The first sci-fi novel ever written...

Blazing Reader,

The first science fiction novel ever written is widely considered to be Frankenstein — completed by Mary Shelley in 1818 when she was only nineteen.

I read it for the first time when I was sixteen. That summer, I had taken off on a solo hiking trip. I had enough food for two days, a sleeping bag, a mosquito net, a flashlight, and a copy of Mary Shelley’s masterpiece.

Nothing like being alone in the woods with a monster story as your only companion.

But, unlike the almost comical 1931 Mr. Bolt Neck movie adaptation, Mary Shelley’s original work was an exquisite piece of literature bordering on a psychological thriller — blending speculative science with a philosophical story about how the "different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature."

My son is now the same age Shelly was when she started writing her immortal tale, so I downloaded the audiobook (in English and Spanish) to enjoy together this Halloween season.

I must say that the narrator for the English version, Dan Stevens (of Downton Abbey fame), adds a whole layer of richness to the story. His pacing is fantastic, as he takes a rather melancholy story of personal disaster and turns it into an utter pleasure for the ear.

Check out his voice in the free audio sample available through this link: https://blazingpinecone.com/shop/frankenstein-audiobook/

Stay sane & read great books,
John C.A. Manley

John C. A. Manley is the author of Much Ado About Corona: A Dystopian Love Story, the forthcoming All The Humans Are Sleeping and other works of speculative fiction. Get free samples of his stories by becoming a Blazing Pine Cone email subscriber at: https://blazingpinecone.com/subscribe/