Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

Victor Frankenstein has long been obsessed with alchemy. But when his mother dies, he begins to explore new ways to create life. He discovers a way to use electricity to reanimate a sewn-together corpse. And thus, his creature comes to life. Horrified by his own creation, Victor flees. Once he has come to his senses and returns, the creature has vanished.

Unbeknownst to Victor, the creature fled but then ended up observing a loving family from whom he learns language. Eventually, the creature makes his presence and most of the family are horrified by his appearance. The creature is then chased away, but encounters a young girl drowning. He bravely saves the girl, but her father believes the creature to have been attacking her and thus attacks the creature. Seeing no other place to go, the creature returns to find Victor.

Initially, though, the creature finds Victor's brother and, in a fit of anger, kills the brother. Using his impressive intellect, the creature then frames the family's servant Justine for the murder. Victor, for his part, suspects that it was the creature who killed his brother, but he does allow Justine to be executed. The creature eventually confronts Victor and intimidates Victor into agreeing to create a female companion for the creature. As Victor works on the companion, he begins to fear what would happen if the two creatures were able to reproduce on their own, Victor dumps the partially sewn creation. The creature seeks revenge and murders Victor's dear friend and, later Victor's bride on their wedding night.

Victor pursues the creature across the Arctic, seeing it as his responsibility to end the creature's life. His health begins to fail and he is then rescued by an expedition. Before Victor can be fully revived, he passes--leading to one more appearance from the creature.

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley is praised by many as the first science fiction novel and, for what it's worth, I have yet to hear of another science fiction novel that predates it. In turns horrifying, philosophical, and deeply thought-provoking, Frankenstein is a must-read.

I have also learned of some feminist readings of the novel, but this is something I would have to explore more myself first before commenting.

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor & Jones