Science Fiction begins with Frankenstein. Dive into the original novel with us on our brand new show, Extra Sci Fi! And please tell us what you think! PLUS! Get a limited edition Extra Sci Fi magnet for your fridge to commemorate the fact that you were here from the beginning! store.dftba.com/products/extra-sci-fi-crew-magnet
I think that the most interesting thing about Frankenstein is how easily Victor could have actually had everything he wanted, if only he wasn't hampered by his refusal to accept the creature as what it is: his son. This ties in to Mary Shelley's struggle with post partum depression, but it can also be taken as encouragement for budding scientists to never forget that science should not be cold, nor aflame with megalomania. It should be warm, open, never assuming the value of its products from a cursory glance, never forgetting to be humans as well.
Not only that, but Victor also should’ve realized that true beauty lies within. Even though there are folks that are born with physical deformities, some do have beautiful hearts and souls despite their unfortunate outer appearances. It irks me that people take the moral of “Beauty is found within” from “Beauty and the Beast” for granted rather than to heart.
You guys are the best channel on TH-cam. Been watching since the escapist days and I'm now 20, an award winning filmmaker, a published writer, a video game designer and a stand up comedian studying my craft at guildhall. I wouldn't be who I am without this channel. Thanks for making the world a smarter place
One of the scariest things about Frankenstein I found in the foreword, where Shelley feels compelled to emphasize that the characters' morals are *not* representative of her own morals. It points to a contemporary ideal of moral purity that I see on the rise again today.
This video is amazing just for the references. But looking beyond that, there's also some really good literary education in here too! Extra SciFi - Come for the Walpole cameo, stay for insight into the history of western literature!
AlvoriaGPM Extra Credits has made me want to go back and try my hand at literary analysis. In High School, I could never get anyone to explain what literary analysis was trying to do...why it was worth asking why the curtains were blue. And Extra Credits has done that. My favorite of their episodes is their one on Symbolism because I filled in that hole I could never persuade teachers to.
There's so much that the modern understanding of Frankenstein leaves out, from the implied alchemal knowledge and techniques which went into creating the monster to its existence as a nearly human creature, _just_ different enough to disturb the doctor (an accidental precursor to the modern concept of the uncanny valley?). Oh, and Clerval. I'd love to see an adaptation which focuses on the bits which movies usually leave out. Hopefully, this series will expose more people to these fascinating elements of the work.
While Dr Frankenstein seems to be depicted as having immense hubris for playing God, from everything said here it seems like the only flaw in his creation was cosmetic. The "monster" (for lack of a better term) was strong, kind, and brilliant. A plastic surgeon's touch up could make a superior being. As he was, little more care in his upbringing and perhaps introducing him to a more enlightened group of people, and this monster might have been a professor. In fact, it might be interesting to see a fan version where the monster wasn't shunned by his creator and was introduced gradually to learned men. If Frankenstein's monster was a success, save for some aesthetic issues and some depression, wouldn't there be those interested in reproducing his work? Rulers might want giants that could be educated in under a year for their armies. Others, especially the church, would probably consider this an abomination. But making a better man wasn't the most interesting application of this research. If this reanimation process could be modified to bring back a dead person with their own mind and memories intact, then perhaps death could be truly conquered.
Kind of. Arguably, it could have been solved with colored contacts (the book suggests that it was just the eyes that were spooky). But, the book also makes it clear that part of what scares people is the otherness. I can't really imagine that it would have gone much differently if it was 'hey who's your hot friend?' 'Oh, sewn together chunks of corpse that I reanimated through the power of science.' The other thing that EC didn't mention is that the monster has all the same problems that Victor Frankenstein has. In other words, obsessive behavior, cowardice, and a complete disregard for other human beings. Sure, he wouldn't be tragic figure he is if Frankenstein wasn't (and I quote) "an irredeemable asshole". But, I'm sure something else would happen. Obviously the terrible abuse he faced made all the problems much worse. But, it's unclear and (I think) significant in the book that we don't know to what extent those behaviors were learned and to what extent they were inherited during the creation process. (Also, he's fully aware that the things he did were evil; he just didn't care.)
Frankenstein's fatal error is that he refuses to take responsibility for his creation. You're not wrong in that a lot of the unpleasantness that the book describes could have been avoided had he not rejected the monster. This is the big theme of the book; Frankenstein's hubris comes not from the fact that he creates life but from his lack of regard for that life. He was so caught up in seeing if he could do it that he never stopped to consider what his success might mean.
My favourite definition of sci fi: Something that MAY happen. A story that shows who we are, where we are heading through using tropes and themes that MAY or MAY NOT happen.
The bit at 3:38 reminded me of the line by Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurrasic Park, "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should."
I'm amazed! This is the first analysis of the book that nailed the point spot on. Most people, after reading the book, see Victor as the monster (which they're not wrong) and the Monster as an innocent, gentle, benevolent being, but you guys really hit it home that yes, Victor is a bad person, but so is the Monster. While Victor indirectly kills his family, the Monster is the one actually killing them.
As an author of science fiction, I find that this episode actually revealed aspects of my own writing that I hadn't given much thought to while I was writing. It's not that I wasn't aware of the tropes I was using, it's more that those tropes were so ingrained in my concept of narrative flow itself that I never stopped to really examine them. In retrospect, I can see those aspects in my stories clearly, even though I wasn't actively trying to include them. It speaks volumes to the influence of Frankenstein that the tropes it gave new life to have become so second-nature to writers.
... Huh. You know, I always considered that "The Modern Prometheus" meant the Monster. That the Monster was Prometheus, bringing humanity knowledge of the powers and dangers of our hubris, and paying the price for our lesson.
They actually used to do stuff like that all the time. It's actually a style that I really miss from them. But I can imagine that takes a *ton* of attention to do all of the time.
I agree that it is a beautiful drawing, and this video probably took a lot of time with how many fully colored drawings there are, but moving your picture slightly to the side, and putting something next to them... isn't animation... It would need more frames to trick your eyes than just two pictures...
We read Frankenstein over the summer and my AP lit class. Very few books have resonated with me the way Frankenstein did. The most shocking aspect of it was the monsters story. I cried so hard when the family rejected him. It was touching and beautiful and made me reevaluate everything I had ever heard about the idea of a monster. What is most telling, is the way we have retold the story over the years. The monster who arguably was the most human of the characters, didn’t just lose his humanity in the book but in the perception that we have of the story as a whole. We forget that there was a point when the Monster was inherently good, innocent and curious. It was society that rejected him so he pushed back. Now society still rejects him but we don’t bother to give him a chance to be human. Not unlike the way we stereotype different groups without ever taking into account the individual.
I've recently discovered this channel, specially because of Extra Sci-Fi. I'm basically gonna watch every video from the playlist, I'm loving everything I see. I'm learning new things in a very enjoyable way. Thanks for your videos, they are amazing.
Great minds think alike .. This not the first time this happened to a TH-cam channel Take the case Vsauce Jake & CGP Grey uploading on the same topics on the same day ( Teleportation).
yep I'm quite happy with the results although red's view does seam to differ a bit from my own I can't wait to see the EC crew's take on the story and this first video has me hopeful
Thing for me: where does something as recent as the H.P Lovecraft stories belong here? For the uninitiated: yes Lovecraft is mostly horror but a lot of it is science fiction, as many if not technically all of the otherworldly horrors are of at least somewhat scientific nature. Those stories are the reason the word "eldritch" gets thrown around so much these days. So Extra credits/history/sci fi folks: Where does that put the stories of H.P Lovecraft? Of the Necronomicon? I'd really love to see it on here one day, if even as just a small offshoot of the original sci fi series. Overall: I love this episode. I really hope you continue this series.
It's possible they'll talk about it, but my view is that it's kind of an anti-scifi. The main reason for this is that while science fiction explores humanity by pushing current knowledge as far as it can feasibly go, Lovecraft explicitly warns against doing that. After all, while exploring the unknown edges of the world seems good, you really, REALLY don't want to know what's hiding there. The result isn't a further understanding of people and their personalities, but a complete disregard for humanity. The threat isn't internal, or even reminiscent of internal. It is so definitively alien that even being aware of its existence causes madness and death.
Well the components of "cosmic horror" is actually pretty old. If you look closely, a lot of pagan mythology is pretty much cosmic horror (uncaring gods that barely see humans as nothing more than toys, sentient embodiment of the cosmos, looking at them directly will drive you mad or kill you, humans are nothing more than created playthings, etc).
That's true insofar as that works for greco-roman/Semitic mythologies. That kind of breaks down in other mythologies. Also, the social relation to the vastly more powerful beings is completely different from cosmic horror. In brief, the whole point of religion is that you can persuade a higher power to enact some kind of benefit to you, which means that at least acknowledge your existence, and will sometimes come down and interact with you. Lovecraftian monstrosities don't even acknowledge your existence. Social context matters in determining genre. Just because there are some surface-level similarities doesn't make mythology ' pretty much cosmic horror'.
While what you say is right in some regards fbiuzz, pagan gods were relatable. They were like super-humans with great power, and through their existence humans understood the way the world worked around them in contrast to the eldritch beings which make people question reality. They hated, loved, feared, etc. and in all myth stories we can relatively understand their motivations. The cosmic horrors are incomprehensible and their motivations unfathomable. While gods of old had little regard for most mortals, barring exceptional champions and heroes and beautiful muses here and there, they don't share in the utter disregard for humanity the eldritch beings seem have have.
I am LOVING this new show. Seriously I keep thinking that this channel can't get better than it is but you keep proving me wrong. Thank you for this. The only frustrating thing is that this is exactly the type of work I want to do, and you've beaten me to it and done it so well!
Extra Credits and Overly Sarcastic Productions uploads Frankenstein videos on the same day? Coincidence? Yeah probably. (And before one of you say it, I know it’s Halloween but they could have still done different topics)
Also, EC mentioned last week they would be talking about this and both channels spent at least two weeks (and probably quite a bit more in the case of OSP) in production.
I really really REALLY hope you all continue this series. As a huge fan of your channel it’s amazing to see this series be added! I’m going to be creating a Sci Fi tv show and both Extra Credits and Extra History have helped me so much already! You guys are awesome and thank you for making these shows! When I get the money, I’ll be picking up a Walpole shirt. ❤️
When I first started watching Extra Credits, it was this obscure little channel discussing game design. I could barely get any of my friends to watch it, but it was so insightful. Today, they have several series on game design, a series on graphic design, a series on history... ; and now they start a series on science-fiction. I can barely mention any of the topics they cover to my friends without hearing "Hey, did you see the Extra Credits video on that?". And it's even more insightful than it was back when it started. Thank you, Extra Credits! You've taught me a lot. :)
Oh this is sick! I just recently discovered this series like a week ago and only now decided to start from the beginning. What I like most is that this whole series started when I started, Halloween 2017! 💎
Just WOW! I needed to watch the video in 0.75 speed and watch it again with subtitles to grasp all the great ideas in this episode. It was full of content from every animation to every line and it as well assumes that the audiance is well aware of the culture and literature. Keep up such mind blowing and horizon broadening episodes.
You guys are amazing! I've pretty much missed you after I basically watched all of Extra Credits (& and some of Extra History), but this new segment is really inspiring and fascinating at its core. Thank you guys for the continued great work and effort put into every one of your videos. A great thumbs up to all of you! Thank you!
nerfvideos96 Victor intended him to be beautiful, but he came out off. Here's a quote: "His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips." P.S. I took this quote from Schmoop.com instead of taking the time to find it myself.
The Mad Scientist has been my number one favourite character archetypes ever since I was a kid, and Frankenstein is one of my favourite books! Personally, I think it would be very interesting to see an adaption of Frankenstein the book, with an updated modern day setting, sort of like how Sherlock did it. In this, Victor will be a computer scientist who creates a self-aware AI that he calls ADAM. ADAM subsequently, never gets accepted by humanity (and his own creator), the reason for that being the attitude of "'they fear what they don't understand" present in the original, updated (namely, humankind's inherent fear and distrust of Artificial Intelligence) What do you think?
ok, so not super close to what you were saying here, but have you seen the movie Ex Machina? It's a really interesting film that has to do with creating the first true AI and it (kinda?) has themes like what you were talking about. ( here is the IMDb page if you haven't seen it and are interested www.imdb.com/title/tt0470752/ )
In the original book, the Monster was actually described as being very beautiful with the exception of its eyes, which were evidently freaky enough to cause that whole revulsion and rejection thing.
Yeah, this is something I have noticed. Maybe they referred to it as ugly for the convenience of those who are more familiar with the modern interpretations. I think the best way to describe the monster is as uncanny, rather than ugly. It is human-like and beautiful, but wrong in a subtle way.
glad you guys are going over this book. it is one of my favorites and is frequently misunderstood by people who have only seen the movies or know it only from depictions of the monster. 2 ideas always fascinate me about this book: 1) Victor never questions IF he should do a thing, he just cares that he CAN (something I have seen actual modern scientists say or imply today!), and 2) all it would have taken for the monster to be "good" was some acceptance/respect/love/guidance from Victor, his "parent" (something many children today also are denied by their parents, though maybe not to this degree)
Aw snap! I wasn't aware you guys were starting an Extra Sci Fi project! This is dope! Not only did you guys chose the perfect material to start the series, you just KNOW there'll be something on Cyberpunk incoming! I love it!
There seems to be an unusual amount of overlap between the two channels. I suppose Extra History and History Summarized would attract similar people though.
Oh man, I lost my mind as soon as I saw extra credits was starting a Science Fiction series! I'm going to be upping my patreon donations to this series this weekend, as soon as my payday comes in! You guys are the best!
You are making me a happy sci fi writer right now. I hope this serie will help me get through the shortcomings of my first book so I can finish it faster.
The game adaptation (which Harlan Ellison was heavily involved in) is arguably a bit more hopeful, assuming you make enough right choices to get the "Good" ending. It also explores the characters from the short story in more depth, as Ellison was said to have been inspired by the question, "Why did AM choose these specific people to torture for 109 years?" Some say that the potential for a good ending cheapens the narrative purity of the original work. I say that there is nothing inherently sacred about one telling of a tale over another. That making a story that is still dark but with the potential for hope is just as compelling as one where everyone is doomed. That there is nothing particularly deep about depression and despair. And I would remind everyone - again - that Ellison himself had a hand in the game, so even from an author-purist perspective it is as valid an interpretation of the story as the prose work.
I too recommend the game, even if it has some contradictions with the original story. I hope they talk about I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream at some point in this series.
Point of order- While Victor used the bodies of the dead to do his research, there is no actual mention of using dead body parts in the construction of the creature. It is entirely possible that the creature was a robot.
I think this series will also work really well as a sort of informal book club. First episode, gets you into it, basic ideas to think about when reading, next episode go deeper and reexamim what you read... pretty cool possibilities. I'm planning on catching up heavily on my sci-fi to follow along you people! Thanks for the great work. OBS: the art on this was amazing!
Good lord! You're going to make a Sci Fi branch of Extra Credits and you just begin with Frankenstei?? Oh guys! I love you all so much, and the awesome work you do. Thanks a lot
This series just started with a multi-part examination of Frankenstein. They probably will have a video about Dune but it will be quite a lot of time until that happens. Also, I don't think that it works by just screaming stuff in the comments. :D
Awesome job! I have a a vivid memory of seeing a Frankenstein play, as a boy. "I will be with you on your wedding night" sent shivers through my spine.
Wait...is this saying that Frankenstein was kinda the origin of the concept 'we were so busy wondering if we could, we never stopped to ask if we should'?
as a major SF trope, sure. The idea of humans overreaching themselves goes back at least as far as Babel or Icarus, though back then the punishment was direct divine intervention because a god or gods was annoyed rather than the foreseeable consequences of the great development. The lesson of Frankenstein's hubris is to think through the consequences of your actions, while the classical lesson of hubris is "don't boast"...
Decided to come back and post this. I just finished reading Frankenstein because of these videos. While it was difficult to read the older writing style, it was very much worthwhile to read and I am glad I did so. Thank you for starting this series.
Still one of the best works of fiction I have ever read. I am so glad you guys are covering this and look forward to being introduced to more sci-fi from this series!
no what they probably meant is Sci-fi as we recognise it, a serious subject about the possibilities of Science and the impact it has on the Morality and Ethics of Mankind, Whereas we are facetiously presenting things that are meant as comedies and satire with vauge elements that can be called Sci-fi-ish (with the exception of Somnium but that isn't true Sci-fi as we know it).
This was great. Shining a light on this work and the amazing woman who wrote it is probably one of the greatest things you guys have ever done. Looking forward to the rest of the series. Bravo!
Man love the small Hitchhikers Guide referance at 2:19. Recently got into those books and they're all ready becoming my favorites in the genre. Will you guys at EC ever do an episode talking about Douglas Adams's classics?
Genuinely outstanding to me that anyone can not like this channel. As an English teacher I think these crash courses are phenomenal and fairly accurate.
Science Fiction was definitely preceded by Frankenstein. From Lucian's "A True Story" to "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" to Kepler's "Somnium" toFrancis Bacon's "New Atlantis" to even Margaret Cavendish's "The Blazing World". Frankenstein is arguably not even science fiction but gothic horror/fantasy. The premise that Sci Fi has the unique characteristic of "could be real" can be found in non supernatural horror literature as well as mystery novels.
I always thought it was a horror story but as i read further and further in, I found my heart breaking for the "monster". Many of times did i find myself tearing up
I love your Extra Sci-fi series! However, I can't find it on Nebula--only Extra Mythology, which I also love! Would you please upload the series there as well? Thank you!
I've read Frankenstein countless times and I still learn new things about it all of the time. It is truly a classic work of English literature if one can define such a thing.
Of all the features of Frankenstein I propose that it is the framing devices used that elevates the story and ideas to the heights that it reaches... ok, seriously though, the narration of it is truly astounding and something that one has to always remember when analyzing it's themes, characters, and plot.
Science Fiction begins with Frankenstein. Dive into the original novel with us on our brand new show, Extra Sci Fi! And please tell us what you think!
PLUS! Get a limited edition Extra Sci Fi magnet for your fridge to commemorate the fact that you were here from the beginning! store.dftba.com/products/extra-sci-fi-crew-magnet
you post a frankstein video 2 hours after overlysarcasticproductions posts a frankenstein video *thinking emoji* coincedence?I THINK NOT
Incredible video. Great work.
Great
ive read it!
Damn it... I have A LOT to read.
History? Yes
Sci-Fi? Yes
Games? Yes
The (almost) perfect channel
Extra ketchup? We can do that.
Extra Credits Extra Ketchup Confirmed for 2018?
@Extra Credits
Well this is going to get very silly very fast.
Wait until they tackle pastaries. And interpretive dance.
DERPY HOOVES MX13 No, It's Ketchup
I think that the most interesting thing about Frankenstein is how easily Victor could have actually had everything he wanted, if only he wasn't hampered by his refusal to accept the creature as what it is: his son. This ties in to Mary Shelley's struggle with post partum depression, but it can also be taken as encouragement for budding scientists to never forget that science should not be cold, nor aflame with megalomania. It should be warm, open, never assuming the value of its products from a cursory glance, never forgetting to be humans as well.
Not only that, but Victor also should’ve realized that true beauty lies within. Even though there are folks that are born with physical deformities, some do have beautiful hearts and souls despite their unfortunate outer appearances. It irks me that people take the moral of “Beauty is found within” from “Beauty and the Beast” for granted rather than to heart.
You guys are the best channel on TH-cam. Been watching since the escapist days and I'm now 20, an award winning filmmaker, a published writer, a video game designer and a stand up comedian studying my craft at guildhall. I wouldn't be who I am without this channel. Thanks for making the world a smarter place
One of the scariest things about Frankenstein I found in the foreword, where Shelley feels compelled to emphasize that the characters' morals are *not* representative of her own morals.
It points to a contemporary ideal of moral purity that I see on the rise again today.
This video is amazing just for the references. But looking beyond that, there's also some really good literary education in here too! Extra SciFi - Come for the Walpole cameo, stay for insight into the history of western literature!
AlvoriaGPM Extra Credits has made me want to go back and try my hand at literary analysis. In High School, I could never get anyone to explain what literary analysis was trying to do...why it was worth asking why the curtains were blue. And Extra Credits has done that. My favorite of their episodes is their one on Symbolism because I filled in that hole I could never persuade teachers to.
I loved the Hyperion shout-out. I just re-read the entire Cantos earlier this year, and it's still an amazing story.
I didn't come for the Walpole cameo, but it perked my nipples a little.
There's so much that the modern understanding of Frankenstein leaves out, from the implied alchemal knowledge and techniques which went into creating the monster to its existence as a nearly human creature, _just_ different enough to disturb the doctor (an accidental precursor to the modern concept of the uncanny valley?). Oh, and Clerval. I'd love to see an adaptation which focuses on the bits which movies usually leave out.
Hopefully, this series will expose more people to these fascinating elements of the work.
While Dr Frankenstein seems to be depicted as having immense hubris for playing God, from everything said here it seems like the only flaw in his creation was cosmetic. The "monster" (for lack of a better term) was strong, kind, and brilliant. A plastic surgeon's touch up could make a superior being. As he was, little more care in his upbringing and perhaps introducing him to a more enlightened group of people, and this monster might have been a professor.
In fact, it might be interesting to see a fan version where the monster wasn't shunned by his creator and was introduced gradually to learned men. If Frankenstein's monster was a success, save for some aesthetic issues and some depression, wouldn't there be those interested in reproducing his work? Rulers might want giants that could be educated in under a year for their armies. Others, especially the church, would probably consider this an abomination.
But making a better man wasn't the most interesting application of this research. If this reanimation process could be modified to bring back a dead person with their own mind and memories intact, then perhaps death could be truly conquered.
Kind of. Arguably, it could have been solved with colored contacts (the book suggests that it was just the eyes that were spooky). But, the book also makes it clear that part of what scares people is the otherness. I can't really imagine that it would have gone much differently if it was 'hey who's your hot friend?' 'Oh, sewn together chunks of corpse that I reanimated through the power of science.'
The other thing that EC didn't mention is that the monster has all the same problems that Victor Frankenstein has. In other words, obsessive behavior, cowardice, and a complete disregard for other human beings. Sure, he wouldn't be tragic figure he is if Frankenstein wasn't (and I quote) "an irredeemable asshole". But, I'm sure something else would happen.
Obviously the terrible abuse he faced made all the problems much worse. But, it's unclear and (I think) significant in the book that we don't know to what extent those behaviors were learned and to what extent they were inherited during the creation process. (Also, he's fully aware that the things he did were evil; he just didn't care.)
Frankenstein's fatal error is that he refuses to take responsibility for his creation. You're not wrong in that a lot of the unpleasantness that the book describes could have been avoided had he not rejected the monster. This is the big theme of the book; Frankenstein's hubris comes not from the fact that he creates life but from his lack of regard for that life. He was so caught up in seeing if he could do it that he never stopped to consider what his success might mean.
That version would be Edward Scissors Hands
And refusing to take responsibility planted contempt in the "monster" instead of hope; thereby creating an anti-ugly-duckling story?
Sounds like Twig
My favourite definition of sci fi: Something that MAY happen. A story that shows who we are, where we are heading through using tropes and themes that MAY or MAY NOT happen.
The bit at 3:38 reminded me of the line by Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurrasic Park, "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should."
I'm so excited for Extra Sci-Fi, it' seems like exactly the kind of series I'd want to see from EC!
EH, now
I love the new series . I m a big history lover and extra history and extra sci fi is my must to watch . Keep the good work guys .
You have a beautiful channel that never ceases to inspire me no matter the topic.
No "How to plan plans" by Otto von Bismarck?
And why does Bismark always have a plan ? Walpole, naturally.
How to Have a Good Crusade
It's in the planning stage.
The best plan of course being: *ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN*
It had to be Walpole's doing!
I'm amazed! This is the first analysis of the book that nailed the point spot on. Most people, after reading the book, see Victor as the monster (which they're not wrong) and the Monster as an innocent, gentle, benevolent being, but you guys really hit it home that yes, Victor is a bad person, but so is the Monster. While Victor indirectly kills his family, the Monster is the one actually killing them.
As an author of science fiction, I find that this episode actually revealed aspects of my own writing that I hadn't given much thought to while I was writing. It's not that I wasn't aware of the tropes I was using, it's more that those tropes were so ingrained in my concept of narrative flow itself that I never stopped to really examine them. In retrospect, I can see those aspects in my stories clearly, even though I wasn't actively trying to include them. It speaks volumes to the influence of Frankenstein that the tropes it gave new life to have become so second-nature to writers.
... Huh. You know, I always considered that "The Modern Prometheus" meant the Monster. That the Monster was Prometheus, bringing humanity knowledge of the powers and dangers of our hubris, and paying the price for our lesson.
Descan ooh, I like this analogy!
Literal, el primer comentario en español de todo el canal
IIRC the Monster compares himself not to Prometheus but Lucifer
Honestly, you can refer to both the creature and Victor as "The Modern Prometheus".
Very late reply but Lucifer and Prometheus share similar character traits. Maui, from Hawaiian myth, also shares in the lightbringer motif.
7:28 They bothered to animate that, folks.
Probably was just lying around the rejected animation drawings, and they decided to use it here.
I don't consider that as animation
That... is not animation. That is a single image.
They actually used to do stuff like that all the time. It's actually a style that I really miss from them. But I can imagine that takes a *ton* of attention to do all of the time.
I agree that it is a beautiful drawing, and this video probably took a lot of time with how many fully colored drawings there are, but moving your picture slightly to the side, and putting something next to them... isn't animation... It would need more frames to trick your eyes than just two pictures...
Its at 7:29 actually
I did not think of Frankenstein as the modern Prometheus until now. Thank you!
Extra Sci Fi: Literature for those who don't like literature.
By those who don't like it either. This oversimplification of Dr. Frankenstein made me wish I could find some scientific way to fix this video.
Datasoy why is this so true?
Four years later and they made a literature based series!
Like me
We read Frankenstein over the summer and my AP lit class. Very few books have resonated with me the way Frankenstein did. The most shocking aspect of it was the monsters story. I cried so hard when the family rejected him. It was touching and beautiful and made me reevaluate everything I had ever heard about the idea of a monster.
What is most telling, is the way we have retold the story over the years. The monster who arguably was the most human of the characters, didn’t just lose his humanity in the book but in the perception that we have of the story as a whole.
We forget that there was a point when the Monster was inherently good, innocent and curious. It was society that rejected him so he pushed back.
Now society still rejects him but we don’t bother to give him a chance to be human.
Not unlike the way we stereotype different groups without ever taking into account the individual.
0:28 who saw Darwin in the corner
(Obviously everyone saw that because that's where my eyes go first)
Not me, but I spotted Snake Pliskin selling a book =D
Yay someone saw my darwin joke :D
Nobody puts Darwin in a corner
He's kinda tall...
No Name oh darwin i just got it
I've recently discovered this channel, specially because of Extra Sci-Fi. I'm basically gonna watch every video from the playlist, I'm loving everything I see. I'm learning new things in a very enjoyable way. Thanks for your videos, they are amazing.
Please tell me this was collaborated effort with Overly Sarcastic Productions. Otherwise the coincidence is just too beautiful
We're pretty public about our collaborations when we do them! Just a coincidence ;)
James A Clouder the coincidence is beautiful
Extra Credits you should do a collab though
they should, even if it would be just guest art by red
Great minds think alike ..
This not the first time this happened to a TH-cam channel
Take the case Vsauce Jake & CGP Grey uploading on the same topics on the same day ( Teleportation).
I am SO PUMPED for the rest of this series! Thanks, y'all are the best!
yay 2 of my favorite channels both release a video on my favorite book on the same day
Is the other one "Overly Sarcastic Productions"?
yep I'm quite happy with the results although red's view does seam to differ a bit from my own I can't wait to see the EC crew's take on the story and this first video has me hopeful
Tony Martinez I love that channel :) Red’s take on the story inspired me to read it for myself.
This channel just gets better all the time. I enjoy every new series you put up! :D
Thing for me: where does something as recent as the H.P Lovecraft stories belong here? For the uninitiated: yes Lovecraft is mostly horror but a lot of it is science fiction, as many if not technically all of the otherworldly horrors are of at least somewhat scientific nature. Those stories are the reason the word "eldritch" gets thrown around so much these days.
So Extra credits/history/sci fi folks: Where does that put the stories of H.P Lovecraft? Of the Necronomicon? I'd really love to see it on here one day, if even as just a small offshoot of the original sci fi series.
Overall: I love this episode. I really hope you continue this series.
It's possible they'll talk about it, but my view is that it's kind of an anti-scifi.
The main reason for this is that while science fiction explores humanity by pushing current knowledge as far as it can feasibly go, Lovecraft explicitly warns against doing that. After all, while exploring the unknown edges of the world seems good, you really, REALLY don't want to know what's hiding there. The result isn't a further understanding of people and their personalities, but a complete disregard for humanity. The threat isn't internal, or even reminiscent of internal. It is so definitively alien that even being aware of its existence causes madness and death.
Lovecraft did have some more sci-fi type stories. Herbert West-Reanimator is in that realm.
Well the components of "cosmic horror" is actually pretty old. If you look closely, a lot of pagan mythology is pretty much cosmic horror (uncaring gods that barely see humans as nothing more than toys, sentient embodiment of the cosmos, looking at them directly will drive you mad or kill you, humans are nothing more than created playthings, etc).
That's true insofar as that works for greco-roman/Semitic mythologies. That kind of breaks down in other mythologies.
Also, the social relation to the vastly more powerful beings is completely different from cosmic horror. In brief, the whole point of religion is that you can persuade a higher power to enact some kind of benefit to you, which means that at least acknowledge your existence, and will sometimes come down and interact with you.
Lovecraftian monstrosities don't even acknowledge your existence.
Social context matters in determining genre. Just because there are some surface-level similarities doesn't make mythology ' pretty much cosmic horror'.
While what you say is right in some regards fbiuzz, pagan gods were relatable. They were like super-humans with great power, and through their existence humans understood the way the world worked around them in contrast to the eldritch beings which make people question reality. They hated, loved, feared, etc. and in all myth stories we can relatively understand their motivations. The cosmic horrors are incomprehensible and their motivations unfathomable. While gods of old had little regard for most mortals, barring exceptional champions and heroes and beautiful muses here and there, they don't share in the utter disregard for humanity the eldritch beings seem have have.
I am LOVING this new show. Seriously I keep thinking that this channel can't get better than it is but you keep proving me wrong. Thank you for this. The only frustrating thing is that this is exactly the type of work I want to do, and you've beaten me to it and done it so well!
Extra Credits and Overly Sarcastic Productions uploads Frankenstein videos on the same day? Coincidence? Yeah probably.
(And before one of you say it, I know it’s Halloween but they could have still done different topics)
Inquisitor Thomas Ayyy a OSP viewer!
I thought I was probably the only one! But it makes sense there’s some overlap, I guess.
Also, EC mentioned last week they would be talking about this and both channels spent at least two weeks (and probably quite a bit more in the case of OSP) in production.
Inquisitor Thomas me too!
So, is it now that we can start asking for a crossover? OSP + XCredits?
Pretty please?
I really really REALLY hope you all continue this series. As a huge fan of your channel it’s amazing to see this series be added! I’m going to be creating a Sci Fi tv show and both Extra Credits and Extra History have helped me so much already! You guys are awesome and thank you for making these shows!
When I get the money, I’ll be picking up a Walpole shirt. ❤️
Love this theme...while feeling very guilty for watching YT instead of reading right now
I don't want to read anything.
Upcycle Electronics
The buggest question of humanity:
Why are we doing things different than reading books?
When I first started watching Extra Credits, it was this obscure little channel discussing game design. I could barely get any of my friends to watch it, but it was so insightful.
Today, they have several series on game design, a series on graphic design, a series on history... ; and now they start a series on science-fiction. I can barely mention any of the topics they cover to my friends without hearing "Hey, did you see the Extra Credits video on that?". And it's even more insightful than it was back when it started.
Thank you, Extra Credits! You've taught me a lot. :)
Walpole!
WHERE?
Shelly is saying that the Walpole in this book, COULD be real.
For it is always Walpole
You rang?
Eric Pham 7:05
Oh this is sick! I just recently discovered this series like a week ago and only now decided to start from the beginning. What I like most is that this whole series started when I started, Halloween 2017! 💎
I spy with my little eye…it was Walpole.
Yes, it was. ;)
It's always Walpole.
What _is_ the proper collective noun for Robert Walpoles?
"a bank of Walpoles"? "an always of Walpoles"? "a dammit of Walpoles"?
+Sir. Robert Walpole That doesn't sound quite right to me, but I'm no Robert Walpole, so I'll take your word for it.
Just WOW!
I needed to watch the video in 0.75 speed and watch it again with subtitles to grasp all the great ideas in this episode. It was full of content from every animation to every line and it as well assumes that the audiance is well aware of the culture and literature. Keep up such mind blowing and horizon broadening episodes.
Liked for the towel joke
They didn't forget it
You guys are amazing! I've pretty much missed you after I basically watched all of Extra Credits (& and some of Extra History), but this new segment is really inspiring and fascinating at its core. Thank you guys for the continued great work and effort put into every one of your videos. A great thumbs up to all of you! Thank you!
I thought the monster was actually good looking and it was only the eyes that scared Frankenstein?
nerfvideos96 Victor intended him to be beautiful, but he came out off. Here's a quote:
"His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips."
P.S. I took this quote from Schmoop.com instead of taking the time to find it myself.
Superb first episode you guys, really enjoyed it. Pretty happy I got two shows by your team to look forward to receiving notifications for.
Walpole reference at 7:06, knew it!
It was Walpole
it always is.
OMG, I thought this channel couldn't become better, but it just has! Keep it up! I love it!
The Mad Scientist has been my number one favourite character archetypes ever since I was a kid, and Frankenstein is one of my favourite books!
Personally, I think it would be very interesting to see an adaption of Frankenstein the book, with an updated modern day setting, sort of like how Sherlock did it. In this, Victor will be a computer scientist who creates a self-aware AI that he calls ADAM. ADAM subsequently, never gets accepted by humanity (and his own creator), the reason for that being the attitude of "'they fear what they don't understand"
present in the original, updated (namely, humankind's inherent fear and distrust of Artificial Intelligence)
What do you think?
So...write it.
If you don't write it, I must steal it for myself.
ok, so not super close to what you were saying here, but have you seen the movie Ex Machina? It's a really interesting film that has to do with creating the first true AI and it (kinda?) has themes like what you were talking about. ( here is the IMDb page if you haven't seen it and are interested www.imdb.com/title/tt0470752/ )
That very neatly fits the definition of "trite."
countrybluegrass the prevalence of the tropes this book set the precedent for are precisely the reason why that is all considered trite now
I just love all the references you guys made. Seriously, Great job!
In the original book, the Monster was actually described as being very beautiful with the exception of its eyes, which were evidently freaky enough to cause that whole revulsion and rejection thing.
Yeah, this is something I have noticed. Maybe they referred to it as ugly for the convenience of those who are more familiar with the modern interpretations. I think the best way to describe the monster is as uncanny, rather than ugly. It is human-like and beautiful, but wrong in a subtle way.
Super excited for this series, and I'm so glad you kicked it off with Frankenstein!
I can't wait for Jules Vern and HG Wells
I think this video just increased my "books I need to read ASAP" list. And that's why I love you guys.
I came here when it was 106 subs now 1 mil :)
I'm amazed at the production value of this episode. So much imagery and color
It was Walpole the Entire Time!
Possibly. ;)
glad you guys are going over this book. it is one of my favorites and is frequently misunderstood by people who have only seen the movies or know it only from depictions of the monster. 2 ideas always fascinate me about this book: 1) Victor never questions IF he should do a thing, he just cares that he CAN (something I have seen actual modern scientists say or imply today!), and 2) all it would have taken for the monster to be "good" was some acceptance/respect/love/guidance from Victor, his "parent" (something many children today also are denied by their parents, though maybe not to this degree)
SP00PY SCARY SKELETONS
3:08 I love the inclusion of the Think Tank!
God, Old World Blues was great!
7:58 how about global thermonuclear war
Aw snap! I wasn't aware you guys were starting an Extra Sci Fi project! This is dope! Not only did you guys chose the perfect material to start the series, you just KNOW there'll be something on Cyberpunk incoming! I love it!
Funny overly sarcastic production also made a video on this topic too
Coincidence? I THINK NOT!
It's almost as if today is a day frequently associated with some symbol derived from this classic work of literature!
There seems to be an unusual amount of overlap between the two channels. I suppose Extra History and History Summarized would attract similar people though.
Oh man, I lost my mind as soon as I saw extra credits was starting a Science Fiction series! I'm going to be upping my patreon donations to this series this weekend, as soon as my payday comes in! You guys are the best!
I saw medic...
Where
3:10 Farthest on the right.
3:09 far right
3:08
3:08
You are making me a happy sci fi writer right now. I hope this serie will help me get through the shortcomings of my first book so I can finish it faster.
Wanna read a really depressing sci-fi? I have no mouth and i must scream has literally put me off short stories forever
*+James Bradshaw* I've heard of this story. From what I understand, it's like the film 'Where the Dead Go to Die", but infinitely more well-made.
Dragonstar and infinitely more crippling depression and existential crises
The game adaptation (which Harlan Ellison was heavily involved in) is arguably a bit more hopeful, assuming you make enough right choices to get the "Good" ending. It also explores the characters from the short story in more depth, as Ellison was said to have been inspired by the question, "Why did AM choose these specific people to torture for 109 years?"
Some say that the potential for a good ending cheapens the narrative purity of the original work. I say that there is nothing inherently sacred about one telling of a tale over another. That making a story that is still dark but with the potential for hope is just as compelling as one where everyone is doomed. That there is nothing particularly deep about depression and despair. And I would remind everyone - again - that Ellison himself had a hand in the game, so even from an author-purist perspective it is as valid an interpretation of the story as the prose work.
I too recommend the game, even if it has some contradictions with the original story.
I hope they talk about I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream at some point in this series.
Wolfe Wright It's a short story, not a book.
YES! I love Sci-Fi! I love how you guys look at stuff and analyze!
Mix it all together, and HOOO DAMN
Point of order- While Victor used the bodies of the dead to do his research, there is no actual mention of using dead body parts in the construction of the creature.
It is entirely possible that the creature was a robot.
Using the original definition of robot.. you're totally right! He probably was a robot before that concept was even invented :O
I think this series will also work really well as a sort of informal book club. First episode, gets you into it, basic ideas to think about when reading, next episode go deeper and reexamim what you read... pretty cool possibilities.
I'm planning on catching up heavily on my sci-fi to follow along you people! Thanks for the great work.
OBS: the art on this was amazing!
Rick and Morty at 3:49!
A channel that knows it's audience and loves it, this is so awesome
Knowledge is knowing Frankenstein wasn’t the monster. Wisdom is knowing that Frankenstein /was/ the monster.
Edward Ball He was, as a fictional character. As a real man, he was noble and kind.
Good lord! You're going to make a Sci Fi branch of Extra Credits and you just begin with Frankenstei?? Oh guys! I love you all so much, and the awesome work you do. Thanks a lot
*D O O T !*
Oh man guys! As a teacher I am so excited for this series! Thank you so much for doing it!
*Please do a Video about Dune!!*
This series just started with a multi-part examination of Frankenstein. They probably will have a video about Dune but it will be quite a lot of time until that happens.
Also, I don't think that it works by just screaming stuff in the comments. :D
Awesome job! I have a a vivid memory of seeing a Frankenstein play, as a boy. "I will be with you on your wedding night" sent shivers through my spine.
Wait...is this saying that Frankenstein was kinda the origin of the concept 'we were so busy wondering if we could, we never stopped to ask if we should'?
as a major SF trope, sure. The idea of humans overreaching themselves goes back at least as far as Babel or Icarus, though back then the punishment was direct divine intervention because a god or gods was annoyed rather than the foreseeable consequences of the great development.
The lesson of Frankenstein's hubris is to think through the consequences of your actions, while the classical lesson of hubris is "don't boast"...
Decided to come back and post this. I just finished reading Frankenstein because of these videos. While it was difficult to read the older writing style, it was very much worthwhile to read and I am glad I did so.
Thank you for starting this series.
When people say women can't write or enjoy good Sci-Fi... y'all, a woman invented it.
Still one of the best works of fiction I have ever read. I am so glad you guys are covering this and look forward to being introduced to more sci-fi from this series!
science fiction begins with Frankenstein eh?
*slides over copy of Lucien's true History*
Slides over copy of The Empires and States of The Moon and The Sun .
Slides over a copy of Somnium
western i think they meant
no what they probably meant is Sci-fi as we recognise it, a serious subject about the possibilities of Science and the impact it has on the Morality and Ethics of Mankind, Whereas we are facetiously presenting things that are meant as comedies and satire with vauge elements that can be called Sci-fi-ish (with the exception of Somnium but that isn't true Sci-fi as we know it).
Really excited for this series. You guys are awesome!
From a casual "have to keep an eye on this channel" to a full blown "you guys just earned a spot in my youtube fave top 5"
Excellent video! I can't wait to see what else you guys bring with this new series.
This was great. Shining a light on this work and the amazing woman who wrote it is probably one of the greatest things you guys have ever done. Looking forward to the rest of the series. Bravo!
I can't think of anything to say but thank you extra credit for bringing more perspective to a piece of fiction so cherished from my childhood
Man love the small Hitchhikers Guide referance at 2:19.
Recently got into those books and they're all ready becoming my favorites in the genre.
Will you guys at EC ever do an episode talking about Douglas Adams's classics?
Genuinely outstanding to me that anyone can not like this channel. As an English teacher I think these crash courses are phenomenal and fairly accurate.
You guys kick ass, thank you so much to EVERYONE at EC!
Science Fiction was definitely preceded by Frankenstein. From Lucian's "A True Story" to "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" to Kepler's "Somnium" toFrancis Bacon's "New Atlantis" to even Margaret Cavendish's "The Blazing World".
Frankenstein is arguably not even science fiction but gothic horror/fantasy. The premise that Sci Fi has the unique characteristic of "could be real" can be found in non supernatural horror literature as well as mystery novels.
I think I'm gonna love this series more than everything. Keep it up!
Oh my god, so many references. I had to watch this three times to pick up everything. Wonderful debut!
Big fan of EC, very excited for this series. Keep up the good work!
I love this new series thank you so much. I'm already looking forward to the next episode :D
The art in this has to be given serious props. I mean the content is good as all EC content is, but damn the art. Kudos.
I love this science fiction series idea, you guys are doing great 👍 can't wait for extra history too
I always thought it was a horror story but as i read further and further in, I found my heart breaking for the "monster". Many of times did i find myself tearing up
I love your Extra Sci-fi series! However, I can't find it on Nebula--only Extra Mythology, which I also love! Would you please upload the series there as well? Thank you!
this was soo cool guys. I am thrilled to see what comes in the future. Great work as always.
So this is where the series first started. Also that intro music is awesome.
Thank you for creating this series.
I've read Frankenstein countless times and I still learn new things about it all of the time. It is truly a classic work of English literature if one can define such a thing.
Of all the features of Frankenstein I propose that it is the framing devices used that elevates the story and ideas to the heights that it reaches... ok, seriously though, the narration of it is truly astounding and something that one has to always remember when analyzing it's themes, characters, and plot.