Author
Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein before she turned 20, and with it helped invent science fiction. Her own life was as dramatic as her books.
- Born
- 30 August 1797, London, England
- Died
- 1 February 1851, London
- Best known for
- Frankenstein (1818)
- Parents
- Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin, both writers
Life in brief
Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was born in London in 1797. Her mother, the writer Mary Wollstonecraft, died shortly after her birth. Her father, the philosopher William Godwin, raised her among books and visiting thinkers.
In 1814 she began a romance with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and they married in late 1816. In the cold, wet summer of 1816 they stayed near Lake Geneva with Lord Byron. When the group agreed to each write a ghost story, Mary began the tale that became Frankenstein. It was published anonymously on 1 January 1818.
Her husband drowned in 1822 when his sailing boat sank in a storm off Italy. Mary returned to England, raised their only surviving child, and kept writing novels, stories and travel books, including The Last Man (1826). She died in London in 1851.
Main works
| Book | Published |
|---|---|
| Frankenstein | 1818, revised 1831 |
| Valperga | 1823 |
| The Last Man | 1826 |
| The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck | 1830 |
| Lodore | 1835 |
| Falkner | 1837 |
Why read Mary Shelley today
- Frankenstein asks questions about science and responsibility that still matter.
- Her creature is one of the most moving outsiders in fiction.
- The Last Man is an early story about the end of the world.
Where to start
Start with Frankenstein. Then try The Last Man if you want more of her ideas.
On Bibliocity
Frequently asked questions
How old was Mary Shelley when she wrote Frankenstein?
She started it at 18 in the summer of 1816, and it was published when she was 20.
Who were Mary Shelley’s parents?
The writer Mary Wollstonecraft, known for her book on women’s rights, and the philosopher William Godwin.
Was Frankenstein published under Mary Shelley’s name?
Not at first. The 1818 first edition was anonymous. Her name appeared on later editions, including the revised edition of 1831.
Explore more
- Frankenstein in shortMary Shelley, 1818
- Jane Austen1775 to 1817
- Herman Melville1819 to 1891
- F. Scott Fitzgerald1896 to 1940
- Classic books to readA starter list
- Famous book quotesExact quotes from classic novels
Sources
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Published 2026-10-27. Last checked 2026-10-27.