Mary Shelley publishes Frankenstein

Background. The novel emerged from a summer gathering in 1816 near Geneva, where Lord Byron suggested participants write ghost stories. Shelley conceived the idea for Frankenstein during this period; 1816 was the "Year Without a Summer", a long, cold volcanic winter caused by the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815. She began writing the story at age 18 while staying in Bath, later expanding the initial tale into a full novel with encouragement from Percy Shelley.

Publication. Shelley completed her writing in April or May 1817. The first edition was published anonymously in London on 1 January 1818 by the small publishing house Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones. This anonymous release occurred when Shelley was 20 years old. The 1818 text differs from later editions, particularly the 1831 revision published under her name.

Manuscripts. The manuscripts for the first three-volume edition, written between 1816 and 1817, along with the fair copy for the publisher, are housed in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Differences between the 1818, 1823, and 1831 editions have been attributed to Percy Shelley's editing, though the 1818 text remains widely published.