Right from the top, we’re hanging out with Meaghan and Shirin on Halloween Day. They’re in full spooky mode, marking the end of October with a look back at all the horror content they’ve been diving into throughout the month.
There’s some playful banter about trick-or-treating with a baby (yes, adults eating the candy is definitely allowed) and a general love for Halloween that feels instantly relatable. Whether you’re that person who plans costumes in August or just here for the candy, they’re speaking your language.
To wrap up the spooky season of the Fully-Booked: Literary Podcast with a bang, the hosts turn their attention to Universal Studios and how it shaped horror storytelling in film. They’re not just talking about the monsters we know, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, but also about the how and why these figures became iconic.
This episode dives deep into how Universal’s early adaptations helped bring monster stories into mainstream pop culture, and why they still stick with us today.
Universal Studios: The Birthplace Of The Modern Monster
We start with Dracula in 1931, starring Bela Lugosi, which the hosts explain was the beginning of the official “Universal Monsters” era.
But here’s where it gets interesting: while most people think of Dracula as the first, Meaghan shares a fun bit of film history: Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was actually adapted into a silent film in 1913, well before Dracula hit the screen. This version was produced by Carl Laemmle, the founder of Universal Studios, back when it was still called IMP.
So technically, Dracula wasn’t first, but it was the one that made the whole genre explode. It brought the monster front and center, not as a mysterious background threat, but as the face of the film. The hosts point out how Universal really put monsters on the map by making them stars instead of shadows, and that shift changed everything for horror.
They even touch on the 1922 film Nosferatu, a Dracula ripoff that tried (and failed) to dodge copyright issues by renaming characters. It was banned, Bram Stoker’s widow tried to destroy all the copies, but it still survives today, another early influence on how horror evolved.
From Real-Life Inspiration to Horror Iconography
One of the coolest parts of this episode is when Meaghan drops a fascinating historical nugget: Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, was inspired by a real-life guy named Deacon Brodie. This guy was a respected cabinetmaker in Edinburgh by day and a thief by night, robbing the very houses he helped furnish. The duality in his life clearly influenced Stevenson’s story about good and evil living in one body.
That real-life detail adds a personal, eerie flavor to a story that’s often treated as just fiction. Shirin reacts just like we would — with a mix of “Whoa” and “Was he a carpenter in the book? Wait, no!” It’s funny, and exactly the kind of tangent that makes podcast conversations fun to listen to.
They also mention a great adaptation of Jekyll (the BBC miniseries starring James Nesbitt) and point out how much they’d love to see more modern takes on the story. It’s a reminder that some of the best horror comes not from monsters, but from what’s inside us.
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The Visual Legacy: Makeup, Monsters, And Movie Magic
The conversation turns to the 1925 Phantom of the Opera and how Lon Chaney, a.k.a. “The Man of a Thousand Faces,” basically defined the visual look of horror movie monsters. He did his own makeup, creating designs that still influence how we picture these characters. His version of the Phantom? Iconic. His Hunchback of Notre Dame? Just as legendary.
The same goes for Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Invisible Man. Even if you’ve never seen the originals, you still picture Frankenstein with a square head and neck bolts, Dracula in a cape with slicked-back hair, and the Invisible Man in bandages and sunglasses. That’s the Universal influence; they didn’t just tell the stories; they branded them into our brains.
When the hosts talk about Dracula becoming more “romanticized” in later versions, it’s hilarious and true. Meaghan jokes about modern vampires needing to be hot, and let’s be real, they do. If your vampire isn’t at least a little sexy, are you even trying?
Even when Dracula is a monster (like in The Last Voyage of the Demeter), the hosts agree that it changes the whole vibe of the story. A bat-like creature doesn’t pull you in the same way a seductive Count does. And they’re right, horror often works best when it creeps up on you, not when it roars in your face.
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Monster Men: The Human (and Inhuman) Side Of Fear
Throughout the episode, there’s a recurring theme: these monsters are all human, or used to be. The fear doesn’t just come from what they are; it comes from what they represent. The Invisible Man? Power gone unchecked. Dr. Jekyll? A war within the self. Frankenstein’s monster? A tragic creature born into a world that hates him.
The hosts point out how even Frankenstein isn’t really the villain; it’s Dr. Frankenstein, the creator, who’s the real monster. They get into the deep emotional territory here, reflecting on how sad it is that this creature is forced into existence, misunderstood, and hated.
They also talk about the Wolfman, the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and how each character has been revisited, reimagined, and repackaged through the years. Sometimes it works. Sometimes not. But every time, there’s something people connect with.
They even mention how modern movies like The Shape of Water and upcoming releases from Guillermo del Toro and Maggie Gyllenhaal continue that tradition of giving monsters empathy, or at least nuance.
And shoutout to the critic who watched del Toro’s Frankenstein and was surprised that the monster was portrayed sympathetically. The hosts call it out perfectly: Have you even read the book? That’s the entire point.
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Still Going Strong: The Monsters Who Won’t Die
To wrap things up, the hosts talk about how Universal has never really let go of these monsters. And honestly, thank goodness. They’ve been rebooted dozens (maybe hundreds) of times. There’s been merch, cartoons, horror comedies (Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, anyone?), and even stuff like Hotel Transylvania for the kiddos. You name it, it’s been done.
What’s wild is how much these characters still show up. This year alone, we’re getting two Frankenstein movies, one from del Toro and one with a Bonnie-and-Clyde twist from Maggie Gyllenhaal, and a new Wolfman film just dropped earlier this year. There’s even a romantic French take on Dracula coming in 2026.
So yeah, these monsters aren’t going anywhere. And Meaghan and Shirin make a good case for why we keep coming back to them. These stories stick with us because they’re not just about what scares us; they’re about who we are when we’re afraid. They’re about identity, power, morality, and loneliness.
They end with a note of appreciation for Universal Studios keeping their monster IPs alive, saying that even when the reboots aren’t perfect, they still matter. And when the hosts visited Universal in person, the retro merch and throwback vibes reminded them that, yes, the roots of these stories run deep.
Final Thoughts: A Toast to the Monster Kids
The episode wraps with Meaghan joking about hibernating after Halloween, and Shereen teasing her lovingly. But there’s a real warmth in how they talk about this spooky season, not just as horror fans, but as people who grew up with these stories. They treat these monsters like old friends, and you can feel that affection the whole way through.
This isn’t just a history lesson, it’s a love letter. If you’ve ever felt seen by a misunderstood creature, or if you just get a little thrill every time you hear a wolf howl in the night, this episode gets you. And it’ll make you appreciate those black-and-white monsters a little more the next time you see their faces on a t-shirt or a Halloween decoration.
