EPISODE · Sep 1, 2025 · 11 MIN
Mary Shelley: Frankenstein and the Ethics of Creation
from They Tried to Warn Us · host Ray Welling
Mary Shelley didn’t just invent science fiction. She wrote a blueprint for the age of innovation without accountability. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was a parable of invention, creation, and catastrophic responsibility. It asked what happens when we build something because we can, without asking whether we should. In 2025, we brought her back. She was not impressed. "You’ve now replaced horror with convenience. Awe with speed. Soul with scale. You still believe your cleverness exempts you from consequences. It doesn’t."More information:They Tried to Warn Us, the book: More info on each podcast interview subject, along with 15 more interviews.They Tried to Warn Us, the newsletter: Follow the action on Ray's Substack.
What this episode covers
Mary Shelley didn’t just invent science fiction. She wrote a blueprint for the age of innovation without accountability. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was a parable of invention, creation, and catastrophic responsibility. It asked what happens when we build something because we can, without asking whether we should. In 2025, we brought her back. She was not impressed. "You’ve now replaced horror with convenience. Awe with speed. Soul with scale. You still believe your cleverness exempts you from consequences. It doesn’t."More information:They Tried to Warn Us, the book: More info on each podcast interview subject, along with 15 more interviews.They Tried to Warn Us, the newsletter: Follow the action on Ray's Substack.
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Mary Shelley: Frankenstein and the Ethics of Creation
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