Kölnische Straße 115 34119 Kassel

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Kölnische Straße 115 
34119 Kassel 
0561 – 45007039 
[e-mail] 
Lehramt Gymnasium 
(modularisiert) 
11. Semester 
Hauptseminararbeit 
Dilruba Aydin 
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein:
A Science Fiction Novel? 
Prof. Dr. Susanne Bach 
Hauptseminar: “Frankenstein and Dracula” 
Sommersemester 2011 
24.11.2011

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Table of Contents 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………… 3 
2. Science Fiction: An Overview
2.1. Question of Terminology………………………………………………. 4 
2.2. Defining Science Fiction………………………………………………. 4 
2.3. Distinguishing Science Fiction from Other Genres…………………. 6 
2.4. Roots of Science Fiction – who was first?........................................ 9 
2.5. Topoi of Science Fiction…………………………………………….... 10 
3. 
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: a science-fiction novel?....................... 12 
3.1. Science fiction topoi in Frankenstein……………………………...….12 
3.1.1. The mad scientist…………………………………….………... 13 
3.1.2. The artificial human……………………………………………. 14 
3.2. Shelley as woman writer of science fiction………………….…..…. 15 
4. The Future of Science Fiction or the Legacy of Frankenstein………… 16 
5. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………... 17 
6. Works Cited…………………………………………………………………. 18 
6.1. Literature……………………………………………………………….. 18 
6.2. Criticism………………………………………………………………… 18 
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3 
1. Introduction 
What is science fiction? A weird, popular genre full of spaceships, laser 
guns, robots and bug-eyed monsters? Fiction concerned with the impact 
of science and technology on human social life, and thus literature best 
suited to understand the contemporary world? (Bould1) 
Since the term of science fiction was used, first in 1851, scholars try to define 
the genre and its characteristics as it belongs to the kind of genre that does 
not have one universally applicable definition. Furthermore, it is not certain at 
which point in time it really emerged. It is an always recurring question which 
work or author can be regarded as the first real science fiction?
The following term paper deals with the question whether Frankenstein, 
written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley in 1818, can be regarded as a science 
fiction novel and which characteristics support this hypothesis. In order to do 
an examination of Shelley’s Frankenstein regarding science fictional aspects, 
it seems to be natural to begin with a definition of the terminology of science 
fiction. With regard to this, science fiction as a genre will be tried to define, 
also considering simultaneously emerging genres such as fantasy or gothic 
literature.
Nevertheless, the question arises to what extent Mary Shelley’s 
Frankenstein plays a role in the process of defining science fiction. Was the 
genre influenced by her novel or was it conceivably its original trigger? The 
question which author can be regarded as the pioneer of science fiction 
literature automatically occurs although it will become apparent that this is 
nearly impossible to determine.
Furthermore it is convenient to deal with the classical topoi of science 
fiction and in how far those topoi appear in Shelley’s Frankenstein. In her 
novel Shelley took up the motives of the mad scientist as well as the artificial 
human. By giving quotations, the appearance of those elements will be 
proven.
Finally it will be given a short prognosis of the role of science fiction 
literature in the future and to what extent Shelley’s Frankenstein left 
subsequent science fiction authors, readers as well as film producers or 
inventors of computer games a legacy. 

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