Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

The complete text of Mary Shelley's groundbreaking Gothic novel, written during the legendary summer of 1816 at Villa Diodati when she was merely eighteen years old.

Once upon a time, before the digital age transformed literature forever, there existed an era when Gothic horror novels were born from intimate gatherings of brilliant minds. In the days when Lord Byron held court in Switzerland and Percy Shelley penned revolutionary verse, a young woman created what would become the cornerstone of both Gothic literature and science fiction. Mary Shelley conceived Frankenstein during that fateful ghost story competition, crafting a tale that would haunt readers for centuries to come.

The story emerged from a vivid nightmare about a scientist who creates life, only to be horrified by his creation. Shelley spent months developing this vision into a full narrative, exploring themes of scientific ambition, moral responsibility, and the consequences of playing God. The manuscript traveled with her from Switzerland to England, undergoing revisions and refinements until it reached its final, devastating form.

Victor Frankenstein's obsession with conquering death captures what literary scholars have termed 'The Promethean Moment' – that instant when human ambition collides with natural law, when the boundary between creator and creation dissolves, and the narrative moves inexorably toward tragedy. The novel freezes these moments of moral crisis, preserving them for each new generation of readers who discover the text anew.

This collector's edition presents Shelley's complete 1818 text, allowing the original voice to speak without editorial interference. The typography and layout honor the novel's historical significance while ensuring optimal readability for contemporary book collectors and Gothic literature enthusiasts.

25 copies, three volumes, the text set in Brunel Text Roman No. 2 on Century Laid cotton paper.

25 copies hand-bound in full leather with gilt top edge, hand-folded signatures, with handcrafted slipcase featuring hand-marbled paper, individually numbered and signed. Perfect for serious collectors of Gothic literature, rare book enthusiasts, and foundational science fiction text collectors. Published by Rambler Press. $1,800.