Playlist: Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”
A novel infused with tragedy, anger, and sadness, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” deserves a playlist just as grim and morbid for fans to listen along as they read.
Written by Joshua Troncoso
Illustrated by Paola Flores
Music makes any book a more exciting and engaging read, especially when it can amplify the author’s intent. Mary Shelley’s gothic, sci-fi classic “Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus” is no different. The novel tells a haunting tale of reckless ambition and tragedy that warrants its own set of songs to pair with its tone and themes. The reader is taken through Victor Frankenstein’s entire life, as his childish pursuit for knowledge leads him to construct a monster that eventually seeks revenge on Frankenstein for his audacious attempt at creating life. With these accompanying tracks, the book’s journey of ego, self-destruction, and revenge will become even more exciting (and depressing) for readers.
“Dlp 1.1” - William Basinski
This song perfectly captures how Frankenstein's life falls to pieces. The original tape that avant-garde composer William Basinski used to create his hour-long ambient song was destroyed in the process of recording, as he looped it until it disintegrated. In the same way that Basinski’s song slowly crumbles into a patchy and faint version of its original loop, so does the world of Dr. Frankenstein. After his creation is rejected by society and taught to hate the world around him, the doctor’s life gradually becomes a hazy hellscape. Barely resembling the life he knew before, the monster ultimately destroys and consumes him. Frankenstein transitions from aspiring young scientist to the creator of a living being to being completely and utterly alone — all in less than a decade.
“Blackest Bile” - Giles Corey
Towards the middle of the novel, a central part of the monster’s character arc is his desire for companionship and possibly even a family. Dr. Frankenstein denies him his wishes when he rips apart the mate he created for the monster. The monster now knows that there is no hope for any semblance of intimacy with someone like him. Giles Corey’s “Blackest Bile” captures that special kind of despondency: when it feels as if you were predestined for solitude your entire life, and that small glimpse of hope you were given of finding love was just a cruel tease by the Devil himself. The oppressive reverb on the song makes it sound as if Corey is singing from the bottom of a well overflowing with his self-pity.
“I open up my heart
And let it all in
And it kills all my love
And hope for everyone”
“Red Dust” - Billy Woods & Kenny Segal
Billy Wood’s angsty and vengeful energy in this song is heart-wrenching. His unrelenting anger closely mirrors that of the monster. Throughout the second half of the book, the monster embarks on a mission to ruin Dr. Frankenstein’s life, murdering most of the people its creator loves and leading the doctor on a chase that eventually results in his death. Self-destructive vengeance pervades every moment of “Red Dust” and the latter half of “Frankenstein,” but it’s also a kind of vengeance that is pitiful and undeserving. Both are tinged with a profound sadness: Billy Woods and the monster are only following their respective paths because they were forced by outside forces.
“I wanna swallow you,
Show you the hate inside, it's a lake
So cold, so deep”
“What Goes Around… /...Comes Around Interlude” - Justin Timberlake
Dr. Frankenstein’s recklessness and brutality in his creation of a living being comes back to haunt him, as he is led on a revenge quest by the monster he created and abused in the first place. The Doctor’s selfish actions lead him onto a path of pain and suffering, eventually ending with his death. In “What Goes Around… / Comes Around Interlude,” Justin Timberlake’s tale of a tumultuous relationship mirrors this never-ending cycle of suffering. The song’s hypnotic and repetitive hook puts the listener in a trance reminiscent of the violent rhythm Frankenstein and the monster find themselves in. Just as the monster responds to Frankenstein’s mistreatment by brutally murdering his bride, friends, and family, this cruel woman plays with Timberlake’s heart like a toy. Frankenstein’s hatred and rejection of the monster perpetuates the cycle, as he refuses to create a companion for the monster.
“What goes around, goes around, goes around
Comes all the way back around, yeah”
“I Am A God” - Kanye West
Who else could match Dr. Frankenstein’s pursuit of high divinity other than self-proclaimed god Kanye West? A common theme in science fiction (a genre many believe to have been born from Shelley’s unparalleled take on a ghost story) is playing the role of god in the artificial creation of life. While Dr. Frankenstein’s self-serving take on genesis involved constructing life out of scattered limbs from slaughter houses and morgues, Kanye spouts on about his achievements in the rap and fashion industries and demands his croissants be delivered in a timely manner. This kind of egotistical and rash thinking only lasts for so long before the eventual crash into despair. At the end of the song, Kanye devolves into aimless screams that signal a descent into madness. Similarly, when Frankenstein discovers the body of his bride-to-be Elizabeth, his memory of the life he once knew is converted into fuel for his vengeful soul.
“I just talked to Jesus
He said, ‘What up, Yeezus?’
I said, ‘Shit — I'm chillin
Tryna stack these millions’”
“Using Again” - Benjamin Tod
Frankenstein’s crude creation, the monster, is isolated from society and faces rejection at every turn. Before his murderous rampage, this pain later turns into hatred. Benjamin Tod plainly lays out this same feeling as he discusses how his self-loathing has led him to drug abuse and isolation. “Using Again” is a depressing country song that encapsulates exactly what it feels like to hate your own reflection. When spotted near the North Pole by arctic sailor and partial narrator Captain Walton, the novel ends with the monster’s reflection on its crimes as it awaits its impending death.
“I will not repent cause I don't give a damn
You can send me to Hell with the rest of my friends
And I wish I was who I appear
Cause I despise the man in the mirror”
“Frankenstein” now has a collection of songs that will take the misery and existential dread of the novel to new depths. Each track will intensify the experience of hopelessness, tragedy, and revenge that pervade every aspect of Dr. Frankenstein and the monster’s lives. But wait, there’s more! Check out the playlist below for these and 14 more gloomy tunes.