An Apple Books Classic edition.

Mary Shelley was just 18 when she had a nightmare vision: “I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life.”

Despite her lack of writing experience, Shelley converted her dream into what is often referred to as the world’s first horror novel, a timeless tale of science gone bad. Frankenstein follows the story of Swiss scientist Victor Frankenstein, who manages to animate a hulking creature referred to as a “monster,” “wretch,” or “fiend.” Shelley’s 1818 classic has become one of the most frequently taught works of fiction, a cultural touchstone for conversations about the dark side of innovation. (Made-up words like Frankenscience andFrankenfood have become shorthand for the products of technological tampering.) More than 200 years after it was published, this novel remains a thought-provoking read that explores timely themes like creators’ responsibilities for the unintended consequences of their inventions.