substance called Prometheum has made Edison’s electricity useless. Author Roberson generously makes Edison’s Frankenstein available to everyone on his website. It’s a terrific read.
The story was originally published in the December 2009 issue, No. 20/21, of Postscripts, with a cover by Vincent Chong. It is also included in The Year’s Best Science-Fiction #27, edited by Gardner Dozois, to be published in July by St. Martin’s Press.
On a related note, artist-writer-director-actor Noel Tanti who adapted and starred as The Monster in the Maltese-language version of Frankenstein, posted an insightful review of the 1910 Edison Company film on his blog. Another good read.
Read Edison's Frankenstein by Chris Roberson.
Read Noel Tanti's review of the 1910 film.
Related:
More great Frankenstein-inspired fiction: The Bride of Frankenstein, by Michael Resnick,
Pride and Prometheus, by John Kessel, and The Mad Scientist's Daughter, by Theodora Goss.
Noel Tanti's Maltese Frankenstein
2 comments:
thanks for the mention :)
Frankenstein movies are a hundred years old! Wow! Thanks for pointing out the story! I love the SFX of burning a dummy and then running it backwards! That's genius.
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