Dean Koontz's Frankenstein
Encyclopedia
Dean Koontz's Frankenstein is the collective title of five novels co-written by Dean Koontz
. Though technically of the mystery
or thriller genre
s, the novels also feature the trappings of horror
, fantasy
, and science fiction
.
The first three books form a trilogy: 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
, written without a co-writer, was released on July 28, 2009. (At the same time that the final novel's authorship was confirmed, having previously been slated as by Dean Koontz & Ed Gorman, Koontz's 'collaborators' on the earlier novels were retrospectively removed as co-authors, and all new editions of the novels are credited as by Dean Koontz alone.)
A fourth novel, Lost Souls
, was published in May 2010, and a fifth, The Dead Town, was released on May 24, 2011. Although it was originally announced that fourth, fifth and sixth novels would form a second trilogy, the cover for the The Dead Town states it is the final volume.
'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 Victor 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
.
While the original Monster was made with parts from dead humans, Victor Frankenstein is now using modern technology to create more creatures, particularly synthetic biology
. The new race he is making is constructed and designed from the bottom-up, and can be seen as bio androids, artificial humans made of flesh. Their knowledge and behavior is even based on programs downloaded directly into their brain, which appears to be an advanced wetware computer
.
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.
Her father was killed on the job and it has been hinted by conversations between her and her partner that it was covered up.
Michael is the more imaginative of the two; he adjusts rather quickly to Deucalion's revelation, with very little evidence, that Victor is plotting to overthrow the Old Race (the term Victor Helios has applied to all humans who have not been produced in his laboratory). His adjustment may stem more from his love of Carson then actual belief.
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.
, Joseph 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. At the end of the third book he was finally killed, with most of the new race dying along with him (The reasoning behind this is that if he can't become a god, he refused to let his creation to outlast their creator) with only a few remaining. Unknown to all, he had created a clone of himself, who has the same goal as his original but considers himself to be as foolish as the humans he tries to replace. He created a new patch that call themselves the community and after seeing his plans of human extinction come to pass, he intends to kill the community so that he can be the last creature on earth.
He is naturally extremely arrogant, which has resulted in a degree of carelessness and inability to realize his own failures. For this reason in the second book the programing to prevent killing of humans is breaking, and two of his creations have experienced severe mutations.
an 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 tattoo
s. After learning from an old friend that his creator is alive, Deucalion returns to New Orleans, where he eventually recruits assistance from Carson and, through her, Maddison.
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 is also the Greek mythological equivalent of Noah
, and re-started the human race after the flood.
Deucalion's disappearing coin trick also appeared in Koontz's From the Corner of His Eye.
Deucalion it seems, like his other fictional counter-parts, has a dark and murderous past. An example of this is the fact that he murdered Helios's first wife, Elizabeth, when Helios was still Frankenstein (not Helios's New Race wives, Erikas 1-5). He desires redemption and believes it is his destiny/duty to kill his creator. The irony of this is that he, like the others of his "race", cannot kill Helios personally.
and desecrated his victims' corpses in a futile effort to find a happiness 'gland' or other physical organ. Because of some unknown factor, a mass grows in him throughout the first book until he fell off a building in a gun battle with Maddison and Carson. This mass developes into a smaller yet mature version of himself which burst forth from his torso and escaped. In the second book, it appears to Erika V. (Note his name is a reference to the character in Dracula
) Jonathan Harker also had a partner by the name of Dwight Frye
which is yet another reference to classic monster movie lore.)
, 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. Upon reaching the home of Carson and Arnie, Randal attacks Carson's roommate and tries to forcibly "join" Carson's family. He later died when Carson shot him.
, 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.
s published by Dabel Brothers Productions
.
Dean Koontz
Dean Ray Koontz is a prolific American author best known for his novels which could be described broadly as suspense thrillers. He also frequently incorporates elements of horror, science fiction, mystery, and satire. A number of his books have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List, with...
. Though technically of the mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
or thriller genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
s, the novels also feature the trappings of horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
, fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
.
The first three books form a trilogy: Prodigal Son
Prodigal Son (novel)
Prodigal Son is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 2005. The book is the first book released by Koontz in a series of at least six, entitled Dean Koontz's Frankenstein. The book was co-authored by Kevin J. Anderson....
, co-written with Kevin J. Anderson
Kevin J. Anderson
Kevin J. Anderson is an American science fiction author with over forty bestsellers. He has written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and with Brian Herbert is the co-author of the Dune prequels...
, was published in 2004; City of Night
City of Night (novel)
City of Night is a novel released in 2005 by the best-selling author Dean Koontz and Ed Gorman. The book is the second in Koontz's series, entitled Dean Koontz's Frankenstein...
, co-written with Ed Gorman
Edward Gorman
Ed Gorman is an award-winning American author best known for his crime and mystery fiction. He wrote The Poker Club which is currently in post production for a film of the same name directed by Tim McCann....
, was published in 2005; and Dead and Alive
Dead and Alive
Dead and Alive is the third novel in the first trilogy of Dean Koontz's Frankenstein series. Originally intended to be co-authored by Ed Gorman and Dean Koontz, Koontz stated that he would be writing this alone.- Plot introduction :...
, written without a co-writer, was released on July 28, 2009. (At the same time that the final novel's authorship was confirmed, having previously been slated as by Dean Koontz & Ed Gorman, Koontz's 'collaborators' on the earlier novels were retrospectively removed as co-authors, and all new editions of the novels are credited as by Dean Koontz alone.)
A fourth novel, Lost Souls
Lost Souls (Dean Koontz novel)
Lost Souls is the first novel in the second trilogy of Dean Koontz's Frankenstein series, and the fourth book overall. It debuted at #7 on the New York Times Hardcover Best Seller list.- Release Information :...
, was published in May 2010, and a fifth, The Dead Town, was released on May 24, 2011. Although it was originally announced that fourth, fifth and sixth novels would form a second trilogy, the cover for the The Dead Town states it is the final volume.
Plot summary
The series is supposedly a modern updating of the mythology of Mary ShelleyMary Shelley
Mary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley...
's Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
, although the similarities are mainly superficial. Set in present day New Orleans, the series follows the activities of Victor Frankenstein, now known as Victor 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
Deucalion
In Greek mythology Deucalion was a son of Prometheus and Pronoia. The anger of Zeus was ignited by the hubris of the Pelasgians, and he decided to put an end to the Bronze Age. Lycaon, the king of Arcadia, had sacrificed a boy to Zeus, who was appalled by this savage offering...
.
While the original Monster was made with parts from dead humans, Victor Frankenstein is now using modern technology to create more creatures, particularly synthetic biology
Synthetic biology
Synthetic biology is a new area of biological research that combines science and engineering. It encompasses a variety of different approaches, methodologies, and disciplines with a variety of definitions...
. The new race he is making is constructed and designed from the bottom-up, and can be seen as bio androids, artificial humans made of flesh. Their knowledge and behavior is even based on programs downloaded directly into their brain, which appears to be an advanced wetware computer
Wetware computer
A wetware computer is an organic computer built from living neurons. , at the Georgia Institute of Technology, is the primary researcher driving the creation of these artificially constructed, but still organic brains...
.
Carson O'Connor
One of the primary characters of the series, Carson is a tough and occasionally brutal detectiveDetective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
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
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
is the perfect time to talk about love.
Her father was killed on the job and it has been hinted by conversations between her and her partner that it was covered up.
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 adjusts rather quickly to Deucalion's revelation, with very little evidence, that Victor is plotting to overthrow the Old Race (the term Victor Helios has applied to all humans who have not been produced in his laboratory). His adjustment may stem more from his love of Carson then actual belief.
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.
Victor "Helios" Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein, having applied his own research to extending his own mortality, is now known to the world as Victor Helios. To the public, Helios is a philanthropic millionaire and a beneficiary to mankind. In reality, he has experienced much in two hundred years since he created a man from fragments of the corpses of criminals. However, in secret, Helios 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). This process has left his physical form scarred and deformed. Helios has acquired wealth and power from selling his knowledge to, among others, Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, and the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. He respected Hitler and was greatly grieved at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. 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
Brave New World
Brave New World is Aldous Huxley's fifth novel, written in 1931 and published in 1932. Set in London of AD 2540 , the novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology and sleep-learning that combine to change society. The future society is an embodiment of the ideals that form the basis of...
. Additionally, he is a sexual sadist
Sadism and masochism as medical terms
In psychiatry, the terms sadism and masochism describe a personality type characterized by the actor or actrix deriving pleasure and gratification from inflicting physical pain and humiliation ; and from suffering pain and humiliation upon the self ; such pleasure often is sexual, but not...
and a militant atheist. At the end of the third book he was finally killed, with most of the new race dying along with him (The reasoning behind this is that if he can't become a god, he refused to let his creation to outlast their creator) with only a few remaining. Unknown to all, he had created a clone of himself, who has the same goal as his original but considers himself to be as foolish as the humans he tries to replace. He created a new patch that call themselves the community and after seeing his plans of human extinction come to pass, he intends to kill the community so that he can be the last creature on earth.
He is naturally extremely arrogant, which has resulted in a degree of carelessness and inability to realize his own failures. For this reason in the second book the programing to prevent killing of humans is breaking, and two of his creations have experienced severe mutations.
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, though this is never a fact that he confirms believing that would be an act of blasphemy. 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 TibetTibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
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 tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
s. After learning from an old friend that his creator is alive, Deucalion returns to New Orleans, where he eventually recruits assistance from Carson and, through her, Maddison.
The character shares his name with Deucalion
Deucalion
In Greek mythology Deucalion was a son of Prometheus and Pronoia. The anger of Zeus was ignited by the hubris of the Pelasgians, and he decided to put an end to the Bronze Age. Lycaon, the king of Arcadia, had sacrificed a boy to Zeus, who was appalled by this savage offering...
, a figure from Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, who was the son of Prometheus
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals...
(Shelley's subtitle for her novel was "The Modern Prometheus"). Deucalion chose the name for precisely this reason. Deucalion is also the Greek mythological equivalent of Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
, and re-started the human race after the flood.
Deucalion's disappearing coin trick also appeared in Koontz's From the Corner of His Eye.
Deucalion it seems, like his other fictional counter-parts, has a dark and murderous past. An example of this is the fact that he murdered Helios's first wife, Elizabeth, when Helios was still Frankenstein (not Helios's New Race wives, Erikas 1-5). He desires redemption and believes it is his destiny/duty to kill his creator. The irony of this is that he, like the others of his "race", cannot kill Helios personally.
Erika(s) IV-V
The synthetic wife Helios created for two reasons: publicly, she serves to keep Victor from having to deal with the attentions of Old Race women who would try to "land" him as part of their own quest for status and power; privately, she exists for little more than Helios' sexual gratification. 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 exhibitions of free will. A sexual sadist, he deliberately designs the Erika models with specific "defects" (such as the "vulnerabilities" of shame, pain and strangulation), 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 could not kill him, Karloff fell into despair and requested death, so she turned off his life support. Video recording tipped Victor to these actions, 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, Erika V is forbidden to read, but her thoughts are filled with literary allusions because various snippets were programmed into her mind because Victor felt it necessary for her to have some general "literary" knowledge for light conversation.Jonathan Harker
A renegade member of the New Race who was implanted by Victor Helios into the UMBRELLA police force. In an effort to find what enabled humans to feel happiness, he became a serial killerSerial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
and desecrated his victims' corpses in a futile effort to find a happiness 'gland' or other physical organ. Because of some unknown factor, a mass grows in him throughout the first book until he fell off a building in a gun battle with Maddison and Carson. This mass developes into a smaller yet mature version of himself which burst forth from his torso and escaped. In the second book, it appears to Erika V. (Note his name is a reference to the character in Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
) Jonathan Harker also had a partner by the name of Dwight Frye
Dwight Frye
Dwight Iliff Frye was an American stage and screen actor, noted for his appearances in the classic horror films Dracula , Frankenstein , The Invisible Man , and Bride of Frankenstein .-Early life and career:Frye was born in Salina, Kansas...
which is yet another reference to classic monster movie lore.)
Werner
A member of the New Race. Helios experimented with grafting cockroach and feline DNA onto the basic New Race genome, intending to build Werner's physical resilience and various other 'improvements'. 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 after Randal's escape, he started to mutate at a nearly-explosive rate with no catalyst that Helios could discern. He experienced many physical changes, making him an even bigger setback 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.Jocko
Originating as a tumor growing from within and later bursting out of Harker, the physically hideous 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, who later forms a mother & son relationship. It chooses the name Jocko for itself, has a scary smile, talks like a small child, and becomes an expert computer hacker with a passion for hats with bells.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.Randal Six
A New Man created to be autistic so Helios could conduct experiments on the syndrome with the hopes of being able to control the condition to create highly focused workforce and organic machines (both of which because of the degree of the condition would be highly focused on tasks). Cursed with a wide variety of mental illnesses including OCD and agoraphobiaAgoraphobia
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder defined as a morbid fear of having a panic attack or panic-like symptoms in a situation from which it is perceived to be difficult to escape. These situations can include, but are not limited to, wide-open spaces, crowds, or uncontrolled social conditions...
, 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. Upon reaching the home of Carson and Arnie, Randal attacks Carson's roommate and tries to forcibly "join" Carson's family. He later died when Carson shot him.
Adaptations
The series has been adapted a couple of times, first in treatment for a TV movie and then in a comic series.TV movie
The concept for the series was adapted from a treatment written by Koontz and Anderson for the 2004 TV movieTelevision movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
, Frankenstein
Frankenstein (2004 film)
Frankenstein is a 2004 made-for-television USA Network production starring Thomas Kretschmann as Victor Helios and Vincent Pérez as his creature. It was produced by Martin Scorsese and based on Dean Koontz's version of Frankenstein...
, which was produced for the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
. 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.
Comics
The series is also being adapted into comic bookComic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s published by Dabel Brothers Productions
Dabel Brothers Productions
Dabel Brothers Productions is a U.S. publishing company of comic books and graphic novels. It was founded in 2001 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia...
.