Frankenstein

Since it was first published in 1818; Mary Shelley's seminal novel has generated countless print; stage and screen adaptations; but none has ever matched the power and philosophical resonance of the original. Composed as part of a challenge with Byron and Shelley to conjure up the most terrifying ghost story; Frankenstein narrates the chilling tale of a being created by a bright young scientist and the catastrophic consequences that ensue. Considered by many to be the first science-fiction novel; the tragic tale of Victor Frankenstein and the tortured creation he rejects is a classic fable about the pursuit of knowledge; the nature of beauty and the monstrosity inherent to man.