The Science of Life and Death in Frankenstein

2021-10-22

Author : Sharon Ruston
Release : 2021-10-22
Genre :
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 574/5 ( reviews)

Book Synopsis The Science of Life and Death in Frankenstein by : Sharon Ruston

Download or read book The Science of Life and Death in Frankenstein written by Sharon Ruston. This book was released on 2021-10-22. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is life? This was a question of particular concern for Mary Shelley and her contemporaries. But how did she, and her fellow Romantic writers, incorporate this debate into their work, and how much were they influenced by contemporary science, medicine and personal loss?This book is the first to compile the many attempts in science and medicine to account for life and death in Mary Shelley's time. It considers what her contemporaries thought of air, blood, sunlight, electricity and other elements believed to be most essential for living. Mary Shelley's (and her circle's) knowledge of science and medicine is carefully examined, alongside the work of key scientific and medical thinkers, including John Abernethy, James Curry, Humphry Davy, John Hunter, William Lawrence and Joseph Priestley. Frankenstein demonstrates what Mary Shelley knew of the advice given by medical practitioners for the recovery of persons drowned, hanged or strangled and explores the contemporary scientific basis behind Victor Frankenstein's idea that life and death were merely 'ideal bounds' he could transgress in the making of the Creature. Interweaving images of the manuscript, portraits, medical instruments and contemporary diagrams into her narrative, Sharon Ruston shows how this extraordinary tale is steeped in historical scientific and medical thought exploring the fascinating boundary between life and death.

Making the Monster

2018-02-08 Literary Criticism

Author : Kathryn Harkup
Release : 2018-02-08
Genre : Literary Criticism
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 753/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Making the Monster by : Kathryn Harkup

Download or read book Making the Monster written by Kathryn Harkup. This book was released on 2018-02-08. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A thrilling and gruesome look at the science that influenced Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The year 1818 saw the publication of one of the most influential science-fiction stories of all time. Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley had a huge impact on the gothic horror and science-fiction genres, and her creation has become part of our everyday culture, from cartoons to Hallowe'en costumes. Even the name 'Frankenstein' has become a by-word for evil scientists and dangerous experiments. How did a teenager with no formal education come up with the idea for such an extraordinary novel? Clues are dotted throughout Georgian science and popular culture. The years before the book's publication saw huge advances in our understanding of the natural sciences, in areas such as electricity and physiology, for example. Sensational science demonstrations caught the imagination of the general public, while the newspapers were full of lurid tales of murderers and resurrectionists. Making the Monster explores the scientific background behind Mary Shelley's book. Is there any science fact behind the science fiction? And how might a real-life Victor Frankenstein have gone about creating his monster? From tales of volcanic eruptions, artificial life and chemical revolutions, to experimental surgery, 'monsters' and electrical experiments on human cadavers, Kathryn Harkup examines the science and scientists that influenced Shelley, and inspired her most famous creation.

Frankenstein

2023-01-11

Author : Shelley
Release : 2023-01-11
Genre :
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 138/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Frankenstein by : Shelley

Download or read book Frankenstein written by Shelley. This book was released on 2023-01-11. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Frankenstein is a novel by Mary Shelley. It was first published in 1818. Ever since its publication, the story of Frankenstein has remained brightly in the imagination of the readers and literary circles across the countries. In the novel, an English explorer in the Arctic, who assists Victor Frankenstein on the final leg of his chase, tells the story. As a talented young medical student, Frankenstein strikes upon the secret of endowing life to the dead. He becomes obsessed with the idea that he might make a man. The Outcome is a miserable and an outcast who seeks murderous revenge for his condition. Frankenstein pursues him when the creature flees. It is at this juncture t that Frankenstein meets the explorer and recounts his story, dying soon after. Although it has been adapted into films numerous times, they failed to effectively convey the stark horror and philosophical vision of the novel. Shelley's novel is a combination of Gothic horror story and science fiction.

The Lady and Her Monsters

2013-02-05 History

Author : Roseanne Montillo
Release : 2013-02-05
Genre : History
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 885/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis The Lady and Her Monsters by : Roseanne Montillo

Download or read book The Lady and Her Monsters written by Roseanne Montillo. This book was released on 2013-02-05. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Lady and Her Monsters by Roseanne Motillo brings to life the fascinating times, startling science, and real-life horrors behind Mary Shelley’s gothic masterpiece, Frankenstein. Montillo recounts how—at the intersection of the Romantic Age and the Industrial Revolution—Shelley’s Victor Frankenstein was inspired by actual scientists of the period: curious and daring iconoclasts who were obsessed with the inner workings of the human body and how it might be reanimated after death. With true-life tales of grave robbers, ghoulish experiments, and the ultimate in macabre research—human reanimation—The Lady and Her Monsters is a brilliant exploration of the creation of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley’s horror classic.

Playing God?

2014-04-04 Philosophy

Author : Ted Peters
Release : 2014-04-04
Genre : Philosophy
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 281/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Playing God? by : Ted Peters

Download or read book Playing God? written by Ted Peters. This book was released on 2014-04-04. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the original publication of Playing God? in 1996, three developments in genetic technology have moved to the center of the public conversation about the ethics of human bioengineering. Cloning, the completion of the human genome project, and, most recently, the controversy over stem cell research have all sparked lively debates among religious thinkers and the makers of public policy. In this updated edition, Ted Peters illuminates the key issues in these debates and continues to make deft connections between our questions about God and our efforts to manage technological innovations with wisdom.

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The Science of Life and Death in Frankenstein

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