Frankenstein

Or, The Modern Prometheus

Mary Shelley 1818

This novel follows a young scientist who creates a living being and then abandons it. The creature secretly learns language by watching a family, then struggles to tell his own story.

267 pages 5h 11m reading time

Often called the first true science fiction novel, and one of the best-known works of Gothic horror.
Asks what a creator owes to the life it makes, and suggests that the creature turns violent because everyone rejects him, not because he was born evil.
Warns that chasing scientific discovery without thinking about the results can lead to disaster.
The name "Frankenstein" entered everyday English as a word for any creation that turns against its maker, as in "Frankenfood" or "a Frankenstein's monster."
Inspired countless plays and films, most famously the 1931 movie with Boris Karloff, whose flat-headed monster became the image most people picture today.

Born from a ghost story contest

Lord Byron challenged his guests to write ghost stories during a stormy summer near Lake Geneva in 1816.
A summer without sun

A huge volcano eruption in Indonesia darkened skies that year, keeping the group indoors telling frightening tales.
Started by a waking dream

Mary Shelley said the idea came to her as a vivid vision while lying awake one night.
Published without her name

The first edition appeared anonymously, and many readers guessed her husband, Percy Shelley, had written it.