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 Frankenstein

or, The Modern Prometheus

by Mary Shellley

"In 1816, an Englishwoman still in her teens, Mary Shelley, conceived the story of a scientist obsessed with creating life. Shelley's scientist, Victor Frankenstein, succeeds. But while Frankenstein's creature can think and feel, he is monstrous to the eye. Spurned by all, including Victor Frankenstein himself, the embittered creature turns into a savage killer.... This story — both in the original novel and shaped into new forms, such as plays, films, and comics — has captivated people ever since, exposing hidden, sometimes barely conscious fears of science and technology. As scientists have gained new powers, the Frankenstein story remains, like a warning beacon, throwing its harsh, unsettling beam upon human efforts to penetrate the secrets of nature." -- from the National Library of Medicine exhibition

Mary Shelley commentary and links on The Literary Gothic Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature exhibition from the National Library of Medicine Essays, author biographies from Literature Resource Center (Sonoma County Library card required for access from home) Book discussion guide from NoveList (Sonoma County Library card required for access from home) Find it in the Library: Frankenstein Works by Mary Shelley