Frankenstein turns 200 this year: write a short story, win cool prizes

Arizona State University, Nanowrimo, and the Chabot Science Center are commemorating the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein with a series of events, including a short-story contest judged by Elizabeth Bear.

There's also a long-form nonfiction contest for essays about "the evolving relationships between humanity and technology" with a $10,000 grand prize.

Finally, ASU will be releasing a new collection of Frankenstein stories, and a new edition of Frankenstein with my introduction.

Frankenstein is one of the forebears of science fiction, and a lasting testament to the ability of fiction to intervene in our understanding and development of technology. To this day, we talk about whether a new technology with become a "Frankenstein's Monster."

Almost anything that we create can become monstrous: a misinterpreted piece of architecture; a song whose meaning has been misappropriated; a big, but misunderstood idea; or, of course, an actual creature. And in Frankenstein, Shelley teaches us that monstrous does not always mean evil – in fact, creators can prove to be more destructive and inhuman than the things they bring into being

Tell us your story in 1,000 – 1,800 words on Medium.com and use the hashtag #Frankenstein200. Read other #Frankenstein200 stories, and use the recommend button at the bottom of each post for the stories you like. Winners in the short fiction contest will receive personal feedback from Hugo and Sturgeon Award-winning science fiction and fantasy author Elizabeth Bear, as well as a curated selection of classic and contemporary science fiction books and Frankenstein goodies, courtesy of the NaNoWriMo team.

The Frankenstein Bicentennial Project


Frankenstein writing contest seeks to reanimate the conversation of science and responsibility

[ASU]