Koontz’ “Frankenstein”- It’s Alive! Soon…Perhaps…

Have you read the Dean Koontz “Frankenstein” series? It’s a five book saga that picks up the story of the Frankenstein Monster- as well as his creator. It takes place in present day- about 200 years after the Monster and Dr. Frankenstein supposedly killed each other in a fierce battle in the Arctic (this was from the original old classic Mary Shelley novel that all Frankenstein movies, etc, were based). In modern New Orleans, both the doctor- kept alive by his own weird science- and the Monster- are each in the city, not knowing the other is there. A male and female detective team get embroiled in what happens when the two learn they both exist! While the doctor is creating his own new creatures- including a “perfect” wife- the Monster, though having learned much from Tibetan monks, wants to claim his vengeance against his cruel creator. This whole idea actually started in a TV movie from 2004 on the USA network, which could have become a series- but didn’t. A year later, Koontz published the first book in his new series , “Prodigal Son”- and it took off, spawning the complete multi-book saga. I have read them all, and really enjoyed them- so much so, that I have actually bought the set for a few friends as gifts. That’s why I was excited to read , in an article at Deadline.com by Nellie Andreeva, that the books will now go full circle and are being developed by the TNT network as a series! James V. Hart and his son Jake will write the project. Hart actually had a story credit on the 1994 feature “Frankenstein”, which featured Robert De Niro as the Monster (or, as it was put in the film, the “Creation”)-he also got a producer credit on the film, though the main producer was, of course, Francis Ford Coppola. I really hope this becomes a series- there are so many unique twists and turns in the story, with a nice balance of police action and science fiction- and some great characters- not all of them completely human. I’d hope they stick as close to the stories as possible, though, knowing how productions and budgets work, one should expect some tinkering, and not always for the best. The Monster, though his unique training, has actually some new powers that certainly change his character- and some physical features that come more from the original novel than any previous film versions. Regardless- it makes for a great story- so, let’s hope that this makes it to the small screen- in a successful way. It’s only natural, after that article, that we make the Frankenstein Monster our ”Halloween Horror of the Day”. His mother may have been the lightning, but, in reality, was Mary Shelley- whose story first was published in 1818.In a contest with her fiancé Percy, Lord Byron, and John Polidori (whose name surfaces in the original novel!) to see who could write the best horror story- she supposedly dreamed of a scientist who brought a creature to life, only to regret what he had made. The novel was the source of one of the cornerstones of Universal Studios horror, as the 1931 production- starring Boris Karloff in the role that would make his film career- became a sensation. Many consider the Karloff/Universal depiction as the true Frankenstein Monster, but, he has appeared in various physical forms, some more grisly, some a little more human, though stitched together heavily. Some versions make the Monster have more human feelings, and some have him more articulate. Either way, the name “Frankenstein” – often mistakenly used as the name of the Monster itself, not its creator-remains one of the most famous names in horror- and the Monster himself is one of the most-recognized world-wide- and as our “Halloween Horror of the Day”!