Raising the dead

In 1818, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein introduced readers to the concept of raising the dead through scientific procedures. Few, however, realised that Shelley's story has a strong basis in fact, and the subject of arguably the greatest Gothic novel ever written was the serious pursuit of some of the most brilliant minds of the time. In this book, Andy Dougan embarks on a wide-ranging exploration of the concept of re-animation and related issues, focusing on one of the most extraordinary attempts to raise the dead, which took place in Glasgow in November 1818. Dramatic enough even without later embellishments to the story, the attempts of the brilliant and eccentric scientist Andrew Ure to bring back to life executed murderer Matthew Clydesdale caused scandal and sensation in equal measure.