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In 1818, the novel Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus was first published. It was written by Mary Shelley—aged 18 at the time—as part of a competition with Lord Byron and Percy Shelley to see who could write the best ghost story among them. Inspired by the talks of the paranormal with her friends, a nearby castle, and a particularly frightening dream, Shelley crafted a story about a scientist with a goal of reanimating the dead and his revulsion for what he’d created.
The novel contains many elements from Gothic and Romantic fiction, but it has also been credited as the first science-fiction novel, making it even more of an achievement for an 18-year-old woman in the 19th century.
Even today, more than 200 years after its publication, the image of Frankenstein’s monster permeates our culture. From movies, cartoons, holiday decorations, and retellings, Frankenstein shaped much of the world around us. That’s why every year on the last Friday in October we celebrate National Frankenstein Friday, to honor the book’s influence.
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