logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
30m 36s

Mary Shelley Brings Frankenstein to Life

The HISTORY® Channel | Back Pocket Studios
About this episode

June 10, 1816. A storm settles over Lake Geneva, Switzerland. Stuck inside a romantic villa, five writers grow restless. Then one of them issues a challenge: Who among us can write the most terrifying ghost story? The group includes two of the most accomplished poets of the day – Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. But it’s Percy's lover, Mary, who creates an enduring masterpiece: the novel Frankenstein. How did Mary Shelley draw from her life to write this harrowing story? And why have we been talking about it for more than two hundred years?


Special thanks to our guest, Charlotte Gordon, author of Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft & Mary Shelley.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Oct 6
Stalin’s War on Genetics
October 11, 1955. Nearly three hundred of the Soviet Union’s top scientists sign a secret letter demanding the removal of one man: Trofim Lysenko. For decades, Lysenko had Joseph Stalin’s ear, ruling Soviet biology with an iron fist—banning genetics, rewriting textbooks, and send ... Show More
40m 38s
Sep 29
The Bone Wars
October 4, 1915. President Woodrow Wilson designates Dinosaur National Monument as a national historic site. That’s a big deal, right? There must’ve been a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony, maybe even a parade. But no. In 1915, nobody really cares about dinosaurs. But that is all ab ... Show More
35m 11s
Sep 22
When Nintendo (and Mario) Rescued Video Games
September 27, 1986. You’re a kid in the mid-80s. You get home from school, flip on the TV, and see something strange: a commercial where a giant egg hatches behind a family’s console, revealing a toy robot. His name is R.O.B. — the Robotic Operating Buddy — but he's just an acces ... Show More
30m 15s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2022
Episode 33 - Mary Shelley, la magie de l'écrivaine
Avant même d’être popularisé par le cinéma, Frankenstein a été un mythe littéraire, le plus important avec celui de Faust, de la période romantique. Conçu par une Anglaise âgée d’à peine 18 ans et apparaissant dans son premier livre intitulé Frankenstein ou le Prométhée moderne, ... Show More
19m 26s
Nov 2023
The Mortal Immortal by Mary Shelley - Mary Shelley Short Stories
Would you choose to live forever if you could? What would it be like to outlive all your friends and family, including your spouse? The Mortal Immortal written by Mary Shelley, that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, with at least one lost vintage sci-fi short story in every epis ... Show More
45m 44s
Mar 2021
Frankenstein
19th century author Mary Shelley is known for penning the classic horror novel, Frankenstein. But many contest her authorship. Were Mary and other female authors victims of a sexist industry? Or was there more going on behind the scenes? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po ... Show More
41m 6s
Oct 2011
Who was the real Dr. Frankenstein?
It's no secret that Mary Shelley's infamous novel has influenced generations of writers, but is completely based on fiction, or was Shelley inspired by real-life events? Tune in to learn more about the real Dr. Frankenstein. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartp ... Show More
22m 33s
Feb 2020
Mary Shelley
Greg Jenner is joined by literary expert Dr Corin Throsby and comedian Lauren Pattison to explore the often turbulent life of literary icon Mary Shelley. Join us as we all question our life achievements while discussing the groundbreaking work Mary produced by the age of just 20, ... Show More
48m 23s
May 2024
Frankenstein Goes to Hollywood
We're doing things a little differently this episode. There are still spoilers ahead! Frankenstein is considered by many people to be a solid first choice for the first science fiction novel. (Before you start jumping up and down in disgust, yes, there are many stories from ... Show More
49m 9s
Oct 2022
Mary Shelley (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined by literary expert Dr Corin Throsby and comedian Lauren Pattison to explore the often turbulent life of literary icon Mary Shelley. Join them as we all question our life achievements while discussing the groundbreaking work Mary produced by the age of just 2 ... Show More
28m 37s