Frankenstein - Wordsworth Empress

With a focus on bold storytelling, emotional intensity and female experience, this collection celebrates gothic fiction written by women, for women. This vision is further realised through the inclusion of newly commissioned forewords for each title, offering fresh insight and opening up new perspectives for the modern reader. Dark, romantic and unapologetically timeless, the Empress Collection invites a new generation of readers to rediscover these classics through a striking, contemporary lens.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, first published anonymously in 1818, remains one of the most influential and unsettling works in English literature. Conceived during a stormy night on Lake Geneva when Shelley was only eighteen, the novel blends Gothic horror with early science fiction to probe the darkest corners of human ambition, responsibility and the longing for connection. Its layered narrative, philosophical depth and chilling atmosphere have secured its place as a cornerstone of the Heritage Collection of classic novels.

The story unfolds through a series of interwoven narratives, beginning with the letters of Captain Robert Walton, an Arctic explorer driven by an insatiable desire for discovery. When Walton’s ship becomes trapped in the ice, he encounters a mysterious, exhausted figure pursuing something across the frozen wasteland. This man is Victor Frankenstein, whose tragic tale becomes the heart of the novel. As Walton listens, Victor recounts the chain of events that led him to this desolate end.

Victor, a brilliant and obsessive young scientist from Geneva, becomes consumed by the desire to unlock the secrets of life itself. His relentless pursuit of forbidden knowledge culminates in the creation of a living being assembled from dead matter. Yet the moment the Creature opens its eyes, Victor recoils in horror. Abandoned and rejected by his creator, the Creature flees into a world that fears and despises him.

The Creature’s own narrative, one of the most poignant sections of the novel, reveals a being who begins life innocent and eager for companionship. Through painful trial and observation, he learns language, empathy and the cruelty of human prejudice. His attempts to seek acceptance end in violence and despair, driving him to confront Victor and demand the one thing he believes will ease his suffering: a companion as lonely and outcast as himself.

Victor’s refusal to complete a second creation ignites a devastating cycle of vengeance. The Creature, enraged by betrayal and isolation, targets everything Victor loves: his young brother William, his loyal friend Henry Clerval and ultimately his bride, Elizabeth. Their intertwined fates spiral towards the Arctic, where creator and creation chase one another across the ice, bound together by hatred, guilt and a terrible, inescapable bond.

Frankenstein is far more than a tale of scientific hubris. It is a profound meditation on the responsibilities of creation, the consequences of unchecked ambition and the human need for belonging. Shelley’s stark landscapes, from the quiet valleys of Switzerland to the frozen reaches of the North Pole, mirror the emotional desolation of her characters. Her intricate narrative structure, shifting perspectives and philosophical undercurrents create a timeless and deeply unsettling story that continues to resonate with readers and scholars.