English writer Mary Wollstonecraft Shelleys Gothic horror novel Frankenstein tells of a scientist who creates a sentient being in a morality-pushing experiment. The story came to life while on a cross-European vacation with friends, touring ancient castles and discussing topics such as the occult. When Lord Byron suggested a competition to see who could write the best ghost story, Shelley drew upon these experiences, as well as her own feelings of grief and guilt over the loss of a child, to craft a story that tackled universal questions such as What is my purpose and Why am I here. Today, this handwritten draft of Frankenstein is held at Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford.
