Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797–1851) was an English novelist, short story writer, and biographer. Born to intellectual parents—philosopher William Godwin and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft—she was immersed in radical ideas from childhood. In 1816, while staying at Lake Geneva with Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron, she conceived Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, published in 1818. The novel, often considered the first science fiction work, examines the dangers of unchecked ambition and the ethics of creation. Shelley also wrote historical novels such as Valperga and The Last Man, a post-apocalyptic tale. Her literary legacy endures through Frankenstein, which has inspired countless adaptations and remains a cornerstone of Gothic and speculative fiction.