Monstrous Progeny

LESTER D. FRIEDMAN is a professor and former chair of the Media and Society Program at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of over twenty books including American Cinema of the 1970s (Rutgers University Press) and the forthcoming, Tough Ain't Enough.  ALLISON B. KAVEY is an associate professor of early modern history at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the CUNY Graduate Center in New York, New York.  She is the author, coauthor, or editor of several books including Second Star to the Right: Peter Pan in the Cultural Imagination, co-edited with Friedman (Rutgers University Press).

"Monstrous Progeny invites us to reflect on two hundred years of a prolific, and horrific, creation."— New Statesman"Monstrous Progeny makes for a handy and entertaining introduction to teach an undergraduate class on the twentieth-century films and series indebted to Mary Shelley's novel."— Cercles"This lively and exciting analysis of the Frankenstein narratives, as found throughout literature, film, and cultural history, has an epic scope and depth.  A tremendously impressive accomplishment."— Stephen Prince, author of Movies and Meaning: An Introduction to Film"Everyone recognizes the face of Frankenstein's monster. But behind that familiar, frightening visage are some deep, dark roots. Lester D. Friedman and Allison B. Kavey's fascinating Monstrous Progeny digs deep to uncover the many offshoots of the Frankenstein family tree."— Parade Magazine"Gives in-depth consideration to the story through the lenses of psychology, feminism, queer theory, and sociology, citing major arguments and criticism for each … Recommended."— Choice"This fascinating study spotlights [Mary] Shelley's enduring impact on cultural representations of monstrosity, particularly as it shifts in relation to social and ethical codes... [Monstrous Progeny] will appeal to readers interested in unpacking some of the literary, historical, and scientific underpinnings of popular culture."— Library Journal"Monstrous Progeny recognize[s] that much of what we now associate with Frankenstein developed as a result of the creative inspiration that Shelley's work spawned in others. Just as Shelley herself was inspired by the nascent work of late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century scientists, so have artists, writers, and performers continued to find their inspiration in her story."— Science Fiction Studies"The most thorough exploration of the bizarre course the Frankenstein myth has taken since Mary Shelley conceived it 200 years ago this summer."— Town Topics"Monstrous Progeny admits the possibility that later fictions are worth studying by tracing the evolution of the Frankenstein narrative. It focuses mainly on film, though, the most powerful medium for disseminating Frankensteinian stories in the 20th century, just as theatre productions did most to spread the narrative in the 19th century."— Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C"Written in a most accessible style even as it presents a complicated history and series of analyses, Monstrous Progeny combines discussion of the original Frankenstein with issues of adaptation in theater, literature, cinema, and other media."— Rick Worland, author of The Horror Film: An IntroductionListen to an interview with authors Lester Friedman Allison Kavey [http://wxxinews.org/post/connections-history-frankenstein-narratives]— WXXI's Connections with Evan Dawson

• AcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Singing the Body Electric1         In a Country of Eternal Light: Frankenstein's Intellectual History2         The Instruments of Life: Frankenstein's Medical History3         A More Horrid Contrast: From the Page to the Stage4         It's Still Alive: The Universal and Hammer Movie Cycles5         The House of Frankenstein: Mary Shelley's Step Children6         Fifty Ways to Leave Your Monster           Notes           Select Bibliography           Index