Mary Shelley
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was an English writer born in London in 1797. She lived in England and Italy and married the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1816. She wrote Frankenstein, published in 1818, and The Last Man, published in 1826. She died in London in 1851.
Mary Shelley in the library · 4 works
Frankenstein
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Frequently asked questions about Mary Shelley
What did Mary Shelley write?
Mary Shelley is best known for Frankenstein (1818). She also wrote other novels, including The Last Man, a vision of a future plague that destroys humanity, as well as Valperga, Lodore, and Mathilda, plus short stories, travel writing, and editions of her husband's poetry. Frankenstein remains by far her most famous and influential work.
What is Frankenstein about?
It follows Victor Frankenstein, an ambitious young scientist who discovers how to create life and builds a living being from dead body parts — then, repulsed by what he has made, abandons it. The rejected creature, intelligent and lonely, turns to revenge, and the novel becomes a tragic pursuit between creator and creation. It is a profound story about ambition, responsibility, and the consequences of playing God.
Did Mary Shelley really invent science fiction?
Many scholars regard Frankenstein as the first true science-fiction novel, because it imagines the consequences of a scientific act rather than relying on magic or the supernatural. Written in 1816-1818, when she was still a teenager, it explores the moral implications of new knowledge. That makes Mary Shelley a founder of the genre and a remarkably prophetic writer.
Is the monster called Frankenstein?
This is the most common misconception about the book. 'Frankenstein' is the name of the scientist, Victor Frankenstein — not the creature, who is never given a name and is called things like 'the creature,' 'the being,' or 'the monster.' The mix-up is so widespread that the name is now popularly attached to the creature too.
How old was Mary Shelley when she wrote Frankenstein?
She began writing Frankenstein at just 18, after a famous ghost-story challenge during a rainy summer at Lake Geneva with her future husband Percy Shelley and Lord Byron. It was published in 1818, when she was 20. That a teenager produced such a lasting and influential novel is part of its legend.
When did Mary Shelley live?
Mary Shelley was born in 1797 and died in 1851. She was the daughter of the feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft and the philosopher William Godwin, and married the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. She wrote during the Romantic era and continued writing and editing throughout a life marked by considerable personal tragedy.
Where can I read Frankenstein for free?
Frankenstein and Mary Shelley's other works are in the public domain and freely available. Older editions keep her original Romantic-era prose. Here you can read the opening free in clear modern English, and read or listen with a membership.
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