Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel presents the epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror. Based on the third edition of 1831, this Penguin Classics edition, with an introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle, contains all the revisions Mary Shelley made to her story, as well as her 1831 introduction and Percy Bysshe Shelley's preface to the first edition. It also includes as appendices a select collation of the texts of 1818 and 1831 together with A Fragment by Lord Byron and Dr John Polidori's The Vampyre: A Tale.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read

The original 1818 text of Frankenstein preserves the hard-hitting and politically-charged aspects of Shelley's original writing, as well as her unflinching wit and strong female voice. This edition also emphasizes Shelley's relationship with her mother--trailblazing feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, who penned A Vindication of the Rights of Woman--and demonstrates her commitment to carrying forward her mother's ideals, placing her in the context of a feminist legacy rather than the sole female in the company of male poets, including Percy Shelley and Lord Byron.

This edition includes a new introduction and suggestions for further reading by National Book Critics Circle award-winner and Shelley expert Charlotte Gordon, literary excerpts and reviews selected by Gordon, and a chronology and essay by preeminent Shelley scholar Charles E. Robinson.

Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Few creatures of horror have seized readers' imaginations and held them for so long as the anguished monster of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The story of Victor Frankenstein's terrible creation and the havoc it caused has enthralled generations of readers and inspired countless writers of horror and suspense. Considering the novel's enduring success, it is remarkable that it began merely as a whim of Lord Byron's.
We will each write a story, Byron announced to his next-door neighbors, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and her lover Percy Bysshe Shelley. The friends were summering on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland in 1816, Shelley still unknown as a poet and Byron writing the third canto of Childe Harold. When continued rains kept them confined indoors, all agreed to Byron's proposal.
The illustrious poets failed to complete their ghost stories, but Mary Shelley rose supremely to the challenge. With Frankenstein, she succeeded admirably in the task she set for herself: to create a story that, in her own words, would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature and awaken thrilling horror -- one to make the reader dread to look round, to curdle the blood, and quicken the beatings of the heart.

Within the pages of this volume you will come upon three of the darkest creations of English nineteenth-century literature; three of the darkest in all of English and American literature, many would say...and not without justification...These three creatures, presented together for the first time, all have a great deal in common beyond their power to go on frightening generation after generation of readers...but that fact alone should be considered before all others.--From the Introduction by Stephen King

A diabolical, bloodthirsty Count draws an unsuspecting young man into a world of terrors. A scientist oversteps the bounds of conscience and brings to life a tortured creation. A man of medicine explores his darker side only to fall prey to it. These three legendary tales have held readers spellbound for more than a century.

The titles alone--Dracula, Frankenstein, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde--have become synonymous with horror. They are part of a universal language that serves to put a monster's face on the good-and-evil duality of our very human nature. Inventive and subversive, these classic tales of terror can shake even the modern reader with something far more profound than fear....

Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read

Obsessed by creating life itself, Victor Frankenstein plunders graveyards for the material to fashion a new being, which he shocks into life by electricity. But his botched creature, rejected by Frankenstein and denied human companionship, sets out to destroy his maker and all that he holds dear.

This chilling gothic tale, begun when Mary Shelley was just nineteen years old, would become the world's most famous work of horror fiction, and remains a devastating exploration of the limits of human creativity. This edition also includes 'A Fragment' by Lord Byron and 'The Vampyre: A Tale' by John Polidori, as well as an introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle.

Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear.

For centuries, the story of Victor Frankenstein and the monster he created has held readers spellbound. On the surface, it is a novel of tense and steadily mounting dread. On a more profound level, it illuminates the triumph and tragedy of the human condition in its portrayal of a scientist who oversteps the bounds of conscience, and of a creature tortured by the solitude of a world in which he does not belong. A novel of almost hallucinatory intensity, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein represents one of the most striking flowerings of the Romantic imagination.

With an Introduction by Douglas Clegg
And an Afterword by Harold Bloom

Your favourite classic titles in a way you have never seen them before; the tactile layers, fine details and beautiful colours of these remarkable covers make these titles feel extra special and will look striking on any shelf.

This book has matching lined and blank journals (sold separately). They make a great gift when paired together but are also just as beautiful on their own.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein tells the story of scientist Victor Frankenstein's creation of a monster and the disaster and woe that result. Victor Frankenstein, telling his story to explorer Robert Walton, explains that he assembled a creature out of body parts, brought it to life, and fled in terror. The creature was rejected by humans and came to realize the horror of his existence, blaming Victor. The creature began to hunt down and kill Victor's loved ones and pursued Victor to the Arctic. Victor dies on Walton's ship. The creature wanders into the Arctic alone after Victor's death and plans to end his life there.

Now a Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition with an introduction by Elizabeth Kostova and cover art by Ghost World creator Daniel Clowes, Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel presents the epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

A Penguin Classic

Written while Mary Shelley was in a self-imposed lockdown after the loss of her husband and children, and in the wake of intersecting crises including the climate-changing Mount Tambora eruption and a raging cholera outbreak, The Last Man (1826) is the first end-of-mankind novel, an early work of climate fiction, and a prophetic depiction of environmental change. Set in the late twenty-first century, the book tells of a deadly pandemic that leaves a lone survivor, and follows his journey through a post-apocalyptic world that's devoid of humanity and reclaimed by nature. But rather than give in to despair, Shelley uses the now-ubiquitous end-times plot to imagine a new world where freshly-formed communities and alternative ways of being stand in for self-important politicians serving corrupt institutions, and where nature reigns mightily over humanity--a timely message for our current era of climate collapse and political upheaval. Brimming with political intrigue and love triangles around characters based on Percy Shelley and scandal-dogged poet Lord Byron, the novel also broaches partisan dysfunction, imperial warfare, refugee crises, and economic collapse--and brings the legacy of her radically progressive parents, William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, to bear on present-day questions about making a better world less centered around man. Shelley's second major novel after Frankenstein, The Last Man casts a half-skeptical eye on romantic ideals of utopian perfection and natural plenitude while looking ahead to a greener future in which our species develops new relationships with non-human life and the planet.

Enter the haunting world of Frankenstein, a chilling masterpiece that defies the boundaries of science and morality. In this gripping tale of creation and consequence, Mary Shelley weaves a captivating narrative that explores the depths of human ambition and the perils of playing god. Victor Frankenstein, driven by a relentless desire to unlock the secrets of life, breathes existence into a monstrous being. But as the consequences of his actions unfold, he is consumed by regret and terror. With its timeless themes of humanity, power, and the consequences of unchecked ambition, Frankenstein remains a thought-provoking and spine-tingling classic that continues to captivate readers to this day.

At the age of eighteen, Mary Shelley, while staying in the Swiss Alps with her lover Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and others, conceived the tale of Dr. Victor Frankenstein and the monster he brings to life. The resulting book, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, is a dark parable warning against the risks of scientific and creative endeavor, the corrupting influence of technology and progress, and the dangers of knowledge without understanding. Frankenstein was an instant bestseller on publication in 1818 and has long been regarded as a masterpiece of suspense, a classic of nineteenth-century Romanticism and Gothic horror, and the prototype of the science fiction novel. Though it has spawned countless imitations and adaptations, it remains the most powerful story of its kind.

Immerse yourself in the haunting world of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley's legendary gothic horror novel. First published in 1818, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's classic tale of science gone wrong that has electrified readers for over 200 years. This deluxe Frankenstein special edition brings the dark drama and imagination of this seminal work of classic science fiction and horror to vivid life. It follows the story of gifted scientist Victor Frankenstein and the hideous creature he unwittingly unleashes.

Featuring the complete Mary Shelley 1818 edition text, 25 full-page illustrations by the acclaimed John Coulthart, recipient of the World Fantasy Award's Artist of the Year award, bonus material including John Polidori's The Vampyre and Lord Byron's The Darkness--the two other works created during the famous 1818 contest that sparked Frankenstein-this one-of-a-kind edition yields an exceptional reading experience. Rediscover the ethical dilemmas and unforgettable characters that make Frankenstein a beloved piece of classic literature. An essential addition to any horror or science fiction fan's library.

With compelling cover art, distinctive gilded page edges, ribbon marker, and more, this collectible hardcover volume stands out on the shelf. An immortal tale reimagined, Mary Shelley's Gothic masterpiece has found new life. A haunting story made tangible ‒ this makes the ideal gift for readers of horror stories, classic novels-and collectors of classic books for adults. Treat yourself or a fellow literary lover to this striking Frankenstein keepsake edition.

If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear

This edition is also available in a beautiful hardcover (ISBN: 9781954839052)

The idea of a reanimated corpse was famously conceived by an 18 year old Mary Shelley on holiday with her future husband Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron near Lake Geneva, Switzerland. The three were tasked with writing a ghost story, which resulted in one of the most famous novels to come from the 19th century. Published anonymously in a three volume series, Frankenstein instantly set the standard for a true literary horror and its themes lead many to believe it was the first true science fiction novel. In 1831 and after much pressure, Mary Shelley revised the text to be more fitting to contemporary standards. Presented here by Reader's Library Classics is the original 1818 text of Frankenstein.

Young scientist Victor Frankenstein, grief-stricken over the death of his mother, sets out in a series of laboratory experiments testing the ability to create life from non-living matter. Soon, his experiments progress further until he creates a humanoid creature eight feet tall. But as Frankenstein soon discovers, a successful experiment does not always equal a positive outcome.

This beautiful gift edition presets the classic work of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein with silver foil embossing and gilded page edges.

Frankenstein - or, the Modern Prometheus - is considered to be one of the earliest examples of science fiction. Written by Mary Shelley, wife of the Romantic poet, Percy Bysshe Shelly, it tells the story of scientist Victor Frankenstein and the catastrophic consequences of his attempts to create a perfect new being by activating a group of body parts with an electrical charge. The hideous monster that is born of Frankenstein's experiment wreaks havoc when it realises that it will never know the happiness that mere mortals can enjoy.

This edition contains the popular 1831 version of the text which includes more of Victor's motivations and thoughts for creating life. It's gilded pages and silver-embossed cover design make it a wonderful collector's item for lovers of classic literature

ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Ornate Classics are beautifully bound editions of iconic literary works across history. These compact, foil-embossed hardbacks are printed using deluxe ivory paper and make the perfect gift.

A timeless, terrifying tale of one man's obsession to create life--and the monster that became his legacy.

This edition includes:
-A concise introduction that gives readers important background information
-A chronology of the author's life and work
-A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context
-An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations
-Detailed explanatory notes
-Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work
-Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction
-A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience

Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.

For years, Dr. Victor Frankenstein labors to create a new race of intelligent beings. He spends his nights scavenging body parts from graveyards, slaughterhouses, and hospital dissection rooms. By day he experiments in his secret laboratory, perfecting the creature who, he believes, will worship him as a god. But when he succeeds, Frankenstein is horrified by the ugly brutishness of the patchwork being he has brought to life--and abandons his creation. The novel that translated the stormy ethos of the gothic novel into the foundation for modern science fiction, Frankenstein is a terrifying story about how monsters--of all kinds--are made.