Fiction Predictions: Mary Shelley on the Ethics of Creation

Eko illustrates Frankenstein

Two hundred years ago, a masterpiece of Gothic fiction was written by a young woman named Mary Shelley. Her story of Frankenstein, the Modern Prometheus, paved the way for the horror and science-fiction genres, and is often cited as the foundational myth for modern AI ethics. 

The Book

When it first hit the press, the book became a terrifying and radical view of what can happen when sentient life is created de novo, sans the usual hundreds of thousands of years of evolutionary steps to acclimate. 

I mean, one minute you are dead body parts with zero self-awareness, and the next you're a free agent, rejected and despised by your creator, left isolated, lonely and eventually vengeful.

It all starts with Victor Frankenstein, whose studies in philosophy and chemistry (controversial topics in Shelley's day) had him obsessed with creating 'artificial life'. But when he succeeds, just like the myth of the Sky god Uranus, he is disgusted by his creation and fearful of his own power being usurped.  

Written in 1818, Frankenstein predicts the storm of ethical, social, and existential concerns arising from scientific advancement. In this way, her novel warns against technology outrunning wisdom and responsibility.

Was Mary Shelley a seer?

I think yes, especially the way the creature in Frankenstein parallels modern artificial intelligence (AI). Here's the breakdown:

 AI for Story Generation - Isamu Isozaki

Responsibility: Victor Frankenstein becomes obsessed with the "how" of creation while neglecting the "why" and/or the aftermath. He abandons his creature the moment it comes to life. This is mirrored by the 'move fast- break things' approach to technological development and the race for General AI.

Rapid Learning: Frankenstein's creature is not born evil; he learns by observing humans, only becoming "monstrous" after being rejected by his creator. Large Language Model AI learn by processing vast amounts of human-generated data. If that data is biased or if the AI is left without moral curating, it can become a digital version of the creature's "mis-education".

Uncontrollable Creations: The core fear in the novel, and in the myth of Uranus as well, is that the creation turns on its maker. This parallels modern fears that an AI’s intelligence will surpass human control or act in ways that are indifferent to human safety.

In the end, the novel asks if a being made from "parts" can have a soul or rights, just as we might argue whether a machine that flawlessly imitates human thought deserves "personhood" or moral consideration.

Did Shelley Foresee Bioengineering and Competitive Exclusion?

Intentional or not, Shelley spotlights the moral concerns that arise when science attempts to create life. More than that, her work is often cited in discussions around cloning, transplants, and competitive exclusion -- a concept in modern ecology describing how invasive species or technologies can destroy ecosystems

Ethics and Morality

The most profound prediction is the warning against pursuing a goal without considering the consequences.

Victor Frankenstein is not a mad, unhinged scientist, but a very reckless one. He is in control, but seemingly without strong morals.

Do you think this relates to corporations and governments racing to advance AI under an ethical banner of gaining power, control and dominance?

I am left with how Shelley's novel emphasises that the disaster is not caused by the creation itself, but by Victor abandoning his creation, failing to love it and raise it 'right'. 

Something to think about . . .

xxKim

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About Kim Falconer

The Amassia Series

Kim Falconer, also writing as AK Wilder, has released Crown of Bones, a YA Epic Fantasy with Curse of Shadows as book 2 in the series. 

 Quantum Enchantment

Kim can be found on AKWilder.com, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and KimFalconer.com. 

Throw the bones on the AKWilder.com site. See you there!

Read Blood and Water, a PNR alt history that will leave you questioning every natural disaster ever endured.

“There is no doubt fiction makes a better job of the truth.” 

From The Backlist: "Supernatural Sidekickin' " by Kim Falconer

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We do love us a backlist post -- and this one from Kim Falconer is Grade A! We invite you to read on and enjoy. :-)

Supernatural Sidekickin'

This month, I want to explore the qualities of a 'good' sidekick/wing woman/man, what traits they have, their roles in the storytelling and how to write them.

Buffy -- & the Sidekicks!

What Sidekicks Are Good For

Back story: A well written, three dimensional sidekick can help with back story, allowing the reader to see and hear about things that came before page one without wading through heavy exposition. We see this in Star Wars with the sidekick Chewbacca, where his adventures in the past with Han Solo help shape our understanding of the man. Also in the sidekicks C-3PO and R2-D2. We learn much about the world through their commentary.

World Building: The sidekick can represent a culture or social group as Gimli and Legolas do in Lord of the Rings. Gollum, a 'minor' character, but with a major goal, provides a talking point for the long and complex history of the ring. What life was like in the past, the roots of the hobbits as a people. He is kind of an 'anti-skidekick' to the anti-hero Frodo.

Contrast: The sidekick can have different values, ethics, goals and motivations, making for a contrast to the main protagonist. Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries, for example, hasn't much of a moral compass. At all. His buddy Alaric Saltzman, however, does, and watching that friendship grow is a measure of the main character's arc and emotional evolution.

Alaric & Damon

Humor and wit: The protagonist has to be pretty serious at times, playing it 'straight' as they work out how to fight the baddy, retrieve the lost treasure and save the day. The sidekick, however, is free to use wit and humor at times when the hero cannot. We see this in Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Xander (one of Buffy's many sidekicks). She may be in deep emotional angst and he can pop a one-liner that lifts the moment without throwing away her feelings.

Xander & Buffy

Throw-aways: Similar to wit and humor, there are times when a scene is too intense, deep or meaningful and the sidekick can be just the one to lighten it all with a 'throw-away' line. Clive and Ravi do this on iZombie when Liv is too deep into the fact that she is dead, turned into a zombie and has to eat brains to survive. It can turn a scene around in a flash.

Liv, iZombie

Freedom of Speech: The sidekick can say things the hero might be thinking, or wish they could say, but can't. In the Quantum Enchantment Series, Rosette has a sentient familiar, a temple cat who links with her telepathically. She might be having a conversation with a mentor or rival while her familiar does a running commentary on the whole thing, adding a new element to the scene.

The "Quantum" series

Sympathy: The hero may also relate to the sidekick in ways they can't to others, allowing the reader to gain more compassion or understanding. This works especially well for main characters that are not fully sympathetic. Eric Northman's compassion for his progeny, Pam, is an example from True Blood, aka Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries.

Eric, True Blood

Writing the Sidekick

The first question to answer when developing a sidekick in the story is why are they there? They have to move the plot forward, be part of the part of the story. They also have to have their own GMC - goals, motivations and conflicts, internal and external. In a shorter work, these won't be explored to a great depth, but with novel length stories and series, there is room for these subplots to be woven.

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To read the full post, click here

To check in on Kim, go here.

A Hiatus On Heroines...Just For Now!

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The life authorial has gotten a tad busy, with the 'b' that is for bustle, buzzing around ('like a blue-ass fly' as our Aussie friends like to say :D ) and beavering away!

So much so that I cannot do the heroines justice for today, so I'm calling a heroines hiatus until after the Easter holiday, and its aftermath, is done and dusted.

Instead, for both those who are set to enjoy a break and those who are continuing as usual, here are a few photos from "inside Middle Earth", aka Aotearoa-New Zealand that I hope you will enjoy. :-)

From great high mountains...

...via meetings with remarkable gardens...

To a shining sea.

About Helen Lowe

Helen Lowe is an award-winning novelist, poet, and lover of story. With four books published to date, she has recently completed the final instalment in The Wall Of Night series, which is now with its publisher, HarperVoyager.

Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.

From the Backlist: Reluctant Heroes

Art by tsaloka on Pixabay

Welcome to another post in the Supernatural Underground Backlist Series. Today's feature is from the powerhouse author Amanda Arista. 

AND! If you are lucky enough to be in Texas in April 2026, she is giving an all-day, immersive workshop there, at the Texas Two–Step Writers Conference.

It's designed to help writers gain clarity, confidence, and momentum in their stories. You don't want to miss this chance to meet her in person.

Meanwhile, this gem of insights into 'reluctance' is from her March 2014 post titled: "But I don't wanna," said Every Hero Ever

Be sure and read to the end, to see how it might apply to you. 

We hope you enjoy it!

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"But I don't wanna," said Every Hero Ever

by Amanda Arista

 

Year of Living Heroically #2 - Refusing the Call

Today is especially fitting to write this post as it is currently 19 degrees in Dallas Texas. If there is anything that will make you refuse the call of an adventure, it is cold feet.

On a hero's journey, refusing the call highlights what exactly the hero thinks about himself. They are not just saying, "No I don't want to," but more along the lines of "I'm afraid because of ..." That dot-dot-dot is the real part of themselves that they will have to overcome in the adventure ahead.

My favorite case in point is our man Luke Skywalker, who refuses to go with Ben Ken-obi by saying, and I'm flagrantly misquoting, "No I can't go with you. I have to stay on the farm with Uncle Owen." He's not really saying that he has to stay on the farm with his Uncle. What he is really saying is that he is afraid that he is not awesome like his father and he's just a lowly farm boy. Once the farm is removed from the picture, literally, he spends the rest of the movie trying to become awesome like his father. Sort of.

In romances, this might look a little different. For Violet, in Diaries of an Urban Panther, her refusal highlighted her fear of getting close to someone, because all of her loved ones had died. So she refused to believe that the boy liked her at all. He was just saving her skin, over and over and over. Violet spends the entire book learning to open her heart to other people. 

 

Keep Reading . . .

 

Lear More about Amanda and her wonderful books . . . 

 

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Thanks for dropping by! We hope your 2026 Fire Horse Year is off to a great start!

 

 

Fiction Predictions: Octavia Butler's Vision of the Future

 

Octavia Butler's One Simple Prophesy - Image - Literary Hub

Welcome to the March 2026 issue of Fiction Predictions here on the Supernatural Underground Blog. I hope you are enjoying the series. 

The Author

Today's author spotlight is Octavia Butler, an extraordinary creative and the first SF writer to win a MacArthur Fellowship (“genius” grant). Throughout her career, she also won the PEN Lifetime Achievement Award and the Nebula and Hugo Awards, among many others. 

She was often referred to as the “Grand dame of science fiction.” Born in Pasadena, California, on June 22, 1947 (the sun at the auspicious 0° Cancer). She died February 24, 2006, leaving behind a legacy of stories and adoring fans.

The Predictions

Unlike Jules Verne and William Gibson, Octavia Butler didn't so much foresee a new technological future as portray a dystopia festering with social injustice, inequality, populism and global warming. 

In her series beginning with The Parable of the Sower, she presents a society startlingly like our

own. What makes it more chilling is that it was written in the late 80s and early 90s, but set in our current times, California 2024.

The Parable of the Sower predicted catastrophic effects from climate change, ravaging California wildfires, increased social injustice, gangs, crimes and prisons, seen through the eyes of a young black girl who still had hope. 

The second novel of the series (written in the early 90s), Parable of the Talents, predicts a country divided and a presidential candidate running with the slogan ‘Make America Great Again’. 

Note: this was penned two decades before the current US president officially entered politics.

Was Octavia Butler a Seer?

How else to say it?

Yes.

In 1988, she saw California in 2024 as a state crippled by unattended environmental and economic crises that led to social ruin. Her main character, Lauren Olamina, a preacher’s daughter living in Los Angeles, is protected from these dangers by the walls of her gated community... until they come tumbling down.

In a breakneck escape, what begins as a fight for survival leads to something much deeper: a brighter vision of human destiny and the birth of a new faith.

Octavia said:

    I began writing about power because I had so little. 

—Octavia E. Butler, in Carolyn S. Davidson's

"The Science Fiction of Octavia Butler"

And throughout this writing, she continues to open eyes and hearts, long after her death. 

Have you read her?

Please let me know in the comments, and also if you have a favourite book you'd like to explore this way.

Isn't it all so interesting?

xxKim

***

About Kim Falconer

The Amassia Series

Kim Falconer, also writing as AK Wilder, has released Crown of Bones, a YA Epic Fantasy with Curse of Shadows as book 2 in the series. 

 Quantum Enchantment

Kim can be found on AKWilder.com, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and KimFalconer.com. 

Throw the bones on the AKWilder.com site.. See you there!

Read Blood and Water, a PNR alt history that will leave you questioning every natural disaster ever endured.

“There is no doubt fiction makes a better job of the truth.”

From The Backlist: "Modern Day Faery Tales Drawn From Fantasy and Folklore" by Terri Garey

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It's backlist time again, and this month we're sharing Terri Garey's wonderful take on Urban Fantasy and its origins in myth, fairytale, and folklore.

Enjoy!

Urban Fantasy: Modern Day Faery Tales Drawn From Fantasy and Folklore

~  by Terri Garey 

... I write Urban Fantasy, which is basically fiction that’s set in the real world, yet contains aspects of the supernatural or fantastic. Urban Fantasy was first defined as an acknowledged sub-genre in the late 1980’s and early ‘90s, but in my opinion, “Urban Fantasy” has always been around, from the earliest days when spooky stories were first told around warm fires on cold nights. Ancient gods and goddesses, elves, witches, faeries and werewolves. Dragons, trolls, giants. 

By the standards of the era (whether it be Classical, the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages, the Victorian, etc.) any of these stories could be considered Urban Fantasy, for they all involved a mixture of the real and the fantastic. Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Robert Lewis Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde – these are all fictional tales that were based in the real world, yet include elements of the supernatural.

In Urban Fantasy, the supernatural elements are limited only by the author’s imagination, but certain themes, however, remain constant. These “literary tropes” are at the heart of every good fantasy novel, whether it’s Urban Fantasy, Sci-Fi Fantasy (Star Wars, Star Trek), Historical Fantasy (Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones), or Young Adult Fantasy (Harry Potter). 

1) First comes the over-arching theme of Good vs. Evil. The stakes can be as high as the fate of the world, or as simple as saving the life of one individual, but there is always a goal that serves the greater good. Whether the protagonist is a supernatural bounty-hunter who keeps demons from taking over the world, or a single mom who finds out her neighbor is a vampire, moral dilemmas—and the consequences of them—are a mainstay of Urban Fantasy.

2) Second is the journey of the self – protagonists often start out ill-equipped, or even unwilling, to deal with the situations they find themselves in, but through character development (which the author shows by their ongoing actions and insights), find within themselves the strength to meet ever-increasing challenges.

3) Third is A Major Secret – one that puts the protagonist outside the realm of “normal”, but forces them to behave as though they were just like you and me. By placing the protagonist in an urban, “everyday” setting, the author creates a sense of kinship with the reader, fostering the much-needed suspension of disbelief.

... 

To read the full post, click here. 

To visit with Terri, go to her site, here.

A Year of Heroines #2 -- Yeine Darr and Rowan Birchmoon

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As mentioned last month, with completion of The Wall of Night (WALL) series I've been giving some thought to heroines in Fantasy -- all of which has prompted me to focus on them as m'theme for 2026!  Each month, I'll take a heroine (or two!) from a favorite book and contrast-and-compare with a 'leading lady' from the WALL series.

This month, I'm checking in on Yeine Darr from NK Jemisin's The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, along with Rowan Birchmoon from WALL -- chiefly The Heir of Night, although her influence is felt throughout the series.

Yeine Darr and Rowan Birchmoon

Don't get me wrong, these are two very different characters with very different story arcs -- for starters, Yeine Darr is the main character in The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, while Rowan Birchmoon is a "best supporting" player. 

Both, though, come from outlying lands (considered barbarian by some) but are forced by a mix of circumstance and choice to dwell among strangers who are, at best, reserved, and at worst, outright hostile. 

Kindle Edition

Yeine is her people's representative to Sky, the palace of the world-ruling Arameri (who are also her estranged kin), and although summoned there by her grandfather, she also seeks to resolve the murder of her exiled Arameri mother. Soon after her arrival, however, she is precipitated into a three-way contest to become the Arameri heir, which involves not only family and cultural politics, but a long-smoldering civil war between the gods -- quite a few of whom also reside in Sky.

Rowan Birchmoon is also an outsider, a woman of the Winter steppe residing in the alien Derai's Keep of Winds, on the bleak and inhospitable Wall of Night. In Rowan's case, it is love that has brought her there, as lover and consort (but not wife) to the Earl of Night. The Derai, however, dislike what they call "outsiders", and believe she must have bewitched the Earl into loving her, so Rowan's life is also fraught with danger. 

US edition

In The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, the Arameri hold sway through magic, and both serve the gods that favor them, while binding others to their own service. Consequently, in Yeine's quest to survive the contest to become Arameri heir (and so the future ruler of the world, effectively) and uncover her mother's murder, she also becomes the central piece in a game of power between the gods -- a game that is soon complicated by romantic entanglement with Nahadoth, one of the most powerful and enigmatic of the gods that serve the Aramieri. 

The stakes in this latter game are even higher than the contest for the Arameri heirdom. In order to survive both, Yeine must discover the source of her own magic and use it to win a game of power that involves both heaven and earth.

Audio edition

On the surface, Rowan Birchmoon's path through The Heir of Night is a quieter one. She also differs from Yeine in knowing the core of her power from the outset. So although the Derai see her as their Earl's unwelcome consort first, and a huntress second, she is also a shaman of the Winter People, with the power to shape the seasons, and a seer. A hidden power, but one, along with love for the Earl of Night, that has brought her to the Wall -- and also to Malian, the prophesied champion (of February's post.) 

So when the chips are down, and Malian must flee for her life, Rowan Birchmoon will step into the game -- and what follows, at that point, will play as big a part as Yeine's in Sky, in shaping the course of her world.

UK edition

Prior Posts: A Year of Heroines 

February: Aerin, Elfrid, & Malian of Night

~*~

About Helen Lowe

Helen Lowe is an award-winning novelist, poet, and lover of story. With four books published to date, she has recently completed the final instalment in The Wall Of Night series, which is now with its publisher,

Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.