So strange an accident has happened to us, that I cannot forbear recording it, although it is very probable
Frankenstein
Frankenstein, published in 1818, tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Frankenstein is so horrified by his creation that he abandons the Creature, leaving it to fend for itself. The Creature, suffering from loneliness and rejection, seeks revenge against Frankenstein, leading to tragedy for both.
Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein when she was only 18, and it was published when she was 20. Shelley came up with the idea for the novel in 1816 while staying at Lord Byron's villa in Switzerland with her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley and others. The group entertained themselves by reading German ghost stories, and Byron proposed they each write their own supernatural tale. Mary Shelley had a waking dream about a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made, sparking the idea for Frankenstein.
Frankenstein is considered by many to be the first true science fiction novel. Unlike earlier stories with fantastical elements, Frankenstein is based in scientific realism and plausibility. The Creature is created through scientific means rather than by magic or the supernatural. This grounding of the extraordinary in real-world science and the exploration of the consequences of pushing scientific boundaries were groundbreaking at the time and set the stage for the science fiction genre. Frankenstein's themes - the ethical perils of scientific overreach, man's hubris in attempting to control nature, the human need for connection and belonging - have resonated across the centuries and continue to feel relevant today.
- 1. Frankenstein Letter 1
- 10. Frankenstein Chapter 6
- 11. Frankenstein Chapter 7
- 12. Frankenstein Vol 2 Chapter 1
- 13. Frankenstein Vol 2 Chapter 2
- 14. Frankenstein Vol 2 Chapter 3
- 15. Frankenstein Vol 2 Chapter 4
- 15. Frankenstein Vol 2 Chapter 5
- 16. Frankenstein Vol 2 Chapter 6
- 17. Frankenstein Vol 2 Chapter 7
- 18. Frankenstein Vol 2 Chapter 8
- 2. Frankenstein Letter 2
- 3. Frankenstein Letter 3
- 4. Frankenstein Letter 4
- 5. Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus: Chapter 1
- 6. Frankenstein: Chapter 2
- 7. Frankenstein Chapter 3
- 8. Frankenstein Chapter 4: It’s Alive!
- 9. Frankenstein Chapter 5
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3. Frankenstein Letter 3
I write a few lines in haste to say that I am safe—and well advanced on my voyage. This letter will reach England by a merchantman now on its homeward
2. Frankenstein Letter 2
How slowly the time passes here, encompassed as I am by frost and snow! Yet a second step is taken towards my enterprise
1. Frankenstein Letter 1
You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings.