Many popular novels have impacted our culture and have been adopted in films, music, and pop culture. One such novel is Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, published in 1818 and gained popularity as one of the first and greatest science fiction novels of the time. In the novel, a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, brings to life a monster created from dead body parts, and the monster becomes his source of misery when he kills people. The novel became a success, and it has since influenced pop culture from the time of its publication up until the present day. The monster in Shelley’s novels has been used in many film characters, television shows, plays, video games, music, comic books, and pop culture as a whole. This essay examines how Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, has influenced pop culture and has managed to stay relevant throughout time and history.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a science fiction novel with gothic characteristics which was a pioneer and paved the way for science fiction genres to be an integral part of pop culture. Brian Aldiss, a science fiction author argues that Frankenstein was the first of many science fiction novels written, and without Shelley’s novel, some of the great science fiction novels would not exist since they rely on science fiction to create great stories (Murphy, 2018).

Murphy also argues Shelley’s novel has influenced pop culture the most when it portrayed a mad scientist who tries to go against the laws of nature by bringing to life a dead being. This work of literature thus catalyzed the trend of producing film characters that weaponized scientific innovations to often rebel against existing societal issues. Murphy also states that without the novel, we would not be able to enjoy such great storylines in films and literature. For instance, in 1910, Edison Studios made the first film adaptation of Frankenstein, which was only sixteen minutes long. In the film, a scientist uses chemicals to create a monster that causes him misery. However, true love makes the monster disappear on the scientist’s wedding night. This was the beginning of Frankenstein’s influence on films because many other film adaptations popped up soon afterward.

Shelley’s Frankenstein gave birth to the use of mirror scenes in pop culture. Films and literature have adopted this concept to show how humane and vulnerable villains and monsters are. The mirror scenes in the novel where the monster sees his reflection emphasize the idea that being a monster is not about appearance, but about how other people view the monster and how he perceives himself through other people’s eyes (Diedrich, 2018). Films, comics, and other novels have adopted this iconic mirror scene. For example, this scene has been adopted in Classical Comics, where the monster sees his reflection in the pool and becomes terrified when he notices he is different. Mirror scenes allow readers or viewers to see the imperfection of characters, and let the readers or viewers see the soft sides of villains or monsters and sympathize with them, which has become an integral part of modern cinema for adding depth and dimensions to its characters. 

Through Shelley’s novel, films and literature were able to have the basic description of what a monster looked like. Shelley gives a vivid description of the monster in her novel. She states that the monster was enormous, and had yellow skin that barely covered its vessels and muscles, lustrous black hair, and dull yellow eyes. This depiction of a monster had been adopted in a plethora of films, comics, television shows, and artworks. For example, Marvel Comics has produced a series of comics representing the hideous monster Frankenstein. In the comics, the Frankenstein monster is enormous, resembles a corpse, and has combat skills (Denson, 2011). This depiction does not just apply to film adaptations of the novel, but science fiction or horror films that have different storylines from the novel. Some films preserve the originality of the monster’s look while others alter the features of monsters. Frankenstein’s influence can be further drawn to Marvel’s one of the most recognized superheroes. Much like Victor Frankenstein, the green-skinned monster was the result of a science experiment by Dr. Bruce Banner, known as the Hulk.

Shelley’s Frankenstein also influenced how the pop culture views monsters. Shelley portrays the monster as an emotional and sensitive being who just wants to fit in society but gets rejected. This depiction has influenced pop cultures to portray monsters differently from the usual savage, heartless and mindless creatures. Some films depict the monster as a tragic hero, for example, the film, Frankenstein vs. the Creature from Cove, shows the monster helping another creature to fight terrorists. The actual portrayal of the monster in the novel begs the question, what is considered a monster? Are monsters only defined by their appearance? In the novel, the monster is treated poorly because he does not have the same appearance as human beings. Mary Shelley’s novel inspires and challenges people to look into their humanity and ask themselves if we as human beings are actual monsters of how we treat others. Through the novel, the author challenges her readers to examine themselves and see how they have impacted other people’s lives as they live their own.

Frankenstein’s monster from the novel has also impacted people culturally. It is very rare for people to talk about horror and Halloween and not talk about the Frankenstein monster. The monster is not just a story in the novel but has expanded its influence on Halloween culture. The monster in the novel has inspired a lot of Halloween costumes and decorations in countries that celebrate Halloween (Rappaport, n.d.). Multiple people, including celebrities, have created and worn costumes inspired by Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein film in 1931. For example, in the 2019 Halloween celebrations, Heidi Klum, a famous supermodel, wore a Frankenstein-inspired costume that depicted how the monster from the novel looked like (Baker, 2019).

Shelley’s Frankenstein inspires pop culture and the creation of films that seek to educate people about the risks, responsibilities, and dangers of creating sentient life (Rappaport, n.d.). In an attempt to defy the laws of nature, Victor Frankenstein, the scientist in the novel, tries to bring to life a being made from corpse parts and ends up creating a monstrous being. Most films have adopted this concept to try and educate people about the dangers and risks of conducting unlawful experiments. For example, we see this adaptation in Frankenweenie, where the little boys try to revive their pets, but they turn into monsters instead. The monsters end up causing destruction to people.

Shelley’s novel Frankenstein also influenced music and visual arts production. People have produced music that tells the story of the scientist and the monster in the novel. For example, Alice Cooper used the monster from the novel to create a piece about the experiences of an uncoordinated and ugly teenager. Alice Cooper used the green monster to represent the unattractive teenager. Artists also got inspiration from the novel to create art for comic books and art galleries. In 2018, artworks inspired by the monster were displayed at Corey Helford. The show saw about a hundred artists showcase their Frankenstein-inspired artworks to celebrate the novel. 

Shelley’s novel has also influenced the production of video games based on the novel’s characters (Rappaport, n.d.). The video game Frankenstein which was produced in 1987, requires Dr. Frankenstein to look for his monster and destroy it before it murders people. The monster must also try to be free to learn why it exists. One had to play and pass all the levels to win the video game. The first and second levels required the players to be Dr. Frankenstein, and in the third, players had to switch to play the monster. The game’s third level was the toughest, as players needed to increase the monster’s intelligence to survive. The structure of the video game borrows some of the novel’s ideas. For instance, the part where Dr. Frankenstein has to find the monster and kill it before it kills others. In the actual novel, the monster killed people close to the scientist as revenge. 

The monster from Shelley’s novel has grown to become one of the most known characters. The monster has influenced pop culture and has been used as a character in films, comics, music, art, Halloween, and video games. In some cases, films or comic books follow the novel’s story when using the characters from the novel. However, some media follow a completely different path while still maintaining some of the themes and concepts from the original novel. Through the various portrayals of the monster character, the description of the novel has been altered, and it is difficult to determine which the original monster from Shelley’s novel is. 

The arguments presented above are evidence that Mary Shelley paved the way for science fiction genres and introduced new concepts and ideas that would not exist without the popular novel. Most film productions and literature have incorporated these concepts into their storylines. For example, the hulk in Marvel movies resembles the Frankenstein monster. Such characters would not have existed without Shelley’s novel. She also introduced the idea that science can be dangerous if not monitored, and many films have used this idea to create films to teach about the dangers that science can present.

Shelley’s Frankenstein has undeniably had a major impact not just in the field of literature but in the world of art, music, and film. The novel became a pioneer and paved the way for science fiction authors and filmmakers. The effect of the novel on pop culture films extends from the use of mad and overambitious scientists in literature to the use of mirror scenes in films. In addition, the novel provided a reference for the description of monsters in pop culture and it has inspired filmmakers to create films that illustrate the dangers of trying to create sentient life.

Frankenstein today has transformed into something much bigger than the novel that Mary Shelley came up with during her time in Geneva. It’s an idea that has had its effects throughout history and will stay relevant for centuries.