Title: Imaginary Beauties: A Lurid Melodrama
Author: Gemma Files
Date of First Publication: 2008
Place of Publication: Kelp Queen’s Loonie Dreadful Imprint (chapbook)
Type: short story
Characters: No Character
Themes: ANDROID; BYRONIC HERO; WOMEN WRITING MONSTERS; POSTHUMAN; MAD SCIENTIST/MONSTER
Critical Summary: This is a short story of two witty college girls that have a love for both science and one another. Clarice is a chemistry major that has an eye for Horatia; girl genius. They both team up in creating a formula used as a drug called reA and sell it for profit to the public in supporting Horatia’s scientific experiment of repairing damaged tissue in a persons’ body. They both experiment the formula on themselves for trials. They are threatened by drug competitors and Clarice is shot protecting Horatia; but she discovers she has super strength and immortality from the reA. Clarice kills members of the rival gang and then forces the ring leader join with her and Horatia in continuing their production. Major problems arise when Horatia discovers that their whole society is being turned into dust when overdosed. They hear of people being blown up into dust out in public, making them target for police officials. It all ends with Horatia resolving errors in her formula and mastering the formula to regenerate damaged tissue, while their loft is surrounded by the Police. Clarice, Horatia, and their former drug competitor DD go full blast gun to gun shooting their way out the loft like some old gangster movie.
Imaginary Beauties: A Lurid Melodrama relates to the themes in Frankenstein of mad scientists, android or zombie like beings, and the posthuman. Horatia is a “girl genius” mad scientist obsessed with conducting experiments and running tests on her formula. Horatia resembles Victor Frankenstein, in his ambition and persistence in his experiments. The reA formula transforms users into new beings, pushing the boundary of the human body and what it means to be human.
Administrative Notes: Rebecca Loera, CSUF; Dr. David Sandner, CSUF (editing); Sam Drake, CSUF (editing)