Facing Monsters with Frankenstein

In an age of AI and outrage, Frankenstein still knows us best.

Frankenstein.

The green-faced Halloween monster with a bolt through his forehead is one of the most enduring imaginary characters this side of Santa Claus. Everyone knows Frankenstein’s creation, though his creator—Dr. Victor Frankenstein—gets less attention.

The story of Frankenstein, then, is easily read as a warning about the potential of new and fears…