FrankensteinSince it was first published in 1818, Mary Shelley's seminal novel has generated countless print, stage, and screen adaptations. However, none has ever matched the power and philosophical resonance of the original. Composed as part of a challenge with Byron and Shelley to conjure up the most terrifying ghost story, Frankenstein narrates the chilling tale of a being created by a brilliant young scientist and the catastrophic consequences that ensue.