Shelley's upbringing was greatly influenced by her parents' radical ideas. She was educated at home and had access to her father's extensive library, which included works by philosophers such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and Godwin himself. Shelley was also a voracious reader of horror and Gothic fiction, which would later influence her writing.
In 1814, Shelley met the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who became her husband the following year. In 1816, the Shelleys traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, with their friend Lord Byron. The summer of 1816 was a pivotal time for Shelley. It was during this time that she conceived the idea for Frankenstein.
The idea for Frankenstein came to Shelley during a ghost story competition among the group. Byron suggested that each of them write a story about a ghost, and Shelley began thinking about the idea of a creature created from body parts and brought to life. She was also influenced by the scientific experiments that were being conducted in Geneva at the time, such as those of Luigi Galvani, who discovered that electrical currents could cause dead frogs' legs to twitch.
Shelley began writing Frankenstein in the summer of 1816, and she completed it in the spring of 1817. The novel was first published anonymously in January 1818. It was not until the second edition, published in 1823, that Shelley's name appeared as the author.
Frankenstein was an instant success and has since become a classic of Gothic fiction. It has been adapted into numerous films, television shows, and other works of art. Shelley's novel is a powerful exploration of themes such as the nature of life and death, the dangers of scientific hubris, and the importance of love and compassion.