Reviews: Frankenstein and Dracula cast their shadows in new books

When Mary Shelley wrote "Frankenstein" in 1816, she could not have conceived of the cultural landmark it would become. The novel still throws a long shadow across the popular imagination almost two centuries later. Boris Karloff's performance as the monster in Universal's 1931 film has become iconic, and his is merely one among dozens of adaptations and revisions to come: movies, plays, novels, comic books, even breakfast cereals (remember Franken Berry?).

By Dale Bailey

September 23, 2012