This famous fictional character originated from Mary Shelly's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Also known by various other titles such as "the creature" and "the monster", he was the creation of Doctor Victor Frankenstein after the determined scientist used his knowledge to re-animate dead tissue into a living being. The Doctor's abandonment of his undead creation and the subsequent mistreatment that the monster endures, even without doing anything wrong, is often seen as a dramatic take on the society of Shelley's time, filled with cruelty and malice. The Doctor's work also warns against the tendency for the ambitious to "play God" (especially when done "For Science!").

Through the years the term "Frankenstein's monster" has been often shortened to "Frankenstein", akin to how children generally take the last name of their parent(s). In popular culture Frankenstein's appearance has varied widely, but is generally depicted as a re-animated humanoid being with incredible strength that stands at a height dwarfing regular people. While female Frankenstein-type creatures exist, they are usually more directly referred to as "Brides of Frankenstein" in honor of the film of the same name.

See also:

• creepy
• dracula
• frankenstein
• monsterous_humanoid
• nightmare_fuel
• patchwork_creature
• undead
• universal_monsters