\"Why tell a tale of impious tempting of Providence, and soul-subduing humiliation? Why? answer me, ye who are wise in the secrets of human nature! I only know that so it is; and in spite of strong resolve--of a pride that too much masters me--of shame, and even of fear, so to render myself odious to my species--I must speak.\"

So begins The Transformation by Mary Shelly, a gothic fable I offer up to you as this week\'s show of the week, and my favorite Mystery Theater episode. I haven\'t heard all the RMT episodes, not by a long chalk, but this one in particular made a deep impression on me when I first heard it at the age of 13. For 28 years it has remained with me in perfect clarity and detail. It\'s got everything: Beautiful gothic prose, romance, wild storm-swept seas, a ship-wreck, a monstrous creature, a dark pact, a treasure, folly, pride, and redemption, and a sound thoughtful moral to the story. The Transformation is a finely crafted tale, and I still find it completely engaging, compelling, and thought-provoking all these years later.

I hope you like it too.

For anyone who\'d like to read Mary Shelly\'s original.<br>