Title: ’59 Frankenstein

 Author: Norman Partridge

 Date of First Publication: 1996

 Place of First Publication: It Came from the Drive-In

 Type: Short Story

 Characters: No Character

 Themes: MAD SCIENTIST/MONSTER; SYMPATHETIC MONSTER; ANDROID

Critical Summary: A retro, yet modern day telling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the Creature is now a young boy, while the Doctor acts as a sort of paternal figure, and shortly after tiring of being berated by the Doctor once again, the Creature chooses to instead throw him into the basement where he is attacked by an alligator. The boy then leaves the house, and takes the car, which is a junker of a car constructed of many other cars. While driving, he eventually gets into a car accident and meets the original owner of one of his arms; the man helps him out of a tight situation and the Creature then returns home. He releases the Doctor, now extremely injured after his time in the basement, and requests a new arm.

The work contains both humor and suspense, and is put together very well. The retro aspect of this work comes from the setting: it is the Fifties and the Creation is an angst-filled teenage boy. The angst filled teen is a relatable character with his own problems, and with much of the work focused on following his trek out into the world before he returns home, it is easy to feel sympathetic for him.

Administrative Notes: Alexander Rubio, CSUF; Dr. David Sandner, CSUF (editing)