Mary Shelley Sci Fi
Mary Shelley: The Teen Who Invented Science Fiction
If you think your teenage years were dramatic, wait until you hear about Mary Shelley. While most of us were navigating bad haircuts and questionable life choices, she was busy redefining literature and accidentally creating an entirely new genre.
Who Was Mary Shelley?
Born in 1797 to radical thinkers Mary Wollstonecraft (yes, that feminist) and William Godwin, young Mary basically had philosophy and rebellion in her DNA. She eloped with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley at 16, endured personal tragedies, and still managed to outwrite the literary elite before she could legally vote.
The Birth of Frankenstein (A Literal and Literary Nightmare)
The year was 1816. The setting? A dark and stormy summer at Lord Byron’s villa in Switzerland (because what else would Romantic poets do on vacation?). The infamous ghost story competition led Mary to dream up a scientist who played God and a monster who just wanted to be understood.
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was published in 1818 when she was only 20. The world had no idea what hit it.
Why Frankenstein Matters
Aside from being the godmother of science fiction, Mary Shelley tackled themes like unchecked ambition, ethical science, and what happens when men make poor life choices (Victor Frankenstein, looking at you). Her novel is still studied today, proving that 19-year-olds can indeed change the world—if they’re talented, tortured, and hanging out with Byron.
Mary Shelley’s Legacy
Despite Frankenstein’s success, Mary Shelley spent most of her life overshadowed by her husband’s reputation. Yet today, she’s celebrated as a literary pioneer who paved the way for everything from H.G. Wells to Black Mirror. She also gave us one of the greatest horror icons of all time—and he wasn’t even the real villain of his own story.
References:
- Sunstein, Emily W. Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft & Mary Shelley. Harper Perennial, 2016.
- Seymour, Miranda. Mary Shelley. Grove Press, 2002.
- Gigante, Denise. Life: Organic Form and Romanticism. Yale University Press, 2009.
