Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was first published in London, England in 1818. It contains elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement. It was also a warning against the “over-reaching” of modern man and the Industrial Revolution. The story has had an influence across literature and popular culture and spawned a complete genre of horror stories and films. It is often considered the first science fiction novel. The novel itself begins with a series of letters from the explorer Robert Walton to his sister, Margaret Saville. The stranger, who the reader soon learns is Victor Frankenstein, begins his narration. Frankenstein then describes how his childhood companion, Elizabeth Lavenza, entered his family.