Frankenstein

Often called the first true science-fiction novel, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein tells of the brilliant young scientist Victor Frankenstein, who creates life from dead matter and then recoils from his own creation. The abandoned creature, intelligent and desperate for connection, turns to vengeance. More than a horror story, the novel asks enduring questions about the responsibility of the scientist, the ethics of creation and what it means to be human. In an age of artificial intelligence and biotechnology, Shelley's two-hundred-year-old warning feels more urgent than ever.