Frankenstein - by Sidney Perkowitz & Eddy Von Mueller (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The tale of a tormented creature created in a laboratory began on a rainy night in 1816 in the imagination of a nineteen-year-old Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Since its publication two years later, in 1818, Frankenstein: Or, the Modern Prometheus has spread around the globe through every possible medium and variation. "Frankenstein" has become an indelible part of popular culture, and is shorthand for anything bizarre and human-made.

After all its long history, Frankenstein's central premise--that science, not magic or God, can create a living being, and thus these creators must answer for their actions as humans, not Gods--is more relevant than ever, as scientists approach creating synthetic life.

With a fresh consideration of Frankenstein's popular and cultural weight and its expression of the ethical issues raised by the advance of science, physicist Sidney Perkowitz and film expert Eddy von Muller have brought together scholars and scientists, artists and directors--including Mel Brooks--to celebrate and examine Mary Shelley's marvelous creation and its vital legacy.

Review Quotes

"For all the historical specificity of these references, the novel's qualms about the underside of progress have never resonated more than in the 21st century. The issues raised by artificial life are no longer hypothetical. Genetic modification and robotics have made them urgent. Those analogies are delineated in Frankenstein: How a Monster Became an Icon. It includes a useful summary of current attitudes among scientists to techniques commonly known as 'playing God.'" --The Economist

"Those seeking to delve further will find intelligent essays on the novel's origins, appropriations and scientific relevance in Frankenstein: How a Monster Became an Icon. Bringing together the 'two cultures' of art and science just as Shelley did in her novel, this collection also provides insights into this modern myth by those who have contributed to its expansion." --Wall Street Journal

"A fine case for the enduring value of Shelley's timeless tale." --Publishers Weekly

"Very enjoyable. Readers fond of Shelley's original work, as well as those who enjoy consuming the culture it's spawned and influenced, will find this a book to savor." --Library Journal