Frankenstein does more than any other story in shaping the anxieties of modern life. The story tells us about compassion, which we need now more than ever. As a parable, the novel is used as an argument both for and against slavery and revolution, vivisection (dissecting animals for scientific study) and Empire, as a confrontation dialogue between history and progress, religion and atheism. The suffix 'Franken-' thrives in the modern lexicon as an expression for any anxiety related to science, scientists, and the human body. It is also used to shape worries about atomic bombs, genetically modified crops, exotic foods, stem cell research, and worries about AI. In the two centuries since Mary wrote Frankenstein, in the words of Bobby Pickett's comedy song Monster Mash, the story is effective "a rocket in the graveyard" caught in the blink of an eye.
