Robert John Myers (1924–2011)

Although this book is intended to follow on from the original story, think more Hammer Horror than Mary Shelley.

It tells the story of the illegitimate son of the original Dr. Frankenstein and of his mission to both recover his father's notebooks and to destroy the Monster he created.

Most of the book is competently written but, like the Monster itself, it seems to be stitched together from disparate parts, the narrative, written in the first person from Victor's viewpoint, switching from a certain gentility to be expected from a 19th century middle-class doctor, to a jarring scatological vein. For example, when Victor is kidnapped, bound and thrown into a carriage for a long journey, we are told that he was "preoccupied with retaining control over my bladder and anal sphincter. The very thought of beshatting myself, however, tightened the process." Nice!

There are other sections, equally gratuitous and more prurient, that I feel mar the story. However, it is just possible that the author intended this as a reflection of the corruption and evil in the hearts of both the Doctor and the Monster and so, with a degree of generosity, I've given this three rather than two stars.… (more)