Classic
Frankenstein
by Mary Shelley
Summary
Ambitious scientist Victor Frankenstein assembles a living creature from dead tissue, then abandons his creation in horror the moment it opens its eyes. The rejected being teaches itself language and reason while enduring cruelty from everyone it meets, and it turns on its creator with a demand for companionship that Frankenstein refuses. Shelley's novel asks hard questions about responsibility, science, and what makes a person monstrous that still feel urgent today.
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Historical Context & Significance
Shelley wrote the novel at nineteen during a famous stay near Lake Geneva with Byron and Percy Shelley, and it was published anonymously in 1818. It is widely regarded as the first true work of science fiction and has never been out of print.