This book introduces the field of cultural studies and gives the beginning student a solid grounding in its origins, scope and debates. Convinced that cultural studies is liveliest when students are engaged with cultural material, the book throughout exemplifies the process of cultural meaning-making, reproduction, commodification and critique, in part by examining the modern "myth" of Frankenstein's monster. Imaginative, thoughtful and wide-ranging, this lively and innovative text will engage undergraduates actively in cultural analysis while equipping them with key conceptual and critical tools.