Published in 1818, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a model for Gothic fiction, science fiction, and all the horror novels that followed it. Weaving the Gothic elements of the supernatural, terror, anguish, and love with the Romantic values of nature and individualism, Shelley delivers a chilling tale about unchecked ambition andthe consequences of disturbing the order of nature. Generations of scientists, ethicists, psychologists, feminists, and artists have been inspired and riveted by Mary Shelley's dark story.

INTRODUCTION

CHRONOLOGY OF MARY SHELLEY"S

LIFE AND WORK

HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF Frankenstein

FRANKENSTEIN

NOTES

INTERPRETIVE NOTES

CRITICAL EXCERPTS

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE

INTERESTED READER