by Derrick Ferguson
PulpWork Press 2014
Doctor Peter Holden is sentenced to an insane asylum for following the work of Victor Frankenstein. He arrives to find Frankenstein running the asylum under an alias. If this sounds familiar, it's because it's deeply derivative of Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell.
And I'm totally cool with that. I've always liked Hammer's depiction of the doctor as being the real monster, a complete sociopath with no regard for human life. This was my favorite of the series, and I don't mind seeing a literary remake.
The doctor teams up with a seductress witch to give his creation a soul, while a zealous justicer gathers up a mob of angry villagers to raid the asylum. Things start out slow, but get good and over the top once villagers and escaped lunatics face off.
There's a little bit of the kitchen-sink approach I've seen with some of the new pulp writers, here in the shape of witchcraft and a magic artifact, but not enough to be distracting.
Derrick Ferguson is a new pulp writer I've been meaning to check out, mainly known for his Dillon series.
Glad that you enjoyed the book! I'm a huge fan of Hammer horror films in general and the Frankenstein movies in particular. And yes, the book is indeed inspired by "Frankenstein and The Monster From Hell" although I trust I've introduced enough original elements that it qualifies as an original piece in your eyes. In any case, I've had a crack at trying to do a prose version of a classic Hammer horror movie and i hope readers think I've succeeded. Thanks for the review!
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