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199 years ago today, Mary Shelley's novel "The Last Man" was published in London.

At least according to the House of Frankenstein Museum's Instagram, I'm working on verifying the date lol

You probably know that Mary Shelley originated the science fiction genre with her novel, Frankenstein. But did you know that her 4th novel, The Last Man, is regarded as the first post-apocalyptic novel? Well now you know!

I read this book for the first time last year, and I was struck by how scarily relevant and prophetic this book is. Most notably, Shelley predicts a 21st century viral pandemic which devastates the planet. And if you are fascinated by Shelley's real-life relationships, this novel is an excellent peak into the grief she is processing after the death of her husband, Percy Shelley, as well as the deaths of her children and friends.

10/10, I love this book so much, and I am so excited for it's bicentennial anniversary next year!

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I'll share two additional Frankenstein-related reviews. They're much more concise but I think they get the point across:

I made a letterboxd this year and I'd like to share my review of Victor Frankenstein (2015):

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Mindset

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I like to imagine that Victor Frankenstein and his Creature look absolutely nothing alike at the beginning of their narrative, but as the story progresses, they become more and more visually similar. As the blood pumps through the Creature's veins and his stiff muscles loosen up, he begins to look a little more.... alive, for want of a better word, than the twitching corpse Victor first saw him as. Secretly living with the De Laceys, he copies their facial expressions, practicing them again and again until they almost come naturally. Almost. He even has some of his creator's clothes. Meanwhile, as Victor's health deteriorates, his skin becomes sallow and transluscent, revealing the blood vessels underneath. His hair grows long and wild. His lips turn purplish black and shriveled with frostbite in the harsh Arctic. And maybe, in the dimness of Walton's cabin, when the candlelight hits them just right, Victor's dull, watery eyes appear almost yellow.

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I made a letterboxd this year and I'd like to share my review of Victor Frankenstein (2015):

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Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, from "The Complete Novels of Mary Shelly,"

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Reading the Cyborg in Mary Shelley's “Frankenstein” by Sarah Canfield Fuller

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2025 is the year of Frankenstein

If you didn't know already 2025 is set to be the year of Frankenstein with not one but TWO Frankenmovies AND a brand new theme park.

May 22, 2025 - Epic Universe opens, including 'The Dark Universe' (yes it's back) and the ride Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment.

26 September 2025 - Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride!

TBA 2025- Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein

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I now begin a new year — may it be a happier one than the last unhappy one.

— From Mary Shelley's 1819 journal, Friday, December 31st.

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if you think about it victor was multilingual as fuck. he would have spoken french (his first language as a genevese), german (due to going to ingolstadt university), english (he communicated with walton who was english) latin (to read ancient alchemy, also likely part of his education as a european), and hebrew, arabic or different oriental language(s) (which he learned with henry at ingolstadt), and, this is purely speculative, but he may have been familiar with swiss-german dialects and MAYBE italian; he traveled there in his youth and geneva is very close to the italian border. all by his mid 20s. thats NUTS

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"'Devil,' I exclaimed, 'do you dare approach me? and do you not fear the fierce vengeance of my arm wreaked on your miserable head? Begone, vile insect! or rather, stay, that I may trample you to dust! and, oh! that I could, with the extinction of your miserable existence, restore those victims who you have so diabolically murdered!'

'I expected this reception,' said the daemon. 'All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us. You purpose to kill me. How dare you sport thus with life? Do your duty towards me, and I will do mine towards you and the rest of mankind. If you will comply with my conditions, I will leave them and you at peace; but if you refuse, I will glut the maw of death, until it be satiated with the blood of your remaining friends.'"

- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

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my beautiful princess with a disorder

this was sitting unfinished in my files for like a month and i finally finished it hooray!!!! its supposed to give off the vibe of those old medical illustration things

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I never saw a more interesting creature: his eyes have generally an expression of wildness, and even madness; but there are moments when, if any one performs an act of kindness towards him, or does him any the most trifling service, his whole countenance is lighted up, as it were, with a beam of benevolence and sweetness that I never saw equalled. But he is generally melancholy and despairing; and sometimes he gnashes his teeth, as if impatient of the weight of woes that oppress him.

~Walton about Victor in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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Edward Gorey (1925–2000) - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

illustration from Howard Moss' book 'Instant Lives', 1974

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“Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” by by 20-year-old Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, was published #OnThisDay in 1818. Mary Shelley's name, however, did not appear on the title page until the book's second edition in 1823.

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Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly, from "The Complete Novels of Mary Shelly,"

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dare i say that the take "frankenstein was the real monster all along" that i've seen floating around for years is a disservice to both victor frankenstein as a character and to mary shelley's writing. yes, frankenstein is not a saint. he created sentient life and then abandoned it. but i feel like the point is very much that both frankenstein and the monster have gone through horrible things and are beings shaped by their experiences and that, despite that, none of their actions can be excused. they are both very much human to their very core and i don't like that there's people who strip either of them of their humanity to either villainize (frankenstein) or infantilize (the monster) them.