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On August 30 we'll discuss Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
About the novel:
Originally published in 1818, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, begins with an Arctic explorer rescuing Victor Frankenstein, who recounts how his obsessive scientific quest led him to assemble a living being from corpses. Repulsed, he abandoned it, only for the lonely, intelligent creature to seek him out, demanding both compassion and vengeance. Combining tragedy, morality, social commentary, and a thoughtful examination of the very nature of knowledge, Shelley crafted a story that, beyond its incisive commentary on her own milieu, is widely recognized as the first work of science fiction.
About the author:
Mary Shelley (1797-1851) conceived of Frankenstein at the age of nineteen when Lord Byron suggested that the members of a vacationing party tell ghost stories. The resulting novel took over two years to write and can be seen as the brilliant creation of a powerful but tormented mind. The story of Frankenstein has endured nearly two centuries and countless variations because of its timeless exploration of the tension between our quest for knowledge and our thirst for good.