Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Author:
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Date of birth: 30-Aug-1797
Place of birth: Somers Town, London UK

About the author:
Mary Shelley (1797–1851) was an English novelist, best known for writing Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818), one of the earliest and most influential works of science fiction and Gothic literature. Her groundbreaking novel explores themes of creation, ambition, and the ethical limits of science, making her a lasting figure in literary history.

Born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin on August 30, 1797, in London, she was the daughter of the political philosopher William Godwin and the feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft, who died shortly after Mary’s birth. Growing up in a highly intellectual environment, she was well-educated and familiar with literature, philosophy, and science.

At age 16, Mary began a relationship with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, whom she later married. In 1816, during a summer spent near Lake Geneva with Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and others, she conceived the idea for Frankenstein after a challenge to write a ghost story. The novel was published anonymously in 1818, when Mary was just 20.

Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who creates a living being from dead tissue, only to face tragic consequences. The book is notable for its complex exploration of humanity, ethics, and isolation, and has been adapted countless times in various media.

Mary Shelley continued writing novels, short stories, essays, and travelogues throughout her life, though none achieved the same fame as Frankenstein. She also edited and promoted her late husband’s works after his death in 1822.

Mary Shelley died on February 1, 1851, at the age of 53, but her legacy endures as a pioneer of science fiction and a significant literary voice exploring the tensions between science and morality.