Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was created against the backdrop of extraordinary scientific discoveries, as exciting and strange as the story of the mad doctor and his terrible creation. Shelley's novel intertwined the vices and achievements of romantic science: the theory of vitalism and supernatural "life force", the stunning plans of scientists, sensational experiments on human bodies and attempts to use alchemy and electricity to return the dead from the afterlife. Joel Levy's book tells in detail about the dark, but progressive times - the era when the cult gothic novel about a monster created from human flesh was born. How did great minds think when trying to realize their wildest fantasies? How did the unthinkable experiments take place that the public could observe? What actually influenced Mary Shelley's worldview and inspired her to create Frankenstein? Visual illustrations and detailed drawings and diagrams will demonstrate how close the enthusiasts of romantic science were to creating a miracle.