Arizona State University and several cooperating organizations have launched the Frankenstein Bicentennial Dare, a pair of contests which challenge authors to write new fiction and nonfiction stories about creators and their creations, science and society, and monstrosity.

In June 1816, Mary Shelley and a group of fellow writers challenged each other to tell a scary story. In the wee hours of June 16, Mary was woken by a nightmare that became the foundation for Frankenstein, a novel that continues to shape perspectives on contemporary scientific breakthroughs. Today, the Frankenstein Bicentennial Dare competition will replicate that original challenge, inspiring amateur and professional writers to reflect on questions of science, ethics, creativity, and responsibility.

As the ASU website says: “Frankenstein writing contest seeks to reanimate the conversation of science and responsibility”.

“Frankenstein emerged in a moment of great social and technological change,” said Ed Finn, co-director of ASU’s Frankenstein Bicentennial Project. “Today, via incredible scientific advances, we have the power to create and guide many kinds of life, from genetically engineered organisms to snarky chatbots. We need new, updated myths about creators, creations, and the responsibilities we share for the things we bring into the world.”

SHORT FICTION CONTEST. Entries will be “short and scary tales about unexpected consequences and unintended monstrosities.”

Almost anything that we create can become monstrous: a misinterpreted piece of architecture; a song whose meaning has been misappropriated; a big, but misunderstood idea; or, of course, an actual creature. And in Frankenstein, Shelley teaches us that monstrous does not always mean evil – in fact, creators can prove to be more destructive and inhuman than the things they bring into being

Tell us your story in 1,000 – 1,800 words on Medium.com and use the hashtag #Frankenstein200. Read other #Frankenstein200 stories, and use the recommend button at the bottom of each post for the stories you like. Winners in the short fiction contest will receive personal feedback from Hugo and Sturgeon Award-winning science fiction and fantasy author Elizabeth Bear, as well as a curated selection of classic and contemporary science fiction books and  Frankenstein goodies, courtesy of the NaNoWriMo team.

One submission per author. Submissions must be in English and between 1,000 to 1,800 words. You must follow all Medium Terms of Service, including the Rules.

All entries submitted and tagged as #Frankenstein200 and in compliance with the rules will be considered.

The deadline is July 31, 2016.

Three winners will be selected at random on August 1, 2016.

Each winner receives the following prize package including:

• Lynd Ward’s edition of Frankenstein with woodcut illustrations
• Penguin Horror’s edition of Frankenstein featuring an introduction by Guillermo del Toro
• A special Frankenstein poster and tote bag from Litographs
• A copy of Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear
• A copy of Disappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay

Additionally, one of the three winners, chosen at random, will receive written coaching/feedback from Elizabeth Bear on his or her entry.

Select stories will be featured on Frankenscape, a public geo-storytelling project hosted by ASU’s Frankenstein Bicentennial Project. Stories may also be featured in National Novel Writing Month communications and social media platforms.

Presented by NaNoWriMo and the Chabot Space and Science Center.

ESSAY CONTEST. The nonfiction competition summons authors to “document true stories about the evolving relationships between humanity and technology.”

Essays must be vivid and dramatic; they should combine a strong and compelling narrative with an informative or reflective element and reach beyond a strictly personal experience for some universal or deeper meaning. We’re open to a broad range of interpretations of the “Frankenstein” theme, with the understanding that all works submitted must tell true stories and be factually accurate. Above all, we’re looking for well-written prose, rich with detail and a distinctive voice.

Creative Nonfiction editors and a judge (to be announced) will award $10,000 and publication for Best Essay and two $2,500 prizes and publication for runners-up. All essays submitted will be considered. Winners will be announced in mid-2017, and winning essays will be included in the winter 2018 issue of Creative Nonfiction magazine.

Deadline for submissions: March 20, 2017. For complete guidelines: www.creativenonfiction.org/submissions

FRANKENSTEIN BICENTENNIAL PROJECT. Launched by Drs. David Guston and Ed Finn in 2013, the Frankenstein Bicentennial Project is a global celebration of the bicentennial of the writing and publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, from 2016-2018.

The project uses Frankenstein as a lens to examine the complex relationships between science, technology, ethics, and society. Arizona State University will act as a global hub for a vast array of activities at a wide range of venues, including film festivals, scientific demonstrations, writing and artistic competitions, museum exhibits, scholarly workshops, new books, special issues of magazines and journals, and other cross-platform media experiences.

This video about the Dare was shot in Geneva just miles from where Shelley originally came up with the story.