#10: 10 Toes a’ Twitching From, “Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus” – Mary Shelley “Come up to the lab and see what’s on the slab!” Oops—wrong story. But you probably know the story even if you don’t recognize the quote. Richard O’ Brien’s outrageous stage play and subsequent movie have become cult classics. Mel Brooks also produced a wildly popular film that pokes fun at Mary Shelley’s novel. In fact, over the last 80 years, dozens of media publications have been produced that are based loosely on the Frankenstein monster theme. It’s an ever-growing library of movie remakes and sequels, comic books, and television shows (including one featuring Harvard alum Fred Gwynne). Perhaps the genre has become almost cliché. However, our current era is one in which microsurgery, genetic engineering, cybernetics, and mood-altering technologies are quite commonplace. Perhaps it would be wise for us to revisit the cautionary aspects of Shelley’s story and give her credit for being well ahead of her time. Think of all that has come to pass since she wrote it in response to a bet posed among a group of her close friends on an er, dark and stormy night. Robots. Clones. Artificial intelligence. Digital avatars. Organ donors. Animatronics. Viag—oh, never mind. Here are some interesting bits of trivia: Shelley’s story was first published in 1818, anonymously and in three volumes. The first time it was released as a single book was in 1831—on October 31. And, for the record, Dr. Frankenstein worked alone. His cretinous assistant was added to the script by Universal Pictures screenwriters during production of a 1931 movie that was named for Shelley’s novel but was not generally faithful to its plot. “Props” to 3DCafe (monitor), JohnWest (lab coat), TrekkieGirl (morphing sheet), AAppleyard (goggles), and anyone I may have missed. Selections from the same shelf: “The Invisible Man,” H. G. Wells “I, Robot,” Isaac Asimov “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Robert Louis Stevenson