Frankenstein’s monster (or not), from Mary Shelley to Guillermo del Toro
The timeless Frankenstein is one of the most revisited figures throughout history. The work of Mary Shelley – renowned as the mother of science fiction – invites us to reflect on the limits of humanity and at what point one goes from human to monster. Recently, Frankenstein is back in the spotlight thanks to Guillermo del Toro’s film, precisely in the year in which the 42 Festival has chosen the monster as one of its themes. That’s why we’re bringing together two of the authors who have contributed to reimaginations of this legend. The first is Valencian novelist Elia Barceló, who combines elements of detective and Gothic genres in L’efecte Frankenstein (winner of the Edebé Award) and its sequel, El síndrome Frankenstein. The other is Esther Cross, who recreated Mary Shelley’s secrets with unquestionable style in her acclaimed La mujer que escribió Frankenstein (Minúscula). Both authors, who are experts in and admirers of this science fiction pioneer, will pay special tribute to her during this round table and reflect on how, centuries later, Frankenstein continues to influence works on this theme.
