It’s strips like this that are really hard to write for me. I want to show John’s inner turmoil (that maybe even he wasn’t aware of) about going home versus the relationships he’s built on Mars. You wouldn’t want to read a lot of text on that, though, and it’s tricky to show visually. This is the solution I came up with. It gives me some ideas about future Marooned stories, too.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
As I said last week, Shelley’s classic tale was next on my reading list. I finished it rather quickly. My wife had read it before me and wanted me to read it so we could compare notes. Ultimately I found it rather disappointing. I think this has a lot to do with the era in which it was written, as well as the fact that the author was at the time a young woman.
I found Victor Frankenstein to be a completely unlikeable character. A man of apparent genius and means, he spends years in study and blood, sweat and tears creating this monster. Then in a moment of weakness, simply abandons it. Then he wanders around for years whining about it. Literally pages go by with him lamenting his state. It came to the point where I began to skim paragraphs just to get through it.
No man with the qualities of Victor Frankenstein would have acted the way this character did, and to this I fault the fact that the author as a young woman, as well as the time in which she lived. Frankly the man acted like a high society woman. At one point after a murder, he swoons and is bedridden for two months. It’s almost too much to take.
Meanwhile the monster is actually a more likable character (and yes, maybe this was partly the idea – but I still don’t like it). But again, the things he was able to accomplish in such a short time were just ludicrous. And the big twist at the end of the book is something you can see coming from a mile away.
The most compelling part of the book is the monster telling his story. In any event, it is interesting to read it in the historical perspective of a groundbreaking book. Much of the prose is lovely and well written aside from character issues. So in that sense, I was glad of the experience.
Next up is Footfall by Niven and Pournelle, which I am loving already. Have read some of their stuff previously and they are a great team.
Previously on Marooned…
If you are a new reader, you have jumped in at the perfect time. We’ve just begun a brand new story in Marooned. All you need to know is that Captain John (the spaceman) and Asimov (the robot) have been stranded on Mars. Ugo the Martian (the green guy) has put them up in the Martian underground city Vita, and they live there now. There are other various Martians you’ll meet along the way. Sit back and enjoy the story!
If you want to be fully informed, you can start reading from the beginning.
You can also read Episodes in full-screen mode without digging through the archive!
