Title: Facts of the Future: Dr. Farrell’s Frankenstein
Author: Lynn Standish
Date of First Publication: September 1950
Place of Publication: Amazing Stories
Type: Short story
Characters: No Character
Themes: MAD SCIENTIST/MONSTER; BYRONIC HERO; POSTHUMAN
Critical Summary: While sitting on the church steps, scientist Bill Cronin complains to Gloria about having to work at the lab seven days a week. The narrative follows the resentful Cronin as he enters the lab and reports to his employer, the science-dedicated Dr. Farrell. He notes that Cronin is late while he continues to tinker with his newest invention, a computing machine he refers to as The Differential Analyser. Cronin pauses to reflect on the machine, noting the nonhuman attributes of wires, motors, and gears that are seemingly harmless but aggregately ominous. Dr. Farrell pulls Cronin out of his reverie to tell him that there is no need for church on Sundays when they have the power in their hands to be gods themselves. When Cronin refutes this claim, Dr. Farrell alludes to his invention as nearly being alive. As the two scientists continue their debate, Cronin realizes Dr. Farrell is losing his sanity.
At this point, Cronin transitions from regarding the computer as a machine to seeing it as a monster. The rest of the afternoon is spent monitoring the machine, and Cronin observes Dr. Farrell become more agitated. A warning light flashes and Cronin offers to enter the machine room to troubleshoot the problem, but Dr. Farrell decides to go in himself. There is a scream and Cronin quickly cuts power to the machine. He enters the room and finds Dr. Farrell’s arm caught in the machinery. Though Cronin’s actions save Farrell’s life, it leaves the barely conscious doctor feeling as if the machine had attacked him.
Dr. Farrell embodies the characteristics of the Byronic Hero and Mad Scientist/Monster themes. His god-like aspirations, coupled with scientific recklessness, makes him very dangerous to those around him. He is not interested in people or fame, only scientific discovery; a destructive trait akin to Victor Frankenstein. The Differential Analyser is thematically enigmatic which correlates to the Romantic notion of the Posthuman. Cronin himself equates Dr. Farrell’s creation to Frankenstein’s monster and predicts that thinking machines will eventually achieve self-awareness and move beyond the limits of humanity. The machine is a kind of primitive supercomputer that is perpetually evolving its own A.I. Both Cronin and Dr. Farrell sense an awareness from the machine and are afraid. Dr. Farrell comes to the conclusion that the machine consciously attacked him. Ironically, as Dr. Farrell was maimed in the accident, he may no longer be able to tinker with his inventions. With Dr. Farrell no longer physically whole, his creation has effectively destroyed its creator’s creative power, giving it a sense of autonomy.
Administrative Notes: David Marshel, CSUF; Adam Shelley (editing)