Making the monster : the science behind Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Resource Information

The work Making the monster : the science behind Mary Shelley's Frankenstein represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Austin Public Library. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

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Label

Making the monster : the science behind Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Title remainder

the science behind Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Statement of responsibility

Kathryn Harkup

Title variation

Making the monster

Title variation remainder

the science behind Mary Shelleys Frankenstein

Creator

• trueHarkup, Kathryn

Author

• trueHarkup, Kathryn

Subject

• Criticism, interpretation, etc
• trueElectricity -- History
• trueEngland -- History -- 19th century
• Frankenstein (Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft)
• Frankenstein's Monster, (Fictitious character)
• Frankenstein's Monster, (Fictitious character)
• Frankenstein, Victor, (Fictitious character)
• Frankenstein, Victor, (Fictitious character)
• 1800-1899
• History
• Horror tales, English
• Horror tales, English -- History and criticism
• LITERARY CRITICISM -- Science Fiction & Fantasy
• Literature and science
• Literature and science -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century
• trueMonsters in literature
• Monsters in literature
• SCIENCE -- History
• SCIENCE -- Life Sciences | Human Anatomy & Physiology
• Science
• trueScience -- History
• trueScience fiction -- History and criticism
• Science fiction, English
• Science fiction, English -- History and criticism
• trueScience in literature
• Science in literature
• Scientists in literature
• trueScientists in literature
• Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, 1797-1851
• Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, 1797-1851
• Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, 1797-1851 -- Knowledge and learning | Science
• Shelley, Mary, 1797-1851
• Shelley, Mary, 1797-1851
• trueWomen authors
• Great Britain
• trueChemistry -- History

Genre

• trueHistory and criticism
• trueHistory
• Criticism, interpretation, etc

Language

eng

Summary

The year 1818 saw the publication of one of the most influential science-fiction stories of all time. Frankenstein: Or, Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley had a huge impact on gothic horror and science fiction genres. The name Frankenstein has become part of our everyday language, often used in derogatory terms to describe scientists who have overstepped a perceived moral line. But how did a 19-year-old woman with no formal education come up with the idea for an extraordinary novel such as Frankenstein? The period of 1790?1820 saw huge advances in our understanding of electricity and physiology. Sensational science demonstrations caught the imagination of the general public, and newspapers were full of tales of murderers and resurrectionists. It is unlikely that Frankenstein would have been successful in his attempts to create life back in 1818. However, advances in medical science mean we have overcome many of the stumbling blocks that would have thwarted his ambition. We can resuscitate people using defibrillators, save lives using blood transfusions, and prolong life through organ transplants--these procedures are nowadays considered almost routine. Many of these modern achievements are a direct result of 19th century scientists conducting their gruesome experiments on the dead. Making the Monster explores the science behind Shelley's book. From tales of reanimated zombie kittens to electrical experiments on human cadavers, Kathryn Harkup examines the science and scientists that influenced Mary Shelley and inspired her most famous creation, Victor Frankenstein. While, thankfully, we are still far from being able to recreate Victor's "creature," scientists have tried to create the building blocks of life, and the dream of creating life-forms from scratch is now tantalizingly close

Member of

• Bloomsbury sigma series, bk. 31

Cataloging source

BTCTA

Dewey number

823/.7

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary form

non fiction

Nature of contents

bibliography

Series statement

The Bloomsbury Sigma series

Series volume

book 31