It was a dark and stormy night.

I know that's the ultimate cliché, but if there's ever a story that began on a dark

and stormy night, this was it.

It was the middle of June, 1816, exactly 200 years ago this month, when Mary Shelley started

running a novel called Frankenstein.

Now Arizona State University is actually using this date to kick off a bicentennial project

on Frankenstein with lectures, art installations, performances and conferences, and they even

have a whole department focused on science fiction.

Professor Ron Brolyo says, it's overall mission is to encourage positive thinking and

less cynicism and sci-fi.

Much of science fiction, it's easy to write, yet another dystopic novel, but the challenge

has been can we use science fiction to imagine a more productive or a better sustained

society?

But here's the funny thing, usually we celebrate the year a work came out, which in this case

would be 1818 because Mary Shelley spent two years running Frankenstein.

So why are we celebrating the moment of inspiration?

It's because June 16th, 1816, not just what was happening in Mary Shelley's room that

night, but was happening around the world.

Might offer us a glimpse into our future.

You're listening to Imaginary Worlds, a show about how we create them and why we suspend

our disbelief.

I'm Eric Bollinsky, and on today's show, Stormy Birth of a Masterpiece.

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