Mary Shelley was famously known for her book, "Frankenstein" the first science fiction book written. Although, most don't talk about her life, it was exceptionally eventful. She was born in 1797, to a feminist philosopher, and to a journalist. Her husband, Percy Shelley was a poet-philosopher. Back to her book, "Frankenstein" her writing was inspired by a trip she took to Geneva with her husband and her step sister, Claire Clairemont Mary Shelley was born to a philosopher, writer, and educator named Mary Wollstonecraft. Her father was a philosopher and novelist, named William Godwin. Mary's mother passed away soon after Mary was born due to puerperal fever. After Mary's mother died, Godwin remarried to help continue raising his children and to help with debt. As Godwin's friends have described, Godwin's new wife was "quick tempered" and "quarrelsome". Mary grew to detest her stepmother and later, one of Godwin's Biographers stated that Godwin's wife favored her own children over those of Wollstonecraft. Mary's father had tutored her in a broad range of subjects and often took her and her siblings on educational trips, they also had access to Godwin's vast library. Mary also had a governess and a daily tutor, she had also read many of Godwin's books on Roman and Greek manuscripts. Percy Bysshe Shelley was Mary's husband, a poetic philosopher. They had met in Scotland during a two day interval on Mary's trip. Percy was already married when the two met, but by the time Mary went back to Scotland, Percy and his wife were estranged. Percy had regularly visited Godwin and agreed to help bail him out of debt. Percy came from a wealthy Aristocratic family, though he became alienated from his family due to his radicalistic views that he imbibed from Godwin. Percy's family cut him off from most of the family's wealth since they wanted him to follow their aristocratic ways. Percy on the other hand wanted to donate large amounts of money to the disadvantaged. Having difficulty gaining access to money, Percy later announced that he could not, or rather would don't pay off Godwin's debt. Godwin was angered and felt betrayed. Mary and Percy later started meeting each other in secret at Mary Wollstonecraft's gravesite at the churchyard. Mary and Percy then declared their love for each other and decided to runaway to France with Mary's stepsister, Claire Clairemont. When Mary was pregnant, Percy and Claire would go on outings alone and were suspected to be having an affair. Mary gave birth to a premature baby girl who wasn't expected to survive. The loss of her baby induced Mary's depression but she had later recovered by the next summer. Mary Godwin's famous book, "Frankenstein" was inspired by her trip to Geneva with her small family and Claire. They had planned to spend the summer with the poet Lord Byron. At Byron's villa, spending their time sitting around a log fire amusing themselves with ghost stories which prompted Byron to propose they each write their own ghost stories. Mary grew anxious for she was unable to think of something to write. Every morning she was asked if she had written a story or not, disappointed, she replied that she hasn't. Until she had thought about the principle's of nature. "Perhaps a corpse would be reanimated." Mary noted. It was after midnight when Mary was unable to sleep when she finally thought of what to write. "I saw a pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw a hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show some sign of life, and stir with an uneasy, half vital motion." Mary continued on with her writing and the rest became history. Mary wasn't awarded for her achievement during her lifetime, "Frankenstein" was although a huge hit and in 2004, she was named in the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.
