Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley was born on August 30, 1797 in London, England as the daughter of two prominent intellectuals: William Godwin, a political philosopher and novelist, and Mary Wollstonecraft, a feminist writer and advocate of women's rights. Her mother died shortly after her birth, leaving her father to raise her and her half-sister Fanny Imlay. Mary received a rich but informal education from her father and his circle of friends, which included poets, philosophers, and radicals. In 1814, Mary met Percy Bysshe Shelley, a young poet and admirer of Godwin. Despite his marriage to Harriet Westbrook, Percy and Mary eloped to France and travelled across Europe with Mary's stepsister Claire Clairmont. They faced social ostracism, financial difficulties, and the loss of their first child in 1815. They married in 1816 after Harriet's suicide and joined Lord Byron and his physician John Polidori in Geneva, Switzerland. There, Mary conceived the idea for her most famous novel, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818), which she wrote as a challenge to create a ghost story. The novel tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who creates a monstrous creature that haunts him and causes his ruin. The novel explores themes such as the dangers of scientific hubris, the nature of life and death, and the responsibility of the creator to the created. Mary continued to write and travel with Percy until his death by drowning in 1822. She then returned to England with her son Percy Florence Shelley and devoted herself to editing and publishing her husband's works. She also wrote several other novels, such as The Last Man (1826), a futuristic tale of a plague that wipes out humanity; Lodore (1835), a domestic drama that reflects her own experiences as a widow; and Falkner (1837), a story of guilt and redemption. She also wrote short stories, essays, biographies, and travel books. She maintained an active social life and corresponded with many literary figures of her time. Mary suffered from various illnesses throughout her life and died on February 1, 1851 at the age of 53 from a suspected brain tumour. She was buried at St Peter's Churchyard in Bournemouth, Dorset, where her parents' remains were also relocated. She is widely regarded as one of the most influential writers of the Romantic era and the first science fiction author. Her works have inspired countless adaptations and interpretations in various media.