Mary Shelley’s absolutely wild life makes her Frankenstein look tame
Mary Shelley wasn’t just a novelist; she was a revolutionary thinker who changed literature forever. Best known for Frankenstein, she led a life filled with brilliance, scandal, and tragedy. Here are ten incredible facts about her that might surprise you.
1. She Was a Teen When She Created Science Fiction
Mary Shelley was only 18 years old when she began writing Frankenstein in 1816. The novel didn’t just become a literary classic; it also gave birth to the entire genre of modern science fiction.
2. The Idea Came From a Dark Summer
The inspiration for Frankenstein struck during the “Year Without a Summer,” when a volcanic eruption caused global cooling. Mary was staying in Switzerland with her future husband Percy Shelley and poet Lord Byron, confined indoors by storms and gloom.
3. A Friendly Challenge Changed Literature Forever
Lord Byron challenged everyone at the house to write a ghost story. While others struggled, Mary’s imagination produced a tale that would influence literature, science, and pop culture for centuries.
4. She Drew from Real Science
Mary didn’t rely on pure fantasy; her story was grounded in real scientific concepts of the time, including experiments in electricity and galvanism, which explored the idea of reanimating dead tissue.
5. Her Life Was Full of Tragedy
Mary endured heartbreaking losses. Her mother, the famed feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, died days after giving birth to her. Later, Mary lost three of her four children, tragedies that deeply shaped her writing.
6. She Lived a Scandalous Love Story
At 16, Mary eloped with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was already married! Their controversial relationship shocked society, defied norms, and fueled whispers across England.
7. Frankenstein Was Originally Anonymous
When the novel was published in 1818, Mary’s name was nowhere on it. Many assumed Percy Shelley was the author. Only in the second edition, three years later, did Mary claim her work.
8. She Was Ahead of Her Time
Mary Shelley pushed boundaries in literature and thought. She wrote about scientific ethics, human ambition, and responsibility, ideas rarely addressed by women writers in the early 1800s.
9. She Kept Percy’s Heart After His Death
After Percy Shelley drowned in 1822, his heart reportedly didn’t burn during cremation. Mary kept it wrapped in silk for years; a macabre yet romantic gesture that fits her Gothic legacy.
10. Her Influence Still Shapes the World
Over 200 years later, Frankenstein remains one of the most influential books ever written. It inspired countless films, novels, and even ethical debates about science, proving Mary Shelley’s vision was truly ahead of its time.
Anne of Cleves: The Queen Who Outwitted Henry
Anne of Cleves died 467 years ago this July 16th, and she is my favorite of all six of Henry VIII’s wives, and the best possible inspiration for some smart person to release a series of action figures of the Tumultuous Wives of Tudor. Anne was uncommonly brave, clever, and smart and one can’t help but wonder how differently history might have turned out had Henry realized how remarkable she was and kept her on as his partner.
READ: Anne of Cleves: The Queen Who Outwitted Henry
