Frankenstein: A Cultural History

By: Susan Tyler Hitchcock

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Synopsis: Frankenstein began as the nightmare of an unwed teenage mother in 1816 in Geneva, Switzerland. When the moral universe was shifting and advances in scientific knowledge promised mankind dominion over that which had been God's alone, Mary Shelley envisioned a story of human presumption and its misbegotten consequences. Now, two centuries later, that story is constantly retold and reinterpreted, from Halloween cartoons to ominous allusions in the public debate, capturing and conveying meaning central to our consciousness today and our concerns for tomorrow. From Victorian theater to Boris Karloff with neck bolts, to invocations at the President's Council on Bioethics, the monster and his myth have inspired everyone from philosophers to philatelists. This is a lively and eclectic cultural history, illuminated with dozens of pictures and illustrations and told with skill and humor. Susan Tyler Hitchcock uses film, literature, history, science, and even punk music to help us understand the meaning of this monster made by man.