Wollstonecraft Shelley

I LIVED far from the busy haunts of men, and the rumour of wars or political changes came wornto a mere sound, to our mountain abodes. England had been the scene of momentous struggles, during my early boyhood. In the year 2073, the last of its kings, the ancient friend of my father, hadabdicated in compliance with the gentle force of the remonstrances of his subjects, and a republicwas instituted. Large estates were secured to the dethroned monarch and his family; he received thetitle of Earl of Windsor, and Windsor Castle, an ancient royalty, with its wide demesnes were a partof his allotted wealth. He died soon after, leaving two children, a son and a daughter.The ex-queen, a princess of the house of Austria, had long impelled her husband to withstand thenecessity of the times. She was haughty and fearless; she cherished a love of power, and a bittercontempt for him who had despoiled himself of a kingdom. For her children's sake alone sheconsented to remain, shorn of regality, a member of the English republic. When she became awidow, she turned all her thoughts to the educating her son Adrian, second Earl of Windsor, so asto accomplish her ambitious ends; and with his mother's milk he imbibed, and was intended to growup in the steady purpose of re-acquiring his lost crown. Adrian was now fifteen years of age. He wasaddicted to study, and imbued beyond his years with learning and talent: report said that he hadalready begun to thwart his mother's views, and to entertain republican principles. However thismight be, the haughty Countess entrusted none with the secrets of her family-tuition. Adrian wasbred up in solitude, and kept apart from the natural companions of his age and rank. Someunknown circumstance now induced his mother to send him from under her immediate tutelage;and we heard that he was about to visit Cumberland. A thousand tales were rife, explanatory of theCountess of Windsor's conduct; none true probably; but each day it became more certain that weshould have the noble scion of the late regal house of England among us.There was a large estate with a mansion attached to it, belonging to this family, at Ulswater. A largepark was one of its appendages, laid out with great taste, and plentifully stocked with game. I hadoften made depredations on these preserves; and the neglected state of the property facilitated myincursions. When it was decided that the young Earl of Windsor should visit Cumberland, workmenarrived to put the house and grounds in order for his reception. The apartments were restored totheir pristine splendour, and the park, all disrepairs restored, was guarded with unusual care

Complete

The Last Man

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was 18, and the first edition was published anonymously in London on 1 January 1818, when she was 20. Her name first appeared in the second edition, which was published in Paris in 1821.Shelley travelled through Europe in 1815 along the river Rhine in Germany, stopping in Gernsheim, 17 kilometres (11 mi) away from Frankenstein Castle, where two centuries before, an alchemist engaged in experiments. She then journeyed to the region of Geneva, Switzerland, where much of the story takes place. Galvanism and occult ideas were topics of conversation among her companions, particularly her lover and future husband Percy B. Shelley. In 1816, Mary, Percy and Lord Byron had a competition to see who could write the best horror story. After thinking for days, Shelley was inspired to write Frankenstein after imagining a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made.Though Frankenstein is infused with elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement, Brian Aldiss has argued that it should be considered the first true science fiction story. In contrast to previous stories with fantastical elements resembling those of later science fiction, Aldiss states that the central character "makes a deliberate decision" and "turns to modern experiments in the laboratory" to achieve fantastic results. The novel has had a considerable influence on literature and popular culture and spawned a complete genre of horror stories, films, and plays.

Or, the Modern Prometheus

Frankenstein

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Notes to the Complete Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley

Mary

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, is a novel written by English author Mary Shelley about eccentric scientist Victor Frankenstein, who creates a grotesque creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty. The first edition was published anonymously in London in 1818. Shelley's name appears on the second edition, published in France in 1823. Shelley had travelled through Europe in 1814, journeying along the river Rhine in Germany with a stop in Gernsheim which is just 17 km (10 mi) away from Frankenstein Castle, where two centuries before an alchemist was engaged in experiments. Later, she traveled in the region of Geneva (Switzerland)-where much of the story takes place-and the topics of galvanism and other similar occult ideas were themes of conversation among her companions, particularly her lover and future husband, Percy Shelley. Mary, Percy, Lord Byron, and John Polidori decided to have a competition to see who could write the best horror story. After thinking for days, Shelley dreamt about a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made; her dream later evolved into the story within the novel. Frankenstein is infused with elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement and is also considered to be one of the earliest examples of science fiction. Brian Aldiss has argued that it should be considered the first true science fiction story, because unlike in previous stories with fantastical elements resembling those of later science fiction, the central character "makes a deliberate decision" and "turns to modern experiments in the laboratory" to achieve fantastic results. It has had a considerable influence across literature and popular culture and spawned a complete genre of horror stories, films, and plays. Since publication of the novel, the name "Frankenstein" is often used to refer to the monster itself.

Wollstonecraft Shelley

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