Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley was first published in 1818. We are still intrigued by this story of a scientist who brings dead matter back to life.
How It All Began
“On June 16, 1816, a 19-year-old woman sat quietly listening as her lover (the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley) and a small group of friends (including celebrated poet Lord Byron) discussed conducting a ghost-story contest … As the conversation about ghost stories heated up, a discussion arose about the principle of life. Not surprisingly, the ensuing talk of graves and corpses led to a sleepless night filled with horrific nightmares for Mary Shelley. Later, she recalled her own contest entry began with eight words: “It was on a dreary night in November…” Just two years later … Mary Shelley, published her expanded submission as the novel Frankenstein …” Source: The Frankenstein Bicentennial – The Monster Challenge. Washington University in St. Louis. http://www.frankenstein200.wustl.edu/
Want to read the book or watch a film version or learn more about the author and all things Frankenstein? Find the info you need at the BSC Library!
FRANKENSTEIN – Directed by James Whale – 1931
Read it! Read it! 