Books with title Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus

Mary Shelly’s Gothic romance, “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus”, is often considered to be one of the earliest examples of the science fiction novel. Shelly had travelled throughout Europe and, when visiting in Germany, she became fascinated with the local story of an alchemist who had lived two centuries before in Frankenstein Castle. The book tells about the life and work of the scientist Victor Frankenstein, who was able to comprehend the secret of the origin of life and learn how to revive lifeless matter. Frankenstein creates an artificial man from parts of corpses, but later abandons his brainchild.Despite some initial unfavorable critical reviews, “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” by Mary Shelly became an immediate popular success.

The novel that Mary Shelley would go on to publish, the legend of Victor Frankenstein and his unholy creation, and their obsessive, murderous pursuit of each other from Switzerland to the North Pole, has been the stuff of nightmares for nearly two centuries. A masterpiece of Romantic literature, it is also one of the most enduring horror stories ever written.

A ship caught in the ice at sea brings aboard a stranded stranger who is hiding a secret. The mysterious man is the well educated Dr. Frankenstein. He is a man driven by loneliness and madness. He starts telling his story about the creation of a creature from dead body parts. ITS ALIVE! The creature is brought to life as a blank slate. His hideous look deprives him of the most common need, love. Fraught with violence and coveted in issues of what makes us all human, Dr. Frankenstein must destroy his own creation. Will the creature live or will the madness cling to his soul and bring about his own end?

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is the world’s most famous Gothic novel and the first work of science fiction, with Frankenstein’s monster being a symbol of science gone awry. Shelley’s masterpiece has inspired numerous films, plays and other books. This, the 1818 edition, published anonymously, contains the author’s original vision. Later revisions, though edited by Mary Shelley, were made more conservative and palatable to nineteenth century readers

Frankenstein is a unique novel in the canon of English literature. The novel seeks to find the answers to questions that no doubt perplexed Mary Shelley and the readers of her time. Frankenstein, an instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature?

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is the world’s most famous Gothic novel and the first work of science fiction, with Frankenstein’s monster being a symbol of science gone awry. Shelley’s masterpiece has inspired numerous films, plays and other books. This, the 1818 edition, published anonymously, contains the author’s original vision. Later revisions, though edited by Mary Shelley, were made more conservative and palatable to nineteenth century readers.