Then again, Universal arguably invented this whole mega-franchise thing, with Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, and the Wolf Man crossing over into each other’s movies, along with thinly-disguised versions of Dr. Jekyll and the Hunchback of Notre Dame. (In HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, there’s also a hunchback who falls in…

Thanks! I’m still proud of those books.

Just to show off, here’s the cover of my NEXT book:

The Department of Temporal Investigations books are by Christopher Bennett, fyi.

I really enjoyed Lee Goldberg’s MONK novels as well. Haven’t read the ones by the new author yet . . . .

Thanks for the kind words. For the record, I haven’t stopped writing them. In fact, I have a new Trek book coming out next month . . . and I should be working on the outline for the next one right now. :)

Weird thought: HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944) also featured a “Jekyll-like” character, i.e. a mad scientist with a split personality, but he wasn’t actually supposed to be Jekyll. Maybe they’re pulling a similar stunt this time around?

As a point of fact, Dr. Jekyll was NOT one of the classic Universal monsters back in…

I love “Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein.”

Tell me about it!

Well, there are the novels . . . and the Hallmark ornaments . . . and the new cuckoo clock:

Honestly, that’s how I feel about Universal remaking its classic monster movies. I desperately want this to work, because the Universal Monsters are near and dear to my heart, but VAN HELSING shook my faith a bit and the WOLF MAN remake was something of a disappointment as well.

Do not mock Unicorn Dog! He’s the OLD YELLER of STAR TREK . . ..

Honestly, I regard “Threshold” as something of a guilty pleasure, even if it does borrow a bit too heavily from the remake of THE FLY. At least it’s not boring, which is more than I say for some latter-day Trek episodes.

Any episode where Paris and Janeway have sex as newts gets points for making my jaw drop . . . ..

Crazy idea: Why don’t we just give the new series the benefit of the doubt until we actually see it?

There will be time enough to nitpick it to death once it’s actually streaming. :)

I don’t think “I, Frankenstein” was ever supposed to be part of the New Universe Monster Cinematic Universe (TM), but I think they WERE keeping their options open regarding “Dracula Untold.”

And later adapted into the theme song for CLEOPATRA 2525. Really.

Just to clarify, it was NOMINATED for a Hugo Award. It did not win one.

Still pretty impressive, though.

“Monster Mash,” of course.

Honorable mention: “My Clone Sleeps Alone” by Pat Benatar.

A wonderful essay to go out on. Yes, sf and fantasy and horror and superheroes are not just for the true believers anymore, nor should they be.

Bon voyage . . . and don’t be a stranger.

Let it noted that Harriet McDougal is far more than simply Jordan’s widow. She edited the entire “Wheel of Time” series as well, and was very much involved in its creation.

You’d think Sigourney Weaver would have more more, but maybe her AVATAR and GHOSTBUSTERS and GALAXY QUEST characters did not get their own figures ?