Mary Shelley was born in London, but developed the story of Frankenstein while on a summer trip to Switzerland in 1816, She was traveling with her then married lover, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shortly after this trip, Percy Shelley's pregnant wife committed suicide. Mary and Percy later married, but Mary's life was marked by death and tragedy.
It is quite difficult to believe that a young girl of 18 years old would be the author of a book that would become the first monster film, creation film, bionic film, horror film, publicly banned film, and the first of many Frankenstein films. But we must give this young girl credit for her literary talent and active imagination. Mary Shelley is responsible for many fine literary works of art but none are as famous as Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus published in 1818.