10 of the Best Frankenstein Stories and Retellings

Of course, we have to talk about the original novel that kickstarted the entire concept of modern science fiction! Written when Mary Shelley was only 18, inspired by a legendary summer trip to Lake Geneva with her husband Percy Bysse and Lord Byron, Frankenstein was inspired by her traumatic experiences with death and miscarriage. It’s one of the most famous tales of obsession, man playing God, and vengeance ever written. 

In the aftermath of Britain's E.U. referendum, a young transgender doctor called Ry falls in love with Victor Stein, a celebrated professor leading the contentious public debate around AI. Ron Lord, divorced and depressed, plans to make his millions by launching a new generation of hyper-realistic sex dolls. Across the Atlantic, in Phoenix, Arizona, a cryogenics facility full of corpses starts to experience a spontaneous case of revival. Life is no longer what it once was, and humans aren’t prepared for it. 

Friedrich Hoffman was a happy and normal man, but his life was changed when his fiancée was murdered and he was framed for her death. Sentenced to a violent death, he awakens on a lab table, transformed into a creature beyond the realms of humanity. Now more monster than man, Friedrich is desperate for revenge and will crush the man who destroyed him. His tormentor, Victor Frankenstein, is now in cahoots with an even more notorious figure: the Marquis de Sade.

On the ravaged streets of U.S. occupied Baghdad during the war in Iraqu, Hadi, a strange scavenger, collects human body parts and stitches them together to create a corpse. He claims that his goal is for the government to recognize the parts as people and to give them a proper burial. But then the corpse goes missing, and suddenly people are being murdered across the city. Local reports and whispers speak of a disfigured creature who cannot be killed and needs more flesh to stay alive. It's up to Hadi to end what he began.

One of the most prolific writers in modern horror and thrillers, Dean Koontz’s reimagining of Frankenstein is five books strong and was adapted into a TV movie in 2004. Victor Frankenstein is alive and well in modern-day New Orleans, having used his research to extend his mortality by centuries. Now, he's Victor Helios, a philanthropist dedicated to the betterment of mankind, but it's all a cover for his devious plan to replace humans with his own race of creatures. 

It falls upon a pair of homicide detectives to stop him once and for all, as well as a mysterious figure from Frankenstein's past who calls himself Deucalion.

The legendary horror mangaka has created some of the most petrifying works in manga history, so it’s only right that Junji Ito brought his unique blend of cosmic, body, and psychological horror to an adaptation of Frankenstein. Ito’s take on Shelley’s novel is remarkably faithful and details parts that many adaptations leave out. For instance, this Frankenstein is one of the only versions to capture how large and misshapen the monster actually is. Read this one for an authentic take on the tale and some truly memorable artwork. 

Mary is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. She wants to carve out a life for herself free from her family name, although she remains curious about the mysterious circumstances surrounding her great uncle's disappearance in the Arctic. Alongside her husband Henry, they make their way to London to begin their work as scientists. 

But when Mary discovers some old family papers that hint at Victor's scandalous experiments, she wonders if her great uncle's discoveries could aid her in her endeavors after all. But others are out to steal the Frankenstein secrets, and they're willing to do anything to get them.

Godwin Baxter is a brilliant Scottish scientist who has made the discovery of the century. He has brought back to life the mysterious and late Bella Baxter, transferring the brain of her unborn child into her own head. Now, Bella is alive, but with the mind of a child in the body of a grown woman. And she's developing fast, maturing into a curious woman with no social hindrances and an insatiable desire for pleasure.

Plum is a queer biracial Chinese intern at one of the world’s top embryology labs who left home to be with her girlfriend and live as her true self. Dr. Frank, a queer biracial Indonesian scientist with grand ambitions, is trying to find a way to procreate without the need of a sperm or egg. From her work comes a unique creation, birthed then abandoned and left to care for themself.

Elizabeth Lavenza is starving, covered in bruises, and on the verge of destitution when she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy raised in privilege but without a companion. Victor and Elizabeth become the closest of friends, growing up together and finding solace in a cruel world. But Victor also has a dark streak, and Elizabeth has grown used to dealing with his temper. He's on a quest to fulfill the unthinkable, and Elizabeth is determined to stay alive no matter the cost.