Frankens

Mary Shelley’s famous book was written more than 200 years ago now, and yet it still has a resonance with our world.??Obviously, the monster today would be some kind of artificial intelligence (AI).?Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist, is excited by the possibilities of what he can achieve, but does not consider the ethics of doing so until it is far too late.?Then he is created with the dilemma of how to undo his creation, before greater damage is done.

Mary Shelley is writing within the conventions of her day, and does not discuss those possibilities that would have made the book unpublishable at that time.??The creature does not need Frankenstein to create a partner for him.?He could simply rape women and leave them pregnant.??What Mary Shelley does consider is the creation of a non-human species and the effect that it would have on humankind.??

This is the dilemma with the creation of artificial intelligence and a number of other scientific achievements.?There may be all kinds of benefits, but they may be outweighed by the negatives.?Just because we can do something or, at least, think we can, does not mean that we should attempt it.??This is the heart of the book.

It is also an excellent story, capturing the imagination of every generation since its publication.??The story has become part of our popular culture, especially in films, which have not necessarily adhered to the story in the book.??Everyone is aware of the performance by Boris Karloff, even if they have not seen that particular film.

Mary Shelley wrote a science fiction and horror classic, at a time when those genres did not exist.?It is a book that should still be read because it makes us think about the ethics of scientific development.