Frankenstein’s monster is a popular character in most horror stories and fiction. What many people do not know however is how the abomination came to be. And what is less known is that the creator of this iconic figure was a woman named Mary Shelley.

Mary Shelley was born on the 30th of August 1797 to both philosopher parents. Her father encouraged her to adhere to his own anarchist political theories. In 1814, Shelley began a relationship with the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, a giant in the field of English poetry and literature.

Despite being already married, Percy took a liking to Mary and they started a relationship. They eventually married following the former wife’s passing. In 1816, the couple spent a summer with two other well-known authors, Lord Byron and John William Polidori in Switzerland. 

Mary, Percy and Lord Byron had a competition to see who could write the best horror story. Mary contemplated for days until she came up with the idea of a scientist horrified by the life he creates. Frankenstein, or ’The Modern Prometheus’, was born. 

Mary started to write the story when she was 18, with the first edition published anonymously when she was 20. The second edition featured her name for the first time in 1821 in Paris. Mary won the competition despite being up against some of the most prolific writers who ever lived. 

The tale of Frankenstein captures the Gothic and the Romantic, with some considering it the first true science fiction story. It deals with topics ranging from destiny, aesthetics, man’s relationship to nature and God, and the pitfalls of man’s over-reaching. 

The work of this 18-year-old woman has inspired generations to come up with their own Frankensteins. So every time the greyish brute with bolts in his head pops up on your screen, just remember the legacy of Mary Shelley. 

#MaltaDaily