Dean Koontz's Frankenstein
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Dean Koontz's Frankenstein is the collective title of a series of novels co-written by Dean Koontz. Though technically of the mystery or thriller genres, the novels also feature the trappings of horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Three volumes so far have been or are about to be published: Prodigal Son, co-written with Kevin J. Anderson, was published in 2004; City of Night, co-written with Ed Gorman, was published in 2005; and Dead and Alive, co-written with Ed Gorman, to be published in May, 2007.
The series is a supposedly a modern updating of the mythology of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, although the similarities are mainly superficial. Set in present day New Orleans, the series follows the activities of Victor Frankenstein, now known as Helios, as he continues to create new life forms for his own purposes. Opposed to his activities are a pair of homicide detectives and Frankenstein's original monster, now known as Deucalion.
The concept for the series was adapted from a treatment written by Koontz and Anderson for the 2004 TV movie, Frankenstein, which was produced for the USA Network. Koontz withdrew from the project over creative differences with the network, and the production continued in a different direction with similar characters and a modified plot.
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[edit] Characters
[edit] Carson O'Connor
One of the primary characters of the series, Carson is a tough and occasionally brutal detective whose best friend is a fellow officer, Michael Maddison. She is the caretaker of her autistic brother, Arnie, whose condition is a more significant part of the story. Carson has a penchant for brute force and firepower, and is the one that Deucalion comes to for aid.
She and Michael Maddison provide the humor of the story. While Carson acts as the "straight man" of the duo, Michael often plays the role of her foil, his flippant personality bouncing off her very serious one.
Carson has feelings for her partner, Michael, although she hides it because she does not want their personal lives interfering with their professional lives. That, and she doesn't think that the middle of an apocalypse is the perfect time to talk about love.
[edit] Michael Maddison
Carson's partner and fellow homicide detective, Michael has a habit of making wry observations about any situation: at one point, Carson considers the possibility of the Apocalypse coming because 'he [Michael] had been struck speechless twice in one hour.'
Michael is the more imaginative of the two; he quickly adjusts to Deucalion's revelation, with very little evidence, that Victor is plotting to overthrow the Old Race.
Michael pines for a less-professional relationship with Carson. This is very similar to the (initial) relationship between the two police partners in Koontz's Darkfall.
[edit] Victor "Frankenstein" Helios
Victor Frankenstein, known to the world as Helios, has fallen far since he created a man from fragments of the corpses of criminals. He has become obsessed with overthrowing true humans, which he refers to as "the Old Race," and replacing them with his superior creations. After the failure of his first rebellious monster, he put himself through extensive bodily modifications to extend his life span and increase his physical power (the details are unknown, but it is hinted he used a method similar to that which created the monster, possibly replacing organs from healthy victims over the years). The process left his physical form scarred and deformed. Helios has acquired wealth and power from selling his knowledge to Hitler, Stalin, and the People's Republic of China. He respected Hitler and was greatly grieved at the end of World War II. He performed the life-extending surgery for Stalin, which went wrong and led to the dictator's insanity and assassination by fearful underlings. In modern times, Helios has learned to create genetically-engineered beings, called the New Race, devoid of morality, feelings, and pain, unable to deny his command or attack him. He believes he has given them a perfect existence, but the horror of their protracted but meaningless lives has left many suicidal; a genetically-imprinted proscription prevents them from killing themselves or venting their rage by hurting or killing others. Helios desires to remake the world in the image of Huxley's Brave New World. Additionally, he is a sexual sadist and a militant atheist.
[edit] Deucalion
Helios's first disastrous creation and monster. Unlike his other creations, the hulking and highly intelligent Deucalion (a name he gives himself later) believes that the singular nature of his genesis -- animation via a lightning bolt -- gave him a soul in addition to life. Another interesting byproduct is Deucalion's innate understanding of "the quantum nature of the universe," which allows him to teleport vast distances instantly and make objects (thus far only coins) disappear and reappear at will. In Koontz's continuity, when the monster attempted to attack Frankenstein, the doctor activated a small bomb he had implanted inside his creation's head as insurance against treachery; though Deucalion was not killed, half of his face was badly deformed and heavily scarred. After the events in Mary Shelley's book, he fled to America and gradually became the man he is today, hiding in carnival sideshows and eventually leaving for a Tibetan monastery to find peace. He remained there for several years, befriending a number of the monks, one of whom attempted to reduce the severity of the artificial man's scars by concealing them with intricate tattoos. After learning of an old friend's discovery, Deucalion returns to New Orleans, where he quickly recruits assistance from Carson.Ñ
The character shares his name with Deucalion, a figure from Greek mythology, who was the son of Prometheus (Shelley's subtitle for her novel was "The Modern Prometheus"). Deucalion chose the name for precisely this reason.
Deucalion's disappearing coin trick also appeared in Koontz's From the Corner of His Eye.
[edit] Erika(s) IV-V
The synthetic wife Helios created for sexual gratification and public appearances. Designed to be completely devoted to him, his misogyny has resulted in brutal 'terminations' of the past four Erikas for failures ranging from outright rebellion to slurping soup. A sexual sadist, he enables the Erika models to feel shame and pain, and he takes great pleasure in beating them during sex. Erika IV read extensively, leading her to question her husband. As a result, she was recruited by Karloff, an experimental disembodied head that could psychically control an unattached hand from afar, to kill Helios. When she revealed she couldn't kill him, Karloff fell into despair and requested death, so she turned off his life support. Later she confronted her husband, causing him to beat and strangle her. She stated that she forgave him for killing her but not for making her. As a result of her book-inspired independence, the new Erika (V) is forbidden to read, but is filled with literary allusions that frequently spring to her mind.
[edit] Jonathan Harker
A renegade member of the New Race. In an effort to find what enabled humans to feel happiness he became a serial killer and desecrated corpses in a futile effort to find a happiness gland. A doctor altered his body by putting a squirming mass into his body, according to Deucalion's dream in the opener of the first book. This mass grew in him throughout the book until he fell off a building. A smaller, yet mature version of him burst forth from his torso and escaped. (Note the name is a reference to the character in Dracula)
[edit] Werner
A member of the New Race. Werner, the security chief at the Hands of Mercy, was "such a solid block of muscle that even a concrete floor ought to have sagged under him. His only imperfection was the uncontrollable snot that would come every once in a while. The mucous membranes in his sinuses produced mucus at a prodigious rate. On those occasions, Werner often went through three boxes of Kleenex per hour." While searching Randal six's room he started to explode, he experienced many physical changes making him an even bigger set back in Victor's future plans. By the end of City of Night the reader is led to believe that he was released by a system malfunction.
[edit] The Troll
Possibly the offspring of Harker, the troll has metamorphosed into a form free from Helios's control. It supposedly hides in sewers, and eventually shows itself to Erika during book two.
[edit] Jelly Biggs
The "Fat Man" of a circus freak-show, and one of Deucalion's few friends. He lives in the Luxe Theatre with the monster, reading mystery novels and helping keep the operation running.
[edit] Randal Six
A New Man created to be autistic so Helios could experiment on a cure and possible productive applications for autistic behavior. Cursed with a wide variety of mental illnesses including OCD and agoraphobia, Randal Six escapes his cell to seek out Arnie, whom he saw in a news clipping, apparently very happy. Randal Six determines that the young boy holds the key to happiness, something missing from the lives of all the New Race.
[edit] External links
- Frankenstein, the 2004 TV movie based on the treatment from which the book series was developed, at the Internet Movie Database.
- Dean Koontz's Frankenstein, Book One: Prodigal Son at Amazon.com
- Dean Koontz's Frankenstein, Book Two: City of Night at Amazon.com
