Mary Shelley's Monster: Still a Warning Today

Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus," first published 200 years ago, has inspired countless adaptations across literature, film, and audio. For the first time, a "Frankenstein" adaptation is nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture.

Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who read the novel at age 11 and felt Mary Shelley was "brutal with the creature," released his own interpretation at age 61. This version, unlike iconic portrayals, emphasizes the creature's interiority and humanity, moving away from terror.

Beyond high philosophy, "Frankenstein" has deeply permeated pop culture with varied interpretations. These range from the recent romance-horror "Lisa Frankenstein" to the campy "Frankenhooker" and retellings like "The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein."

Damien Walter views Mary Shelley, the 19-year-old author, as a "lead singer" of a "goth band," crediting her with inventing the "mad scientist" and "Other" archetypes. Her novel, written during the Industrial Revolution and experiments with electricity, serves as a new myth for an age questioning human creation.

Even as science advances into AI, "Frankenstein" remains a foundational text and a potent warning about the consequences of unchecked scientific ambition, encapsulated by the creator's cry, "What have I done?"