Mary Shelley author page

Mary Shelley biography

Mary Shelley was an English novelist best known for writing Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, first published anonymously in 1818. She was the daughter of the political philosopher William Godwin and the writer Mary Wollstonecraft. Shelley edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, after his death.

Her most famous novel, Frankenstein, is considered a landmark in both Gothic and science fiction literature. The novel was published in three volumes by Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor & Jones. In 1823, a second edition appeared with Mary Shelley’s name on the title page. She also wrote several other novels, including Valperga (1823), The Last Man (1826), Perkin Warbeck (1830), Lodore (1835), and Falkner (1837).

In addition to her novels, Shelley produced travel writing, short stories, and biographical articles for various periodicals. She edited and published Posthumous Poems of Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1824 and Poetical Works in 1839. Her travel narrative, Rambles in Germany and Italy, was published in 1844.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has been adapted for stage and screen numerous times and remains widely studied. The 1831 edition of Frankenstein included a new preface by Shelley and significant revisions. Her literary legacy is marked by the enduring influence of Frankenstein and her contributions to Romantic and Gothic literature.