Title: Mad At The Academy
Author: Esther M. Friesner
Date of first publication: 1991
Place of Publication: The Ultimate Frankenstein
Type: Short story
Characters: The Creature
Themes: MAD SCIENTIST/MONSTER; ANDROID; BYRONIC HERO
Critical Summary: Polly Doree, a young actress and part time grave robber, is caught stealing jewelry off of a body placed inside a mausoleum. While attempting to steal his fillings, Doree is caught by Dr. Godwin Shelley, the man who created the body in the grave. She ends up helping him take the creation to the Academy on award night. Dr Godwin Shelley created this monster to be the best actor there was by taking parts from dead celebrities and sewing them together. A the Academy, the awards begin and the Creature wins for Best Actor. Once on stage people in the audience began to shout out names of loved ones they recognized as a part of the Creature. Leaping onto the stage one by one, they dismembered the Creature leaving nothing left.
This short story was clearly influenced by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Dr. Godwin Shelley and Polly Doree put together this super actor by taking parts for recently deceased actors, just as Victor did when he went looking in graves to create his Creature in Mary Shelley’s novel. It is also worth noting that the author chose to use Mary Shelley’s maiden name and last name as the name of the doctor. There is a continuous theme throughout the short story of the mad scientist. The doctor states many times that people in his community feel he is mad, just as people thought Victor was going mad in Mary Shelley’s novel.
Administrative Notes: Olivia Hawkins, CSUF; Dr. David Sandner (editing)