Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel “Frankenstein” is its own type of monster mythos that will not die, a corpus whose parts keep getting harvested to animate new artistic creations. What makes this tale so adaptable and so resilient that, nearly 200 years later, it remains vitally relevant in a culture radically different from the one that spawned its birth?

Join us for a talk with Dr. Lester Friedman, co-author of “Monstrous Progeny: A History of the Frankenstein Narratives.” Dr. Friedman – who will join us over Zoom in the Library’s lecture hall – will take us on a fascinating exploration of the Frankenstein family tree, from Shelley’s text to the evolution of the book’s figures and themes into modern productions in film.

Part of the 2026 community-wide Winter Read of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” Join us throughout February for films, speakers, and discussions. Visit www.comlib.org/programs/winter-read-2026/ for a full list of programs.