Naming is power, I say to Claire. It sure is. Adam's task in the Garden of Eden. Yes, indeed, to name everything after its kind. Sexbot . . . Pardon me, sir? Do you think Adam would have thought of that? Dog, cat, snake, figtree, sexbot? I am thankful he didn't have to, Dr Shelley. Yes, I am sure you are right. So tell me, Claire, why did they call this place Memphis? You mean back in 1819? When it was founded? As she speaks I see in my mind a young woman looking out of a sodden window across the lake. I say to Claire, Yes. 1819. Frankenstein was a year old. She frowns. I am not following you, sir. The novel Frankenstein - it was published in 1818. The guy with the bolt through his neck? More or less . . . I saw the TV show. It's why we are here today. (There was a look of confusion on Claire's face as I said this, so I explained.) I don't mean existentially Why We Are Here Today - I mean why the Tec-X-Po is here. In Memphis. It's the kind of thing organisers like; a tie-in between a city and an idea. Memphis and Frankenstein are both two hundred years old. Your point, Dr Shelley? Tech. AI. Artificial Intelligence. Frankenstein was a vision of how life might be created - the first non-human intelligence. Excerpted from Frankissstein: A Love Story by Jeanette Winterson All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
