'My Hideous Progeny': Mary Shelley, Mental Torment, and the Birth of a Monster

Was Mary Shelley’s literary genius born from inspiration, or was it forged in struggle? In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis, we explore the life and mind of Mary Shelley, examining how personal tragedy, intellectual ambition, and the influence of radical thinkers shaped her groundbreaking work, Frankenstein.

From her complex relationships with William Godwin and Percy Bysshe Shelley to her financial struggles and battles as a woman in a male-dominated literary world, Mary Shelley’s life was as tumultuous as the novel that made her famous. This episode delves into the interplay between creativity and emotional turmoil, questioning whether her personal losses—her mother’s death, miscarriages, and the death of Percy—were catalysts for her dark and visionary storytelling. Was Frankenstein an act of pure imagination, or a reflection of the grief and isolation that haunted her?

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