What if...this morning, when you opened your newspaper, went online, turned on the TV, the headline startled your memories back to childhood fears:

MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN CREATURE FOUND... ALIVE!

What if Mary Shelley's, FRANKENSTEIN, was really a true story?

BACK FROM THE DEAD: the true sequel to Frankenstein is a contemporary telling of the finding and revival of the thought-to-be mythical creature. The story follows the account by Sergio Carerra, the scientist who revives the creature from a two-hundred year arctic freeze, and with the help of his wife, Sophia, brings him into the family of man. The creature’s gothic sojourns to the 1790’s through dreams and flashbacks reveals a unique perspective on the original story, why he survived, and what happened to his mate. How does present society see this formidable beast, so different than his movie counterpart, and how does he feel about his unwanted resurrection? Now, that he’s back, there are others interested in him for reasons not so apparent, and they will do anything to get what they want.

How the creature fares in the modern world is an assemblage of psychological drama, horror, romance, and sci-fi. Finally, after 200 years, we are about to learn the truth.

This gripping novel transports a classic fictitious character into the modern world, culture and conscience. Within it's captivating pages, the author exposes the modern man for his monstrously hideous nature in contrast to his natural and timeless capacity for pure compassion. Our flaws, triumphs, aspirations, dignity and motivations are laid on the table before us and brilliantly dissected with a clear eye and a steady pen. It becomes easy to forget we are reading fiction as this tale comes to life in our hands. 

Benjamin Underwood Halstead

I must admit, it took a few weeks to get to it, but once I did, I was hooked. A continuation of Shelley's original, and yet considerably more. Fascinating for what does happen, what does not happen, and the play of good and evil in life. Well-drawn characters, great scenes, and mounting suspense ... what readers ought to be looking for.

M. Rothfeld

Stuart Land's book, Back from the Dead, is a book that I would recommend to other readers who are looking for a novel that is compelling, intriguing, and filled with adventure from the beginning to the end. The character’s personalities unfold in a way that I felt as if I was in a relationship with them. When the book began they were like new neighbors living next door. As I continued to get deeper into the story I got deeper into their hearts and souls. He brought the story together in a fashion that was unpredictable, keeping me awake at night.

K. K. Fisher

Grab this book before taking off for your summer vacation, and take along Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's book, "Frankenstein", too. 

I just finished the book so the ending is fresh in my mind, and I'll share it with you. No, I'll not ruin the ending, but will say that little has separated us from the time of Shelley's writing 200 hundred years ago and what we must conclude today. As a society, we are still not ready to be creators, parents, yes, but creators of life, no. And in the world of cloning (sheep, why sheep when you can have so many so easily....) 

Now how the conclusion comes at you is why you should read this book. You will be hooked in the first chapter, which sets the stage of why you should believe what comes in the following chapters, and believe, you will. As chapters develop the plot, you will recognize the American society of today and why the conclusion is both surprising and not surprising. From the perspective of America today and the society we have built, this picture of life after resurrection is a tale to be understood. 

Krista Rector