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‘An otherness that cannot be sublimated’: Shades of Frankenstein in Penny Dreadful and Black Mirror

Artt, Sarah

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Abstract

This article traces some of the legacies of the Frankenstein narrative as it appears in the television series Penny Dreadful and Black Mirror. Both series deploy Frankenstein themes to explore the relationship between gender and technology. Drawing on the work of Julia Kristeva and others, I argue that the hybrid bodies of Lily in Penny Dreadful and Ash in the Black Mirror episode 'Be Right Back' are powerful examples of abjection and how it works differently across genders. Both series are part of a continuous reworking of Shelley's text that demonstrates we are still living in the age of Frankenstein: a period of fascination with the body, gender, and scientific innovation epitomised by the themes of Shelley's story.

Citation

Artt, S. (2018). ‘An otherness that cannot be sublimated’: Shades of Frankenstein in Penny Dreadful and Black Mirror. Science Fiction Film and Television, 11(2), 257-275. https://doi.org/10.3828/sfftv.2018.18

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 24, 2017
Publication Date 2018-06
Deposit Date Dec 8, 2017
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Science Fiction Film and Television
Print ISSN 1754-3770
Electronic ISSN 1754-3789
Publisher Liverpool University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 11
Issue 2
Pages 257-275
DOI https://doi.org/10.3828/sfftv.2018.18
Keywords Frankenstein, television series, gender, technology,
Public URL http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1014784
Publisher URL http://online.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/loi/sfftv

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