Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, is a novel written by English author Mary Shelley about the young student of science Victor Frankenstein, who creates a grotesque but sentient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. What happens as his creation, the monster, turns into a murderer, seeking out his creator and demanding companionship? Will Victor Frankenstein create another monster? An instant bestseller, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein explores how destructive the thirst for knowledge can be. With elements of a true gothic novel, it is considered to be one of the earliest examples of science fiction.