Episode 322: Theodora Goss, John Kessel and Monstrous Stories

This week, in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, we are joined by two authors whose own recent works celebrate that classic work. 

John Kessel’s Pride and Prometheus will be published in February, combining characters from Shelley’s classic and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, while Theodora Goss’s The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, featuring a number of classic characters from 19th century fantastic fiction—including Frankenstein’s “daughter”--will be joined by its sequel European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman in July; both are part of her series "The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club.”

We touch upon Shelley’s work, the problems of writing narratives that exist within the spaces of earlier novels, whether or not Frankenstein was really the first science fiction novel, and—briefly—on the debt we all own to Ursula K. Le Guin after her passing earlier in the week.

As always, our thanks to our guests, Dora and John. We hope you enjoy the episode. See you next week!