Skip to Main Content

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Resources about Mary Shelley and her novel Frankenstein

Frankenstein: At the Crossroads of Art and Science

Artists have always helped conceptualize changing ideas of the universe. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was just one in a long line of works that ask questions and propose ideas about contemporary science. Her Romantic-era ideas about reanimating the dead portray the anxieties of her time, when the scientific method was in its infancy and philosophers were considered legitimate members of the scientific community. Scientists have influenced the arts as well, introducing new techniques and subject matter for artists to use and interpret. The following books highlight the changing relationship between science and art throughout history.