y separately published work icon The Burlesque of Frankenstein ; Or, The Man-Gorilla single work   drama   satire   science fiction   horror   - Twelve scenes
Issue Details: First known date: 1865... 1865 The Burlesque of Frankenstein ; Or, The Man-Gorilla
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Possible the earliest science fiction work written by an Australian resident, The Burlesque of Frankenstein; Or, The Man-Gorilla, was written for the stage in Adelaide in 1863 but never produced. George Isaacs subsequently included it in Rhyme and Prose. As Graham Stone notes, the story of Frankenstein has been an enduring science fiction subject since it first appeared in 1818, and indeed at least eleven theatrical adaptations were been produced in Adelaide alone between 1823 and 1849 (five melodramas and six burlesques).

In describing the humour of the piece ' is largely verbal' (with anything for a rhyme), Stone writes further:
Isaacs' burlesque is a wild travesty of its basic plot with no trace of its spirit, but it is a part of the tradition, its creation in a remote backwater showing how wide the novel's appeal was. It also reflects the controversy of the time over the new concept of evolution.
The burlesque is preceded by a twp page preface entitled "A Burlesque and its History," in which Issacs outlines the reasons for the work having been denied a production.

Production Details

  • Written for the stage in Adelaide in 1863, but never produced.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Rhyme and Prose ; And a Burlesque, and its History George Isaacs , Melbourne : Clarson, Shallard and Co. , 1865 Z88549 1865 selected work poetry prose drama A collection of poems and four short prose pieces, the book also includes a dramatic burlesque on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818).
    Melbourne : Clarson, Shallard and Co. , 1865
    pg. 99-128
    • Sydney, New South Wales,: Graham Stone , 1989 .
      Extent: x, 30 p.p.
      Edition info: Facsimile edition
      Description: Contains biographical note on Isaacs.
      Reprinted: 1994
      ISBN: 0731665791
  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Rhyme and Prose ; And a Burlesque, and its History George Isaacs , Melbourne : Clarson, Shallard and Co. , 1865 Z88549 1865 selected work poetry prose drama A collection of poems and four short prose pieces, the book also includes a dramatic burlesque on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818).
    Denver : Rare Books Club , 2012

Works about this Work

George Isaacs and the Burlesque of Frankenstein Gillian Polack , 2023 single work essay
— Appears in: Aurealis , no. 166 2023;
Australian Science Fiction (Part II) Graham Stone , 2001 single work criticism
— Appears in: Biblionews and Australian Notes & Queries , June vol. 26 no. 2 2001; (p. 39-57)
An overview of science fiction writing and publishing in Australia pre-1940.
Australian Science Fiction (Part II) Graham Stone , 2001 single work criticism
— Appears in: Biblionews and Australian Notes & Queries , June vol. 26 no. 2 2001; (p. 39-57)
An overview of science fiction writing and publishing in Australia pre-1940.
George Isaacs and the Burlesque of Frankenstein Gillian Polack , 2023 single work essay
— Appears in: Aurealis , no. 166 2023;
Last amended 1 Mar 2016 13:06:04
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