Title: The Frankenstein Legacy
Author: Adrian Cole
Date of First Publication: 1994
Place of Publication: The Mammoth Book of Frankenstein
Type: Short Story
Characters: Victor Frankenstein; The Creature; Robert Walton
Themes: MAD SCIENTIST/MONSTER; BYRONIC HERO; ANDROID; POSTHUMAN; SYMPATHETIC MONSTER
Critical Summary: The Frankenstein Legacy follows the events of Frankenstein after Victor is discovered by Robert Walton, and after Walton sees The Creature disappear, claiming he would kill The Creature himself. We meet Doctor Staverton. a former doctor who has secluded himself. Three youths coerce him into following them, claiming they have someone who wishes to meet him and discuss Robert Walton, a man Staverton had worked under, and his original partner, Victor Frankenstein. The news that Walton’s original partner was Frankenstein is especially shocking to Starverton as he realizes this would be impossible, seeing as Frankenstein had passed nearly two hundred years ago. The youths then claim that the Robert Walton from then and the Robert Walton Staverton had worked for are one in the same. We learn of Walton’s relationship with Staverton, who’s brilliance he recruited until he no longer needed it, whereupon he proceeded to blackball Staverton from ever working at his occupation again. Staverton then comes face to face with the youth’s boss, who turns out to be The Creature, the very same monster sewn together by the hand of Walton’s original partner, Victor Frankenstein. The Creature then tells his story and recruits Staverton in hopes of removing Walton’s immortality, which he achieved by “vulturing” Frankenstein’s mind and several other immoral acts. Staverton agrees to help find Walton. The youths, Staverton, and The Creature infiltrate the compound where Walton conducts his experiments, release Walton’s mishaps, and then finally capture Walton himself. Walton, who has escaped death’s grasp by using Frankenstein’s knowledge and transferring his mind to another carcass, is then captured and has his mind swapped with the Monster. Here, Walton lives on in his fantasy of immortality, but only as a monster.
The Frankenstein Legacy is true to its name in that it parallels a lot of the themes in the original story. In this one, The Creature’s role as the Byronic hero is far more evident has he uses Starverton to curse Walton and place Walton’s mind in the Monster’s immortal body. In this way, Walton’s need and desire to control his mortality becomes his curse as he’s forced to live in the new disfigured monster for eternity, wishing he would succumb to death.
Administrative Notes: Ivan Garcia, CSUF; Dr. David Sandner, CSUF (editing)