Title: The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter
Author: Theodora Goss
Date of First Publication: 2017
Place of Publication: Saga
Type: Novel
Characters: The Creature; Justine Moritz
Themes: ANDROID; WOMEN WRITING MONSTERS; POSTHUMAN; MAD SCIENTIST/MONSTER; SYMPATHETIC MONSTER; RETRO SF
Critical Summary: This mash-up novel mashes up a number of Victorian and Romantic era mad scientist fathers and monster daughter stories to create a whirlwind mystery monster adventure. The main character is Mary Jekyll. She her friends are all the product of gross experimentation and join together inw hat they call “The Athena Club.” The Club includes Diana Hyde (Mr. Hyde’s daughter), Beatrice Rapaccini from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, Justine Frankenstein who was created by Dr. Frankenstein as the bride of his Creature, and Catherine Moreau, a nod to H.G Wells. The story takes place in London with Miss Jekyll working on a series of murders that remind the reader of Jack the Ripper with none other than Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The murders revolve around Whitechapel, with prostitutes missing body parts. Miss Jekyll suspects Mr. Hyde of still existing and being behind it all. The Creature plays a roll as well.
Justine Frankenstein is a key link to Frankenstein. This character is explained to be the created bride of Frankenstein’s Creature who was in fact not dismembered and done away as in Shelley’s novel. We learn that Frankenstein used the body of Justine Moritz, the benevolent and innocent servant put to death for William’s murder, to make Justine Frankenstein. Unlike as with the Creature, Frankenstein treated her as his child, and she is sentimentally attached to him, despite his obsessions and mistakes.
The Athena Club learns that the reason the women have been killed and are missing body parts has something to do with the Society of Alchemists, a “mad scientist” group to which all of their fathers belonged. The Creature appears, and is found to have taken up his “fathers” mad science. We also have a Byronic hero in Mr. Hyde, who is at turns a villain and an aid to the Club. This is a mildly Steampunk influenced work. Written by a woman, the work has a feminist exploration of women and monstrosity.
Administrative Notes: Chelsea Sundberg, CSUF; Amanda Howard, CSUF (editing)