Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a groundbreaking Gothic novel and one of the foundational works of science fiction: a haunting story of creation, ambition, loneliness, and responsibility. Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist consumed by the desire to unlock the secrets of life, succeeds in creating a living being from dead matter. Horrified by the creature he has made, he abandons it. Rejected by its creator and by society, the creature becomes both victim and threat, longing for affection yet driven toward violence by isolation and despair. First published in 1818, Frankenstein is far more than a tale of horror.
It explores the ethical limits of science, the consequences of unchecked ambition, and the human need for love and recognition. Through its layered narrative and emotional complexity, Shelley asks who is truly monstrous: the created being, or the creator who refuses responsibility. A masterpiece of Gothic and Romantic literature, this novel remains deeply modern in its questions about knowledge, power, prejudice, and what it means to be human.