By the dim and yellow light of the moon, as it forced its way through the window-shutters, I beheld the wretch-the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened...

Frankenstein is the most celebrated horror story ever written. It tells the dreadful tale of Victor Frankenstein, a visionary young student of natural philosophy, who discovers the secret of life. In the grip of his obsession he constructs a being from dead body parts, and animates this creature. The results, for Victor and for his family, are catastrophic.

Written when Mary Shelley was just eighteen, Frankenstein was inspired by the ghost stories and vogue for Gothic literature that fascinated the Romantic writers of her time. She transformed these supernatural elements an epic parable that warned against the threats to humanity posed by accelerating technological progress.
Published for the 200th anniversary, this edition, based on the original 1818 text, explains in detail the turbulent intellectual context in which Shelley was writing, and also investigates how her novel has since become a byword for controversial practices in science and medicine, from manipulating ecosystems to vivisection and genetic modification. As an iconic study of power, creativity, and, ultimately, what it is to be human, Frankenstein continues to shape our thinking in profound ways to this day.

This is the Revised 1831 Edition of FRANKENSTEIN; OR, THE MODERN PROMETHEUS, a novel written by the English author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley about the young science student Victor Frankenstein, who creates a grotesque but sentient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty. The first edition was published anonymously in London in 1818. Shelley's name appears on the second edition, published in France in 1823. Shelley had travelled through Europe in 1814, journeying along the river Rhine in Germany with a stop in Gernsheim which is just 17 km away from Frankenstein Castle, where, two centuries before, an alchemist was engaged in experiments. Later, she travelled in the region of Geneva (Switzerland)-where much of the story takes place-and the topic of galvanism and other similar occult ideas were themes of conversation among her companions, particularly her lover and future husband, Percy Shelley. Mary, Percy, Lord Byron, and John Polidori decided to have a competition to see who could write the best horror story. After thinking for days, Shelley dreamt about a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made; her dream later evolved into the novel's story.

Shelley completed her writing in May 1817, and Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was first published on 11 March 1818 by the small London publishing house of Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones. The second edition of Frankenstein was published on 11 August 1822 in two volumes (by G. and W. B. Whittaker) following the success of the stage play Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein by Richard Brinsley Peake; this edition credited Mary Shelley as the author.

On 31 October 1831, the first popular edition in one volume appeared, published by Henry Colburn & Richard Bentley. This edition was heavily revised by Mary Shelley, partially because of pressure to make the story more conservative, and included a new, longer preface by her, presenting a somewhat embellished version of the genesis of the story. This edition tends to be the one most widely read now, although editions containing the original 1818 text are still published. Many scholars prefer the 1818 text, arguing that it preserves the spirit of Shelley's original publication.

Mary Shelley's timeless gothic classic accompanied by the art of legendary illustrator Bernie Wrightson live on in this gorgeous illustrated adaptation of Frankenstein--featuring an introduction by Stephen King.

Few works by comic book artists have earned the universal acclaim and reverence that Bernie Wrightson's illustrated version of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein was met with upon its original release in 1983, which vividly presented the timeless, terrifying tale of one man's obsession to create life--and the monster that became his legacy. A generation later, this magnificent pairing of art and literature is still considered to be one of the greatest achievements made by any artist in the field. This book includes the complete text of the original groundbreaking novel and approximately fifty original full-page illustrations by Bernie Wrightson--created over a period of seven years--that continue to stun the world with their monumental beauty and uniqueness. This edition also contains introductions by #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King and author Mary Shelley, as well as supplemental material including a history of the novel, a chronology of Mary Shelley's life and work, and the historical context of Frankenstein for readers.

When Doctor Frankenstein builds a monster in the name of science, he never expects to have to leave the creature and return later to find it killed his brother. The monster eventually tracks him down so that Victor Frankenstein can build the monster a female companion so that he can exercise his right for happiness.

In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, a brilliant scientist's relentless pursuit of knowledge leads to the creation of a monstrous being. As the lines between creator and creation blur, a harrowing tale of ambition, morality, and the perils of playing God unfolds. With its haunting themes and unforgettable characters, Frankenstein remains a chilling and thought-provoking masterpiece that delves into the darkest corners of the human psyche.

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, is a novel written by English author Mary Shelley about eccentric scientist Victor Frankenstein, who creates a grotesque creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty. The first edition was published anonymously in London in 1818.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is the world's most famous Gothic novel and the first work of science fiction, with Frankenstein's monster being a symbol of science gone awry. Shelley's masterpiece has inspired numerous films, plays and other books. This, the 1831 edition, contains the author's final revisions.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is the world's most famous Gothic novel and the first work of science fiction, with Frankenstein's monster being a symbol of science gone awry. Shelley's masterpiece has inspired numerous films, plays and other books. This, the 1818 edition, published anonymously, contains the author's original vision. Later revisions, though edited by Mary Shelley, were made more conservative and palatable to nineteenth century readers.

Frankenstein is the most celebrated horror story ever written. It tells the dreadful tale of Victor Frankenstein, a visionary young student of natural philosophy, who discovers the secret of life. In the grip of his obsession he constructs a being from dead body parts, and animates this creature. The results for Victor and for his family are catastrophic.

Written when Mary Shelley was just eighteen, Frankenstein was inspired by the ghost stories and vogue for Gothic literature that fascinated the Romantic writers of her time. She transformed these supernatural elements into an epic parable that warned against the threats to humanity posed by accelerating technological progress.

Published for the 200th anniversary, this edition, based on the original 1818 text, explains in detail the turbulent intellectual context in which Shelley was writing, and also investigates how her novel has since become a byword for controversial practices in science and medicine, from manipulating ecosystems to vivisection and genetic modification. As an iconic study of power, creativity, and, ultimately, what it is to be human, Frankenstein continues to shape our thinking in profound ways to this day.

This is the Uncensored 1818 Edition FRANKENSTEIN; OR, THE MODERN PROMETHEUS, a novel written by the English author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley about the young science student Victor Frankenstein, who creates a grotesque but sentient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty. The first edition was published anonymously in London in 1818. Shelley's name appears on the second edition, published in France in 1823. Shelley had travelled through Europe in 1814, journeying along the river Rhine in Germany with a stop in Gernsheim which is just 17 km away from Frankenstein Castle, where, two centuries before, an alchemist was engaged in experiments. Later, she travelled in the region of Geneva (Switzerland)-where much of the story takes place-and the topic of galvanism and other similar occult ideas were themes of conversation among her companions, particularly her lover and future husband, Percy Shelley. Mary, Percy, Lord Byron, and John Polidori decided to have a competition to see who could write the best horror story. After thinking for days, Shelley dreamt about a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made; her dream later evolved into the novel's story.

Shelley completed her writing in May 1817, and Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was first published on 11 March 1818 by the small London publishing house of Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones. The second edition of Frankenstein was published on 11 August 1822 in two volumes (by G. and W. B. Whittaker) following the success of the stage play Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein by Richard Brinsley Peake; this edition credited Mary Shelley as the author.

On 31 October 1831, the first popular edition in one volume appeared, published by Henry Colburn & Richard Bentley. This edition was heavily revised by Mary Shelley, partially because of pressure to make the story more conservative, and included a new, longer preface by her, presenting a somewhat embellished version of the genesis of the story. This edition tends to be the one most widely read now, although editions containing the original 1818 text are still published. Many scholars prefer the 1818 text, arguing that it preserves the spirit of Shelley's original publication

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel written by English author Mary Shelley that tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a grotesque but sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was 18, and the first edition of the novel was published anonymously in London in 1818, when she was 20. Her name first appeared on the second edition, published in France in 1823. Shelley travelled through Europe in 1814, journeying along the River Rhine in Germany with a stop in Gernsheim which is just 17 km (10 mi) away from Frankenstein Castle, where, two centuries before, an alchemist was engaged in experiments. Later, she travelled in the region of Geneva (Switzerland)-where much of the story takes place-and the topic of galvanism and other similar occult ideas were themes of conversation among her companions, particularly her lover and future husband, Percy Shelley. Mary, Percy, Lord Byron and John Polidori decided to have a competition to see who could write the best horror story. After thinking for days, Shelley dreamt about a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made; her dream later evolved into the novel's story. Frankenstein is infused with elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement. At the same time, it is an early example of science fiction. Brian Aldiss has argued that it should be considered the first true science fiction story because, in contrast to previous stories with fantastical elements resembling those of later science fiction, the central character makes a deliberate decision and turns to modern experiments in the laboratory to achieve fantastic results. It has had a considerable influence in literature and popular culture and spawned a complete genre of horror stories, films and plays.

Completely annotated and provided with maps, essays, and chilling illustrations, this unique edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein answers some of readers' most lingering questions, clarifies historical references, and probes into the sensitive biographical nature of Mary Shelley's landmark novel. One of the most influential masterpieces of horror in the English language, Frankenstein straddles science fiction, horror, romance, the weird tale, and the literary allegory. Aside from the monomaniacal student of dark arts, the pensive bride throttled in her uncreased wedding bed, and the dramatic landscapes of Arctic ice fields and alpine vistas, Frankenstein is the story of poor stewardship, failed fatherhood, lost innocence, painful alienation, social rejection, the entangled relationship between adoring love and septic hatred, and the unfairness of a world which evicts a warm, gentle, curious, and eager spirit based on the casing of its skin. It raises relevant questions of technology, scientific responsibility, racism, sexism, community, environmentalism, progressivism, tolerance, diversity, love, and social responsibility, all wrapped in a psychologically complex, chilling narrative of grave robbing, playing god, murder, necrophilia, sublimated sexuality, and existential horror.

Young scientist, Victor Frankenstein, creates an intelligent but grotesque living creature in a fantastic scientific experiment. Written by 18 year old Mary Shelley, Frankenstein stands as one of the masterpieces of nineteenth-century Gothicism.

Accursed creator Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust? God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance.
This excellent edition is printed on high quality paper with an attractive, durable cover.

Shelley's mold-breaking and genre-creating Frankenstein hasn't been out of print since its first publication in 1818, though the story of science and dark melodrama has been reconfigured and reanimated many times over the years--in shadowy cinematic style in the 1930s; comedic, loveable boob-tube style in the 1960s; marvelously illustrated comic form in the 1970s; and even as a sweet treat children's cereal, evoking grunts and laughter, rather than shrieks of terror.

This printing returns the tale to its original form, uniting the three anonymously published volumes here in the Booksellers Preferred Edition. This version of the story, before the softening by Shelley in her 1831 revision, tells the tale of god-like aspirations and too-human failings, of the ache of longing to belong and relentless isolation, of family, of the emerging ethics of science and the often cruel realities of nature.

It's a story of rage, cowardness, inspiration, creation, and mortality. The kind of story that remains relevant for centuries.

With an introduction by bookseller and author Mark Teppo.

Featuring illustrations by Seattle-based bookseller-artists that help to flesh out this classic tale of a scientist and his creation in whimsical, spooky, and emotive ways.

In The Last Man, Mary Shelley paints a haunting portrait of a devastated world ravaged by plague, where humanity struggles against its inexorable

demise. Through gripping narrative and vivid prose, Shelley explores themes of loss, resilience, and the fragile nature of civilization in the face of

impending doom.

Narrating from her deathbed, Mathilda, a young woman barely in her twenties, writes her story as a way of explaining her actions to her friend, Woodville. Her narration follows her lonely upbringing and climaxes at a point when her unnamed father confesses his incestuous love for her. This is then followed by his suicide by drowning and her ultimate death; her relationship with the gifted young poet, Woodville, fails to reverse Matilda's emotional withdrawal or prevent her lonely death. The novella begins with readers becoming aware that this story is being narrated in the first person, by Mathilda, and that this narration is meant for a specific audience in answer to a question asked prior to the novella's beginning: You have often asked me the cause of my solitary life; my tears; and above all of my impenetrable and unkind silence. Readers quickly learn that Mathilda is on her deathbed and this is the only reason she is exposing what seems to be a dark secret.

Mary Shelley's groundbreaking classic--begun as a ghost story for friends--is a potent blend of science fiction and horror that has inspired countless movie and other adaptations. Nothing, however, equals the depth and beauty of Shelley's original, which emains as relevant as ever. In his arrogance, Dr. Victor Frankenstein dreams of discovering the very secret of life...and he succeeds, bringing a new creature into existence. But should man ever play God--and if he does, what does he owe his creation?

A great teacher, Jeremy Paxman, BBC's Newsnight.

Clearly Francis Gilbert is a gifted and charismatic teacher, Philip Pullman, author of Northern Lights.

Gilbert writes so well that you half-suspect he could give up the day job, The Independent.

Are you a student struggling to understand Mary Shelley's classic novel Frankenstein?

Or are you an educator wanting ready-made exercises and guidance to help you teach this difficult text? Do your students need support to understand the language properly and work independently on the book?

This edition of Shelley's classic horror novel contains a comprehensive study guide to the work as well as extensive questions for students to work on in order to help their understanding. Aimed specifically at students and teachers reading the book as an exam text, there is a detailed introduction which outlines how to understand the difficult language, how to write top grade essays, and how to discuss the contexts of the novel. The complete text is punctuated by useful comments and engaging tasks on every chapter. When you buy the paperback on Amazon.com, you will be able to access the e-book for free and use many of the web links which are embedded throughout the text.

Please note: this Study Guide Edition contains the complete text and an integrated study guide as well.

Taken from an ancient text found abandoned in a cave, The Last Man ends in 2100, the last year of the world. A devastating worldwide plague has annihilated all of humanity except for one man, who chronicles the world's demise. This novel of apocalyptic horror, originally published in 1826, was rejected in its time and was out of print from 1833 to 1965, when the first Bison Books edition appeared. Mary Shelley (1797-1851) was the author of many works, the best known of which is the classic Frankenstein. Judith Tarr is the author of more than thirty novels of fantasy and historical fiction, including the Epona sequence.

Tales from a Mistress of the Gothic

Mary Shelley is possibly one of the most renowned women authors of all time. She is, of course, the literary creator of the iconic Frankenstein's monster and that alone has guaranteed it and her immortality rivalled only by Bram Stoker's Dracula in the pantheon of the bizarre. Beyond her most famous literary work, 'Frankenstein, ' she possessed an incredible creative talent, responsible for a dazzling collection of novels, short stories, essays, plays, biographies and travel books. Mary Shelley was an independent, free thinking woman, decades before her time, who strongly adhered the ideals of her father, the political philosopher William Godwin and her mother, the feminist and liberal Mary Wollstonecraft. She notoriously-for her time-became the mistress of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and she subsequently married him upon the suicide of his wife. Those familiar with 'Frankenstein' will not be surprised to find it within this special collection, but those for whom it will be a new experience will discover a superb work of fiction which towers above our perceptions of it from its familiarity through film and television. Fortunately, Mary Shelley did not confine her excursions into the other worldly, weird and Gothic to just this tale of the 'man-made' man. This two volume edition contains two novels and many shorter pieces in testament to Mary Shelley's talent for the literature of the macabre.
In this the first volume the reader will discover the classic novel, 'Frankenstein' together with fourteen shorter pieces including, 'The Mortal Immortal, ' 'Valerius: the Reanimated Roman, ' 'The Mourner' and many others.
Available in soft cover and hard cover with dust jacket. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket for collectors.