Mrs Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

About the Author

Mrs. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin in 1797, was an English novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her seminal work of Gothic fiction, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The daughter of the philosopher William Godwin and the feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, she eloped with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley at the age of sixteen, and their tumultuous life together profoundly influenced her writing. Shelley's groundbreaking novel, first published anonymously in 1818, explores themes of creation, ambition, and the human condition, drawing from the Romantic era's fascination with science and the supernatural. Despite personal tragedies, including the loss of her husband and several children, she continued to produce influential literature, cementing her legacy as a pioneer of science fiction and horror genres. Her annotated edition of Frankenstein offers fresh insights into this enduring classic.