-
Casinos for you
Unearth The Truth Behind Frankenstein’s Monster
By Shane Addinall Aug 30, 2020August 30th is celebrated as National Frankenstein Day. Join us as we dig up the facts and fiction surrounding this classic tale and delve into its deeper meaning, impact on pop culture and unearth a few slots for you to enjoy.If there is any fictional horror that stands tall amongst the pantheon of film and movie monsters it is the ill-formed visage of Frankenstein. The true roots of this beastly being are far richer and far more eloquent than one would think given the murderous construct of the silver screen and the bumbling buffoon of children’s cartoons.
A Dream Becomes A Nightmare
From her parents who were both authors in their own rights to her friends and future husband, Mary Shelley spent her formative years around people who discussed philosophy, the meaning life and death, and other deeply evocative topics.
During the rainy summer of 1816, the "Year Without a Summer", Shelley found herself in the midst of such discussions with English Romantic poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and British poet, Lord Byron. In particular, the research of Luigi Galvani, who was experimenting with the application of electric impulses to dead flesh, and the occult were hotly debated.
After one such rousing conversation Lord Byron proposed a challenge to the group, they would write a short horror story. It was simply a little fun to while away the cold nights and see who could take the concepts discussed and turn it into a macabre tale.
While the other had no problem creating their stories, Mary struggled to put pen to paper. However, one evening after discussing Galvani’s work she claimed to have been beset by a grim and horrifying “waking dream”, where she saw:
“… the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life, and stir with an uneasy, half vital motion. Frightful must it be; for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavour to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world.”
This is was the genesis of one of the world’s most famous horror stories, Frankenstein.
A Rose by Any Other Name
One of the most common misconceptions surrounding the story of Frankenstein is that the villain of the story, the stitched-together monster, carries the titular name. It is, however, the monster’s creator, the scientist who would be God, who is named Victor Frankenstein.
Appalled at the twisted creation he brings to life Dr Frankenstein refuses to name the being choosing to refer to it throughout the original novel as a wretch, a monster and even simply as “it”. Even when coming face to face with his creation he refers call him a "vile insect" and an "abhorred monster".
When you consider that the book’s full title is “Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus”, where Prometheus is the Greek Titan punished by the gods for stealing fire and giving it to man just as Victor oversteps by playing God and suffers untold torments for his arrogance, it is clear that the titular character is the doctor and not his creation.
This lack of naming has been problematic, with references to as early as 1844 speaking of the doctor as "the maker of poor Frankenstein", completely missing the point that the beast is never named.
This was further promulgated by early Hollywood thanks to films such as The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), the Son of Frankenstein (1939) and the black comedy Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), to name but a few, continuing the fallacy that the monster and not his creator is name Frankenstein.
Why Have You Forsaken Me?
Far from a simple monster story, Frankenstein plumbs the depths of what it means to be accepted, the ego and consequences of pushing scientific boundaries and even challenges religious views of life and creation.
Despite being a work that falls into the horror category Frankenstein has also been lauded as a seminal piece of science fiction. While lacking lasers and aliens of most modern sci-fi, the story took then fringe scientific theories, applied them to the world and created a fictional yet plausible outcome which at the time of writing was inconceivable in any realm other than a fictional one.
It is this depth of scope that allowed for it to become one of the world’s most widely recognised, reworked and parodied pieces of literature with untold films, television series and novels using the original as their, albeit loosely referenced, source material.
If you’re a fan of the Frankenstein tale and would like to enjoy media inspired by it, we can recommend the following fare:
3 Entertaining Frankenstein inspired films:
- Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein – This stage production was filmed and aired in select theatres. Showcasing the skills of such actors as Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller it is a treat to behold.
- I, Frankenstein – If you prefer your monsters as heroes then this is a film for you. Adam, a name Mary Shelley once called the Creature in a conversation, takes it upon himself to become mankind’s hero in the war between Gargoyles and Demons.
- Bride of Frankenstein (1935) – If you’re a fan of the golden age of Hollywood then there is no better choice than The Bride of Frankenstein. Bold, entertaining and filled with dark humour this film is still a winner.
3 Fantastic television series featuring the Creature:
- Penny Dreadful – The series weaves together the lives and miseries of many famous monsters and its insights into the Creature, Caliban, is a fantastic and heartbreaking one.
- The Frankenstein Chronicles – Follow Inspector John Marlott as he investigates a series of bizarre clues that seem to point to someone trying to reanimate the dead.
- Hotel Transylvania: The Series – If your family love monster cartoons be sure to give Hotel Transylvania a watch. Frankenstein’s monster is a stalwart of the series and close friends with the vampires who run the hotel.
While this list is far from exhaustive each of the six entries has something special which we believe will appeal to a wide range of monster fans.
Betting on the Beast
While there are dozens of vampire-themed video slots for you to enjoy online there are not very many slot machines that focus on our forlorn monster and his quest for love and acceptance.
Reviving Love - Spinomenal
Since all the Creature really wants is love, we’re kicking off our top slot recommendations with Spinomenal’s Reviving Love video slot. The designers of this slot clearly took their inspiration from Tim Burton with a crazy Scientist trying to create a bride who is the spitting image of Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
The slot itself offers medium volatility gameplay across 243 ways to win and an RTP of 93.6%. The reels are filled to the brim with stitched up Royal symbols and body parts floating in jars which can add up to big wins if you get lucky with the game’s Free Spins, re-spins, bonus game or Extra Wild features.
Frankenstein - NetEnt
Drawing inspiration from the classic Hollywood adaptations of Shelley’s Frankenstein the NetEnt slot features Dr Frankenstein and The Monster symbols along with Windmill symbols and a brain in a jar.
Putting all the right symbols together across the slot machines 20 paylines could see you claim wins of up to 175,000x your coin size on any lucky spin. To keep you on the edge of your seat the game features Free Spins, Scatters symbols, up to x5 Win Multipliers and linked Wild symbols.
Frankenslot’s Monster – Betsoft Gaming
Betsoft Gaming has taken a quirky approach to the macabre character of Frankenstein’s creation with their Frankenslot’s Monster slot. Rather than a scarred soul with deep questions about life, this game features an oafish construct happy to clap and nod approval as you spin the reels with a wild-haired Dr Frankenstein leaping around like a leprechaun on the side-lines.
The reels are filled with images of the Monster, Dr Frankenstein and all sorts of lab paraphernalia which come together across 5 reels and 20 fixed paylines to offer a maximum payout of 1000 coins thanks to an electrifying free spins feature.
Celebrate National Frankenstein Day
Join your fellow horror fans around the world in celebrating National Frankenstein Day by reading (or rereading) the original book, watching one of the many movies or television shows which feature the Beast or even spinning the reels of the Frankenstein themed slots mentioned above.
No matter how you choose to honour Mary Shelley and her incredible piece of art we wish you a chilling time.
Tags
Related Blog Posts
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Join the conversation!
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.
Write a comment