Frankenstein Friday: 10 Fun Facts About the World’s Favorite Evil Genius and the Author Behind Him

Welcome to the tenth day of my daily October posts! Throughout these next 22-days, I will be posting different spooky fun facts, tricks and treats. Today, I will be sharing 10 fun facts about Mary Shelley and her masterpiece, Frankenstein (1818).  Enjoy!

1. The writing contest - During the summer of 1816, Lord Byron, his physician John William Polidori, poets Percy Bysshe Shelly and Mary Shelley (at the time was Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin), as well as Mary’s stepsister Mary Clairmont were all trapped inside the Lord Byron’s Villa Diodati on Lake Geneva, Switzerland due to a summer of immense rainfall. One night, Lord Byron suggested they all write ghost stories as a sort-of contest. In response, a phenomenal night of writing occurred as John William Polidori wrote what would go on as the first ever vampire novel in English history, a.k.a. The Vampyre (1819) and Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein (1818). Although we do not know who won the contest for sure, it is largely assumed that Percy won the challenge as some sources state that Lord Byron called Mary’s piece “too philosophical”.

2. Created an entire genre - It is no shock to this blogger that Mary Shelley invented the infamous science fiction genre with Frankenstein. 

3. “Doctor” Frankenstein - This is one of those fun facts that has become a pet peeve of mine—like when someone pronounces “library” as “lie-berry”! 😂 Viktor Frankenstein was by no means a doctor. He was a young man of about 20-years of age as well as a chemistry and natural sciences university student, being only 17 when he left his home. This is where he was able to study cadavers and create the monster. Please stop casting him as some 40-50-year old grown man with a doctorate who knew what he was doing! The whole point of his creation was that he was so immersed in his project that he could not comprehend the monstrosity that he had created or how to do it again.

4. Mary Wollstonecraft - Mary Shelley’s mother whom she was named after. Infamously known for her influential 1792 piece titled A Vindication of the Rights of Women, where she argued for equal education between boys and girls. Her work laid the foundation for today’s feminist movement as she upset the status quo of the time—ultimately, aiding young women like myself to later have the rights to learn as men have had for many generations. It is no surprise that her own daughter created science fiction! This blogger will even go as far as to say that she was one of the mothers of feminism—if that term upsets you, then you do not understand what it means. Do not be scared of the word simply because it has the term “fem” in it. Feminism: “advocacy of equality of the sexes and the establishment of the political, social, and economic rights of the female sex” (Oxford Dictionary). Meaning, to have the right of equality in all circumstances no matter our biological differences—this is still plaguing our society to this very day. In fact, my own parents were born prior to women gaining the right to open their own bank accounts without a male co-signer in the United States (1974).

5. Frankenstein the monster? - Another pet peeve of mine, Frankenstein’s monster was never named nor was he green with bolts sticking out. He is written to be 8-feet tall with translucent yellowish skin—a giant walking corpse with rotting flesh it sounds like. He also had pearly white teeth, black flowing hair, black lips and bright watery eyes. It could be argued that he has been called “Frankenstein” because he is technically Viktor’s son—a significant point brought up in the novel. Therefore, this would give him the last name Frankenstein as well. Even so, Shelley never did.

6. Where did the idea come from? - Although she introduced Frankenstein through the writing contest—as spoken about previously on this post, the idea of the novel actually came to her through a vivid nightmare. She had a dream that a student created and animated a horrifying living creature. This was during the summer of 1816 where she would go on to write the first ever science fiction novel, Frankenstein with support from her lover and later husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley. 

7. The eruption of Mount Tambora - If you were wondering why it was constantly raining the summer of 1816 on Lake Geneva, Switzerland, that is due to the eruption of Mount Tambora on Sumbawa Island—current day Indonesia. It occurred in 1815 and had an immense impact on the globe. In fact, the extreme weather conditions lasted from 1815-1818.

8. Anonymous publication - Originally published anonymously on the first day of the year 1818. She published it anonymously at only 20-years old, most likely because she was a woman. There was a French translated edition by Jules Saladin in 1821 who states that an “Mme. Shelly” as the author. There was also a play performed in 1823 that dedicated the creator of the story as Mary Shelley. She did not claim it to be her novel (completely) until the year of 1831 when she published the revised edition in English. 

9. William Godwin’s intellectual protégé- Percy Bysshe Shelley was originally a follower of William Godwin. William Godwin was Mary Shelley’s father who was an English journalist and political philosopher. He is known for his utilitarianism and is widely believed to be the first modern proponent of anarchism. Percy and Mary would end up eloping to Europe in 1814 not very long after their love affair began in the same year despite Percy’s marriage to Harriet Westbrook who shared 2 children with him. Harriet Westbrook died by suicide whilst pregnant in 1816.

10. The heart in the desk - After Percy Bysshe Shelley’s death by drowning in Lerici, Italy in 1822, Mary Shelley received his heart from Percy’s friend Leigh Hunt as it did not burn during his cremation as it was calcified—likely due to a preexisting health condition such as tuberculosis. She kept his heart wrapped in the pages of his 1821 poem Adonais. She kept it in her desk drawer, as it was discovered there after her own death in 1851 from either a stroke or brain tumor by her son, Percy Florence Shelley and his wife, Jane.

Honorable mention: - Grave sex? - Although it is widely regarded to be true, Mary Shelley did not lose her virginity on top of her mother’s grave. However, it is very likely that she did lose her virginity in the cemetery that her mother was buried in, but we do not know that for fact. 

Thank you for reading this mini series and make sure to come back to see tomorrow's post!

Sincerely, 

        your 21st century poet <3