Mary Shelley (née Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin; August 30, 1797 – February 1, 1851) was an early novelist who is most famous for her novel Frankenstein. Frankenstein is considered the first real Science Fiction novel; it was the earliest popular novel whose Speculative Fiction elements were presented as the results of (albeit implausible) human technology.
She was the daughter of the novelist William Godwin and author Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin. The elder Mary Godwin was one of the earliest feminists, famous for her work The Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which is one of the earliest significant modern works in favor of women's rights. She died as a result of childbirth complications, eleven days after giving birth to her daughter.
Mary Shelley married the famous Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley after an affair which resulted in the suicide of Percy's first wife.
She was a very prolific author, writing biographies, poetry, articles, travel journals, and short stories in addition to the novels she is most well-known for.
Her novels include:
- Frankenstein
- Valperga
- The Last Man (adapted as the 2008 film of the same name)
- The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck
- Lodore
- Falkner
- Mathilda
Fictional portrayals:
Audio Plays
- In Big Finish Doctor Who, she was one of the Eighth Doctor's companions, first appearing in The Company of Friends.
Film
- Bride of Frankenstein features a Framing Device in which Mary Shelley is telling the story to her husband Percy and Lord Byron. She was played by Elsa Lanchester, who also played the Monster's bride.
- Portrayed by Elle Fanning in the biopic Mary Shelley.
Live-Action TV
- Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor met her in the episode "The Haunting of Villa Diodati." She was played by Lili Miller.
- She was intended to be the subject of the third season of the anthology series Genius until the death of Aretha Franklin inspired the crew to make it about her instead.
Western Animation
- She was featured in an episode of Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum.
