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A Modern Monster
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A Modern Monster

The Lasting Legacy of Frankenstein

Henk van den Belt, Kai Kupferschmidt and Jon Cohen
Science, 2018
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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

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Recommendation

Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2018. Although the novel has never stopped fascinating, intriguing and inspiring people, its bicentennial provides an excellent opportunity to delve into deeper conversations about some of the key issues it raises, such as the dangers of technology and the social responsibility of scientists. The January 12, 2018 issue of Science magazine does just that, featuring a collection of essays on the continued relevance of Frankenstein’s multi-layered – and sometimes misunderstood – message just at a time when technology is advancing at a dizzying speed. getAbstract believes scientists and non-scientists will enjoy the debates triggered by this classic novel, still so much more than a well-told horror story.

Take-Aways

  • In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the protagonist brings to life a creature that ends up taking revenge on its creator for abandoning it.  
  • Mary Shelley’s inspirations for the novel included contemporaneous scientific experiments on potential ways to resurrect corpses.
  • The most common interpretation of the novel is to read it as a warning against scientific hubris.

About the Authors

Henk van den Belt is an assistant professor of philosophy at Wageningen University, Netherlands. 

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