Frankenstein Friday Date in the current year: October 30, 2026

Mary Shelley is a rare example of a 19th-century woman who was born to famous parents and married a famous man, but is famous in her own right. Her parents were the feminist icon Mary Wollstonecraft and the philosopher William Godwin, and her husband was the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. However, Mary Shelley is probably best known for her famous novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus rather than for her family connections.

In 1816, 18-year-old Mary spent the summer at Lake Geneva with her husband, as well as Lord Byron, Mary’s stepsister and Byron’s lover Claire Clairmont, and Byron’s physician John William Polidori. One night in June, Byron suggested that they each write a ghost story. This inspired Mary to start writing a short story about a reanimated corpse, which would eventually evolve into her debut novel.

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was completed in the spring of 1817 and first published on January 1, 1818. The first edition was anonymous, with a dedication to Mary’s father and a preface written by her husband. The second edition, crediting Mary Shelley as the author, was published in 1823. The first one-volume edition, heavily revised by Shelley, was published in 1831. This edition is the most widely published today.

The titular Frankenstein is a scientist from an upper-class family who steals body parts from fresh graves and charnel houses to create a large, humanoid creature that he reanimates. The novel chronicles the creature’s interactions with humanity and his fraught relationship with his creator, ending with Frankenstein’s death.

Although “Frankenstein” is the name of the scientist who created the creature, some people call the monster “Frankenstein”, conflating the two. This is probably because posters of early film adaptations prominently featured the creature alongside the name of the film. However, some scholars argue that this mix-up reflects some of the book’s core themes such as who is the true monster in the story, and is the creature a physical manifestation of Frankenstein’s darker qualities?

Ron MacCloskey of Westfield, New Jersey founded Frankenstein Friday in 1997 to celebrate the Frankenstein monster and its creator. He decided to celebrate on the last Friday in October for alliteration purposes and because it falls on or around Halloween, making it a fitting time for a spooky celebration. Frankenstein Friday should not be confused with Frankenstein Day, celebrated on August 30 (Shelley’s birthday).

The best way to celebrate Frankenstein Friday is to read or re-read Mary Shelley’s famous novel. You could also watch one of its many film adaptations, or binge several of them. According to Wikipedia, almost 500 feature films feature some version of the monster, so you definitely won’t be able to watch them all in one day. However, we’re sure you’ll be able to choose a few. We suggest that you start with the 1931 film Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff as the monster.