Trigger warning for discussions of infant death: 38:10 - 38:55
The monster, the myth, the legend: Frankenstein. You know him, you love him, and you love to tell people that ACTUALLY, Dr. Frankenstein was the
REAL monster, and the monster's name isn’t Frankenstein. But who do we have to thank for this cultural phenomenon? The ground breaking novel was the radical, brilliant creation of a teenage girl with a sharp mind and a very complicated life. This week, we’re talking about Mary Shelley, the writer who accidentally invented modern science fiction, horror, and the mad scientist archetype all at once.
From The Year Without a Summer to grief, motherhood, and intellectual rebellion, we explore how Mary’s life shaped the monster we can’t stop retelling. There is so much to her, including the constant drama she was surrounded by, and the legacy some may say she far surpassed. This isn’t just the story of a book, it’s the story of how one woman’s imagination rewired pop culture forever. So grab a quill and stay away from sailboats, because this episode, we’re learning about the Mother of science fiction!
CORRECTIONS: Regarding the Greek Mythology of Prometheus, he was the god that created humans, which is the parallel alluded to in Frankenstein. He did also bring fire to humans against the wishes of Zeus! Also, Nosferatu was never a book, it was originally created as a movie.
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SOURCES
National Review - Mary Shelley among the Radicals
Literary Hub - Did Mary Shelley actually lose her virginity to Percy on top of her mother's grave?
Snopes - Did Mary Shelley Lose Her Virginity on Her Mother's Grave?
History Extra - Mary Wollstonecraft: the firebrand feminist thinker with a rule-breaking life
Wikipedia - Mary Wollstonecraft
Wikipedia - Memoirs of the Author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Jane Lark - This week my scandalous woman is Mary Shelley the author of Frankenstein
Wikipedia - Percy Bysshe Shelley
History Extra - Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: the birth of a gothic monster
Amusing Planet - What is Galvanism, And How Did it Inspire Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein?
Synapsis - Galvanism in 19th Century French Theater: Bringing Dead Words Back to Life
The Ex-Classics Website - GEORGE FOSTER
Anna Mazzola - Did Mary Shelley Keep Percy’s Heart?
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