My Victorian Nightmare

Ep. 53 - The Exquisite Grief of Mary Shelley

Jul 28, 2025
Dive into the intriguing life of Mary Shelley, the mother of science fiction and gothic horror. Explore her poetic romance with Percy Shelley and their tragic losses, which deeply influenced her writing. Discover the haunting beginnings of Frankenstein, born from a ghost-story challenge during the infamous Year Without a Summer. Learn how personal grief shaped her creations and the profound themes of loss and yearning in her work. Mary’s journey is a powerful testament to resilience and the creative process.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

Childhood Graveyard Inspirations

  • Mary Godwin read spooky poetry in churchyards and hid behind couches while listening to Coleridge read The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
  • These childhood experiences nurtured her gothic imagination and early comfort with graveyard settings.
ANECDOTE

Lanterned Cemetery Courtship

  • Mary and Percy professed love at her mother's grave during a lantern-lit cemetery date and soon eloped to France with Claire.
  • Their runaway life combined romance, poverty, intellectual camaraderie, and complicated free-love dynamics.
ANECDOTE

The Death That Haunted Her

  • Mary gave birth to a premature daughter Clara who died in her crib, and her journal tersely records, “Find my baby dead.”
  • The loss haunted Mary and fueled recurring nightmares about reviving the dead.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app