The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson
This classic tale of the divided self was inspired by Stevenson's own recurring dreams, in which he led a respectable life by day and a completely different existence by night. Written in only three days and published in 1886, the story was instantly popular. This tale of the good side of humankind versus the evil side chronicles the experiments that transform the good Dr. Jekyll into the evil Mr. Hyde.
Related Readings
"Dr. Heidegger's Experiment"—short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne
"Richard Cory"—poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson
"The Strange Case of Dr. T. and Mrs. H."—parody from Punch
"Markheim"—short story by Robert Louis Stevenson
"William Wilson"—short story by Edgar Allan Poe
OR
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
When Frankenstein appeared in 1818, it not only opened the door for the new genre of science fiction but also introduced a theme of enduring importance: moral responsibility in light of scientific invention. The story centers on young Dr. Frankenstein and his obsession with giving an inanimate object life. Upon seeing the grotesqueness of his creation, Dr. Frankenstein flees it. The creature, however, seeks to find acceptance among humans but is rejected. In the end, both the creator and the creature are destroyed.
Related Readings
"Mary Shelley's Frankenstein"—movie review by Roger Ebert
"A Frankenstein Monster Ended Up Being a Lamb"—book review by Ed Regis
"A New Life"—short story by Ramsey Campbell
"The Golem"—short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
"…That Thou Art Mindful of Him"—short story by Isaac Asimov
