Inventing the Future: Frankenstein as the First Science Fiction Novel

The lesson covers Mary Shelley's canonical novel Frankenstein and the circumstances of its creation, and explains the cultural and historical-literary context that helps in its interpretation. We will discuss whether the Monster was really monstrous, whether Frankenstein is a Gothic novel or the first science fiction story, and what inspired Mary Shelley to create her story. We will travel to the Villa Diodati on Lake Geneva, which witnessed the birth of the work, and we will see what theories about the origin of life prevailed in
science in the late 18th century. Finally, we will look at how the moment of the Monster coming to life was shown in one of the films based on Mary Shelley's novel.