Mary Shelley: The Woman Who Created a Monster and Defined an Era

21 October 2025

Paul Francis

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Few writers have left a mark on culture as deep as Mary Shelley. Her name has become inseparable from one of literature’s most enduring creations: Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Written before her twenty-first birthday, it changed not just Gothic fiction but the way we think about science, ambition and the boundaries of creation.

Portrait of Mary Shelley with dark hair, wearing an off-shoulder dress, set against a dark background. Her expression is calm and serene.

Yet Shelley’s legacy reaches far beyond her famous novel. She was a thinker shaped by revolution, love, loss and intellectual curiosity. Her life reads like a story of its own: a tale of genius, tragedy and quiet resilience in an age when women writers were rarely taken seriously.

A Legacy That Still Lives

More than two hundred years after Frankenstein was first published in 1818, its questions still feel modern. What does it mean to create life? When does progress become hubris? The story’s blend of science, morality and human emotion continues to inspire countless adaptations in film, theatre and art.

Shelley’s influence extends far beyond horror. Many scholars credit her as one of the founding figures of modern science fiction, a writer who understood that new technologies would not only change the world but challenge the human heart.

Her creation has become part of the collective imagination, but behind it stood a young woman navigating grief, love, scandal and the expectations of a society that never quite knew what to make of her.

Early Life: Born Into Ideas

Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was born in London in 1797 to remarkable parents. Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a pioneering feminist thinker and author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Her father, William Godwin, was a radical philosopher known for his ideas on justice and liberty.

Her mother died shortly after giving birth, leaving Mary to be raised by Godwin, who encouraged her education and allowed her access to his vast library. She grew up surrounded by the leading intellectuals of the day, absorbing ideas about politics, philosophy and art from an early age.

By the time she was a teenager, Mary was already drawn to writing. Her father’s home became a gathering place for poets and radicals, and it was there that she met the young Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Their meeting would alter both of their lives.

A Scandalous Romance and a Restless Mind

In 1814, when Mary was sixteen, she and Percy began a relationship that shocked London’s literary circles. He was already married, and their elopement to Europe caused a public scandal. They lived as outcasts for years, moving between England, France, Switzerland and Italy, always chasing inspiration and fleeing judgement.

The couple endured extraordinary hardship. Several of their children died in infancy, leaving Mary consumed by grief. Yet she continued to write, often in the margins of their turbulent lives. Her journals from this period show both her emotional depth and her growing intellectual independence.

The Birth of Frankenstein

A somber person with facial stitches and bolts in a dim lab with candles and a sparking machine, wearing a distressed black outfit.

The summer of 1816 would change everything. Staying at a villa near Lake Geneva with Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and others, the group found themselves trapped indoors by stormy weather. To pass the time, Byron proposed that everyone write a ghost story.

For days, Mary wrestled with ideas. One night, after a conversation about electricity and reanimation, she had a vivid waking dream of a scientist who created life and recoiled in horror at what he had made. That image became the seed of Frankenstein.

She began writing soon after, and by 1818, the novel was published anonymously in London. Many assumed the author was Percy Shelley. When Mary’s name was added to the second edition, readers were stunned to discover that one of the darkest and most profound novels of the age had been written by a young woman.

The book’s success was immediate, but controversial. Some praised its imagination and philosophical depth; others dismissed it as morbid. Over time, it would come to define an entire genre.

Life After Frankenstein

Tragedy continued to shape Mary’s life. Her half-sister and close friend both died by suicide, and in 1822, Percy Shelley drowned in a boating accident off the coast of Italy. Mary was twenty-four and left alone with their only surviving child, Percy Florence Shelley.

In the years after her husband’s death, she turned to writing both to support herself and to process her grief. Although Frankenstein remained her most famous work, she produced a series of thoughtful novels that explored love, loss, and resilience.

Her 1826 novel The Last Man imagined a future world devastated by plague and isolation. It was one of the earliest works of post-apocalyptic fiction, though it was not widely appreciated at the time. Critics found it bleak and strange, but modern readers see it as visionary.

Other novels, such as Lodore (1835) and Falkner (1837), examined family relationships, morality and the struggles of women in a society that constrained them. These works never achieved the fame of Frankenstein, but they showed Mary’s range as a writer and her commitment to moral and emotional truth.

She also wrote essays, short stories, and travel books such as Rambles in Germany and Italy (1844), which revealed her sharp observation and political awareness.

A Quiet Strength

Mary Shelley lived through loss that would have broken many. She buried her mother, children, husband and several close friends before reaching middle age. Yet she continued to write, edit and advocate for the preservation of her husband’s poetry.

She was respected but not wealthy, admired by some but underestimated by many. Victorian society still viewed her through the lens of Frankenstein and her association with Percy Shelley. She worked tirelessly to establish her own reputation, even as she battled poor health.

Illness and Final Years

In her later years, Mary suffered from severe headaches and episodes of paralysis, possibly caused by a brain tumour. These conditions made writing increasingly difficult. Despite this, she continued to correspond with friends and literary figures, and remained devoted to her son.

She died in London in 1851, aged fifty-three. Her son and daughter-in-law buried her in St Peter’s Church, Bournemouth, near the remains of her parents.

Among her belongings, they found a small parcel wrapped in silk containing her late husband’s heart.

The Enduring Influence of Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley’s life was extraordinary: part love story, part tragedy, part revolution in thought. She gave the world one of its most haunting stories, written at a time when women were rarely allowed to speak, let alone create monsters.

Her work bridged the Romantic and modern eras, asking what it means to be human in a world reshaped by science. More than two centuries later, Frankenstein still feels alive, a story that refuses to die, just like the creature she imagined on that stormy night by the lake.

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Oil Prices Climb as Geopolitical Risks Mount – UK Drivers Face Rising Costs at the Pump

Paul Francis
Jun 2
3 min read

Global oil prices have risen sharply in recent weeks, fuelled by escalating geopolitical tensions and strategic moves by major producers. The result is a familiar squeeze on British drivers, with forecourt prices already edging upwards and warnings of broader economic consequences beginning to emerge.

Man refueling car, using a payment terminal at a gas station. Fuel pumps show Diesel, Natural 95, and E10. Bright daylight setting.

The Global Picture: Conflict and Supply Disruption

The latest surge in oil prices has been driven in part by intensifying hostilities between Ukraine and Russia. A series of Ukrainian drone attacks has reportedly knocked out more than 10 percent of Russia’s oil refining capacity, targeting military airfields and strategic energy infrastructure. The strikes mark a bold new phase in the conflict and have sparked concerns over the stability of global supply.

Russia’s potential retaliation could further disrupt oil exports, a risk that has already rattled commodity markets. Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, has traded above 90 US dollars per barrel in recent sessions – its highest level since early 2024. Market analysts suggest that unless tensions ease, the price could breach the 100-dollar mark in the coming weeks.

Adding to the uncertainty, the oil producers’ alliance OPEC+ has announced an increase in output for July. The move is designed to rein in over-producing members and maintain market stability. However, investors appear unconvinced. Rising production has been overshadowed by fears of prolonged geopolitical instability and the potential for widespread disruption.

From Global Shocks to Local Strain

The impact of surging oil prices is already being felt at the UK’s petrol stations. In the first week of June, average prices for unleaded petrol rose to around 150p per litre. Analysts now warn that continued market turbulence could see this figure increase to between 155p and 160p per litre by July.

For the average British motorist, that translates to several pounds more per fill-up. For households dependent on regular travel – particularly in rural or semi-urban areas with limited public transport – the financial strain could escalate quickly.

Yet the effects are not confined to personal transport. Rising fuel costs feed directly into the cost of moving goods, raising the price of food, consumer products and everyday essentials. Businesses in logistics, retail and hospitality are expected to pass on some of those costs, further intensifying the pressure on household budgets.

Economic Ripple Effects

According to economic observers, a sustained rise in oil prices could feed into broader inflationary pressures. Higher transport costs are likely to raise prices across multiple sectors, potentially derailing efforts to keep inflation in check. The Bank of England, which has been cautiously optimistic about slowing price growth, may now need to reassess its outlook.

In the aviation sector, airlines have warned of fuel cost volatility impacting their summer schedules. Delivery companies are also watching the situation closely, with the possibility of temporary surcharges being reintroduced if wholesale fuel prices remain elevated.

The government is under growing pressure to provide support. Although the 5p fuel duty cut introduced in 2022 remains in place, motoring organisations have renewed calls for further relief. Campaigners argue that without action, rising fuel prices could deepen the cost of living crisis for millions.

The Political Calculus

With a general election expected within the next year, fuel prices could quickly become a political flashpoint. Ministers will be keen to avoid a repeat of past protests, such as the fuel blockades of the early 2000s. Treasury officials are reportedly monitoring the situation, though any additional cuts to fuel duty would carry a significant fiscal cost.

Public sentiment is also shifting. A YouGov survey conducted last week found that over 60 percent of UK adults believe the government should do more to protect consumers from global energy price shocks. For policymakers in Westminster, the challenge will be balancing economic stability with voter expectations.

Looking Ahead

The outlook for oil prices – and the knock-on effects in the UK – remains uncertain. Much depends on developments in Eastern Europe and the response of major oil-producing nations in the coming months. What is clear is that British drivers and consumers are once again caught in the crossfire of global energy politics.

If oil prices continue to rise, the UK could be heading into another season of economic tension, with motorists once again feeling the sharp end of international conflict.