Frankenstein

Frankenstein; Or, the Modern Prometheus (1818), the Gothic, scientific horror novel by Mary Shelley about a scientist creating life with a monster that destroys him, is one of the earliest works of science fiction.

In The Detached Retina: Aspects of SF and Fantasy (1995), Brian Aldiss argued that it should be considered the first true science fiction story because the central character "makes a deliberate decision" and "turns to modern experiments in the laboratory" to achieve fantastic results.

It launched myriad derivative works.

Note that “Frankenstein” is the name of the scientist, not the monster.

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Publication

1818

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