FAQ About Frankenstein
When and where did Mary Shelley write Frankenstein?
Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein in the summer of 1816, while she was staying in Switzerland. She was only 18 years old at the time. The novel's conception was part of a creative challenge issued by Lord Byron, who suggested that each member of their group of friends (which included Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron, John Polidori, and others) should try writing a ghost story.
The group had gathered at Lake Geneva, Switzerland, during the summer of 1816. This period became known as the "Year Without a Summer" due to the climatic effects of the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia the previous year, which caused severe weather anomalies and exceptionally low temperatures in Europe and North America.
During their stay, the group engaged in discussions about various topics, including science, philosophy, and the supernatural. These conversations, combined with the dreary and gloomy weather, inspired Mary Shelley's imagination and provided the backdrop for the creation of Frankenstein.
The novel's writing process continued beyond that summer, and Mary Shelley completed and revised the manuscript over the following months. Frankenstein was first published anonymously in 1818, and its authorship was later attributed to Mary Shelley, making her one of the pioneering female authors in the field of science fiction and horror literature.
