A towering masterpiece of gothic fiction, Mary Shelley s "Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus" brought to life the horror and science fiction genres and spawned countless cultural offspring. With the image of the stumbling, flat-headed, boltnecked monster Boris Karloff made famous so pervasive, it s easy to forget how radical, insightful and, yes, terrifying the book is on its own terms. The would-be Prometheus of the book s title is the brilliant Swiss scientist Victor Frankenstein, whose studies in natural philosophy and chemistry lead him to become obsessed with building a living being out of old body parts and bringing it to life. But when he is miraculously successful, Victor is horrified at his creation, and the monster escapes into the night. Given life but little else, Frankenstein s creation turns to violence and, soon enough, vengeance upon his creator.