Books like “Frankenstein”

What to read after “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley: a list matched by tropes, mood and atmosphere. Under each book you will see what it has in common.

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1
The Island of Doctor Moreau
H. G. Wells · 1896
Same genre: “Gothic novel” and “Science fiction”
Edward Prendick is rescued from a shipwreck and left on a remote island owned by the physiologist Moreau. There he finds creatures that are part human and part beast, and learns what the doctor's experiments have made of them. A story about the cruelty people allow themselves in the name of knowledge.
2
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Robert Louis Stevenson · 1886
From the same world: “Gothic”
A respected London doctor is oddly close to a violent, mysterious man named Hyde. When a friend investigates the link between them, he uncovers a scientific experiment that set loose a darker self.
3
The Beetle
Richard Marsh · 1897
From the same world: “Gothic”
- Gothic
- Revenge
A strange, insect-like creature arrives in London bent on revenge against a member of Parliament, and its powers reach into the lives of everyone near him. The story is told through several witnesses who each encounter the being and try to stop it.
4
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
Victor Hugo · 1831
From the same world: “Gothic”
- Gothic
- Sympathetic Monster
Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer of Notre-Dame, is kept hidden by the archdeacon Frollo. When the gypsy dancer Esmeralda is accused of witchcraft, several men desire or condemn her, and the cathedral becomes both her refuge and her trap. Set in 1482 Paris among beggars, judges and stone gargoyles.
5
Wuthering Heights
Emily Brontë · 1847
From the same world: “Gothic”
On the Yorkshire moors, the foundling Heathcliff and Catherine grow up inseparable, then are torn apart by class and marriage. His long, bitter revenge consumes the next generation until their children find a way out.
6
The Mysteries of Udolpho
Ann Radcliffe · 1794
From the same world: “Gothic”
- Gothic
After her parents die, Emily St. Aubert is left to the care of an aunt who marries an Italian nobleman. Taken to the gloomy castle of Udolpho, she is surrounded by unexplained sounds, sealed rooms and sinister men, while she tries to keep her love and her safety.
7
Lady Audley's Secret
Mary Elizabeth Braddon · 1862
From the same world: “Gothic”
- Gothic
When a new, much younger wife arrives at Audley Court, her charm hides an unsettled past. Her husband's nephew's idle curiosity about a missing man turns into a quiet investigation of the woman everyone else adores, and of the secret she has buried.
8
Interview with the Vampire
Anne Rice · 1976
From the same world: “Gothic”
A young interviewer listens as the vampire Louis tells the story of his long life: turned by the powerful Lestat, endlessly hunting to survive, and raising the child vampire Claudia with him in a small, doomed family.
9
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
James Hogg · 1824
From the same world: “Gothic”
- Gothic
A young man raised to believe he is one of the elect is drawn into a double life by a stranger who may be a demon, a double, or a delusion. His own account of his crimes is set against an editor's, and the two versions refuse to agree.
10
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde · 1890
From the same world: “Gothic”
- Gothic
- Morally Grey Character
A beautiful young man surrenders to his vanity when his portrait begins to age and wither in place of his body. Sheltered by a cynical friend, Dorian chases pleasure without consequence until the hidden painting becomes a record of his cruelty.
11
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter
Theodora Goss · 2017
From the same world: “Gothic”
- Gothic
- Mad Scientist
Mary Jekyll, orphaned and poor, sets out to find her father's old colleague, the missing Doctor Hyde. Instead she gathers a family of young women who are the daughters or creations of famous scientists, from Moreau and Jekyll to Rappaccini. Together they investigate a series of murders in Victorian London.
12
Jane Eyre
Charlotte Brontë · 1847
From the same world: “Gothic”
- Gothic
An orphan becomes a governess at the brooding Thornfield Hall. A bond grows between her and its stern master, but the house hides a dangerous secret that threatens the life she is beginning to hope for.