Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1882 novel, Treasure Island, centers on greed and treachery. The sea captain Long John Silver plots mutiny to obtain buried treasure. Like “The Body Snatcher,” there are characters who lie, cheat, steal, and even kill out of greed. Like Fettes who abandons his aspirations for a medical career and suffers from his exposure to evil, Ben Hawkins survives his adventures but has nightmares and avoids the sea and any thoughts of treasure-hunting.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Stevenson’s well-known novel, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) deals with humanity’s potential for evil. Like Macfarlane in “The Body Snatcher,” Dr. Jekyll attempts to manipulate others to conceal his deeds as Mr. Hyde. Also similar to the exploits of Mr. K— in “The Body Snatcher,” there are questions of ethics in medicine. Dr. Jekyll performs an experiment to divide his good and evil impulses. By creating the monster Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll unleashes evil without conscience in much the same way that Mr. K—‘s refusal to acknowledge where his cadavers come from empowers unscrupulous men to murder for profit.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein was published in 1818. Featuring classical elements of Gothic literature, the novel has themes related to ethics in science. Like “The Body Snatcher,” Frankenstein presents characters who do unethical things in the name of science. Additionally, Dr. Frankenstein is a grave robber who desecrates people’s final resting places for the sake of his own scientific pursuits, echoing the actions of Mr. K—, Macfarlane, and Fettes.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Bram Stoker published his masterwork, Dracula, in 1897. Also styled in the Gothic conventions, the novel features a young man named Jonathan Harker who is manipulated and exploited by Count Dracula. Unlike Fettes in “The Body Snatcher,” however, Harker fights back and emerges victorious against his enemy.