📚 What makes a monster? This is the question posed by the enduring story of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein, a pioneer of science fiction. Centuries later, and Frankenstein’s creation still haunts us, now as a horror staple reimagined across movies, shows, plays, and the go-to Halloween costume. Although our desert climate robs us of a true fall season, reading (or rereading) novels like Frankenstein can summon its ghostly spirit. With Halloween in the air — even if fall isn’t — it’s the perfect time to revisit one of literature’s great tragedies.

Victor Frankenstein’s fanatical idea: Victor grows up deeply curious about the “natural philosophies” and the mystical elements of life, reading extensively on ancient thinkers. His study of human anatomy in particular triggers his fascination with the creation of life, and thus, on a rainy November night, the monster of Frankenstein is born. Coming out of a frenzy of whether he could instead of whether he should, Victor quickly realizes the horror that he has created, the mere sight of the creature sending him into a nervous episode.

A monster to society, an imitation of God. As soon as Victor is met with his creation, soon as he abandons him out of fear. The naive, mentally underdeveloped monster wanders off, left to fend for himself in a world he doesn’t belong in. His grotesque appearance isolates him from society despite his self-acquired decency. Like any other life form, he desires companionship but is only met with terror every time he is seen. What follows probes the moral complexities of the relationship between creator and creation. The monster, failing to receive love from his creator, seeks vengeance by bringing tragedy into Victor’s life.

Shelley’s imagination brought the literary world a compelling exploration of the dangers of reckless scientific ambition and the obsessive pursuit of knowledge. Frankenstein’s creation challenges the notion of the hero, turning a supposed monster into a living creature that we feel the urge to sympathize with. His unconventional appearance brings to light themes of prejudice, societal norms, and the good and evil in human nature.

Unfolding across chilling landscapes and dark, stormy weather, the novel cultivates an eerie atmosphere that is quintessentially gothic. Shelley’s dramatic use of language and earnest, introspective narrator set the tone for a moody, thought-provoking read.

Frankenstein is the ultimate blend of science fiction and gothic fantasy, but with an added existential undertone that has cemented its place in the world of storytelling. We’ve seen the idea regenerated countless times — in the Oscar-winning Poor Things, in the anticipated film interpretation starring Jacob Elordi, and in the many more traditional adaptations across the years — yet returning to Shelley’s original promises the richest experience.

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find the paperback on Amazon Egypt or eBook on Amazon, and keep an eye out for a restock at Diwan. You can also find it on Apple Books and Project Gutenberg at no charge.

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