h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Whilst the text of Frankenstein itself is heavily influenced by the writings both of William Godwin (Mary's father) in its portrayal of a man pursued (cf. Caleb Williams) and by Shelley's Husband (P.B - who was himself hugely influenced by Godwin) in its atmospheric gloom (cf. Queen Mab). The actual concept that lies behind it, that of a reanimated corpse demanding recompense from its creator is highly innovative.

The creation of the science fiction genre has generally been attributed to the men of the late nineteenth century. Figures such as H. G. Wells and Jules Verne spring instantly to mind whenever early science fiction is mentioned. However, the work of these two men (War of the Worlds is strongly excepted from this statement) is a far cry from the mainstream pulp science fiction that we see today.

Frankenstein, on the other hand, has exactly the sort of themes that come up time and again in both the horror and science fiction genres. The “Slasher” movie is dominated by tall, slow moving, Frankenstein’s monster like figures. Reoccurring characters such as Michael Myers and JasonVorhees have captured the fear element of the monster character but never successfully the humanist element that the character possesses in Shelley’s novel. The horror genre does little to explain the origins of its own monsters and attempts to do so are often vague and subject to change in later sequels.

Frankenstein belongs in the more modern genre of Sci-Fi/Horror due to the elaborate creation of the monster and his animation through electricity. In this animation Shelley is not only showing knowledge of a technology that is was beyond the average knowledge of her period. But, she is also close to being accurate in her assumption that electricity could potentially bring a person back to life. It has become a cliché for hospital dramas to show a persons heart being restarted through ECG.

Shelley’s work is not the predicate of modern horror as we are often lead to believe but rather she creates a sub-genre (Sci-fi/Horror) before either of the genres that this sub-genre draws from had been established.