FRANKENSTEIN'S PROMETHEAN AMBITIONS

Presents

FRANKENSTEIN'S PROMETHEAN AMBITIONS

Professor Gideon Manning will discuss the scientific and medical background to Mary Shelley’s novel, the timeless philosophical and ethical questions she raised, and the long-reception of Frankenstein in our cultural imagination.

Gideon Manning is a historian of medicine, science, and philosophy whose research examines the history of medical and scientific ideas and practices, with particular emphasis on changing conceptions of the human and animal body, life, death, health, explanation, and nature. He is a research associate professor at Claremont Graduate University and President of the Southern California Society for the History of Medicine. Gideon holds an AB from Harvard University and a PhD from the University of Chicago.

He previously taught at the University of Pittsburgh and served on the faculty at the College of William and Mary, California Institute of Technology, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was director of the Cedars-Sinai Program in the History of Medicine until 2025. In 2025-26 he will be a visiting associate professor in UCLA’s History Department.

Tickets to this talk are offered FREE with admission to .

RARE BOOKS LA UNION STATION CELEBRATES FRANKENSTEIN

"It’s alive, IT’S ALIVE…!” Rare Books LA returns to Los Angeles Union Station on October 4-5, 2025 with a monstrous selection of antiquarian books, maps, fine prints, book arts, and more. This year’s fair is celebrating the release of Rare Books LA friend and patron Guillermo Del Toro’s new film Frankenstein on Netflix this November.

With support from AbeBooks, more than 50 exhibitors from London, New York, and everywhere in between will fill the Ticket Concourse at LA Union Station with an electrifying array of first editions and other historical material. Attendees are encouraged to join our partner Metro and hop onboard Metrolink, Metro Rail, or Amtrak for this transit-friendly book fair.

Rare Books LA Union Station will also feature a series of free talks on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and other bookish subjects. Plans are also in the works for a special fundraising event with Guillermo Del Toro set for Friday, October 3, in partnership with Netflix. This event will benefit the long-term recovery and rebuilding of the LA Public Library’s Palisades Branch, which was destroyed in the January fires. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro adapts Mary Shelley’s classic tale of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.

“We are thrilled to bring the rare book community together to celebrate the legacy of Mary Shelley and the artistry of Guillermo Del Toro for such a worthy cause,” said Rare Books LA Director of Operations Jodi Tolan.

Rare Books LA Union Station takes place at 800 N. Alameda Street and is open to the public from 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday, October 4, and from 11 am to 4 pm on Sunday, October 5.

Please visit our website for a list of exhibitors.

For tickets and more information about the book fair, please click here.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Los Angeles Union Station, 800 North Alameda Street, Los Angeles, United States