A gifted scientist attempts to break new boundaries and create human life from nothing, but will his quest drive him mad, and can he control the monster he has created? Frankenstein is a masterpiece of suspense. It was written by Mary Shelley when she was only 18 as the result of a playful suggestion by friends that they each write a ghost story. The originality and depth of her finished piece stunned her friends and continues to thrill readers. The question in the book is can man control all he creates?