Mary Shelley, born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin on August 30, 1797, in London, England, had a life filled with tragedy, creativity, and literary accomplishment. Mary was the daughter of the feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft and the political philosopher William Godwin. Her mother died shortly after her birth, and Mary was brought up by her father and stepmother. In 1814, at 16, Mary met the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was married then. They fell in love and eloped to Europe in 1814 with Mary’s stepsister, Claire Clairmont. During the summer of 1816, Mary, Percy, Claire, and Lord Byron spent time together in Geneva, Switzerland. During this time, Mary conceived the idea for her most famous work, “Frankenstein.” The novel was published anonymously in 1818.
Mary experienced significant personal tragedies throughout her life. She lost several children to illness or premature death, and Percy Shelley drowned in a boating accident in 1822. Despite the challenges she faced, Mary Shelley continued to write and publish works of fiction. She also edited and promoted her late husband’s poetry. Mary Shelley died in London on February 1, 1851, at 53. Mary Shelley’s legacy endures through her groundbreaking novel “Frankenstein,” which continues to captivate readers and inspire adaptations in various forms of media. She is celebrated as a pioneering figure in the science fiction genre and a vital voice of the Romantic era.
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