Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein is adapted from the original novel by Mary Shelley, published in 1818. Shelley was part of a literary circle that included the Romantic writers Lord Byron, John Polidori, and Percy Bysshe Shelley (whom she would eventually marry). During a spell of bad weather on a trip to Geneva, Switzerland, Byron challenged his fellow writers to a competition penning ghost stories. Mary Shelley, then 18, wrote Frankenstein in response and handily won.

Romantic literature of the late 18th to early 19th centuries was characterized by its focus on profound emotional states, particularly melancholy and sorrow, as well as its promotion of nature over society and industry. Frankenstein directly criticizes humanity’s arrogance in assuming itself capable of conquering nature—specifically, death. The novel continues to serve as a warning about The Cost of Unthinking Ambition and scientific inquiry for its own sake: It has been adapted for film and television and has influenced other works of literature, and Frankenstein’s monster remains one of the staple figures of horror.

Gris Grimly’s graphic novel version of the classic Gothic tale remains faithful to its plotline and themes while adding illustration and relying less on textual

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