The Invention Of Science Fiction…

From The Pen Of A Teenage Girl

Science Fiction is a wonderful genre. It can be as broad and ambitious as space operas like James S. A. Corey’s The Expanse series, play with time and what-if scenarios like PKD’s The Man in the High Castle, or simple and whimsical like Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

However, like all big things, they start rather small and simple, and so did the science fiction genre some 200 years ago. At the time, we had some terrific authors penning classics, but the origin of one of the most popular genres today comes from a source not many would have expected, given the way of the world at the time.

Thank The Weather

The story of how Mary Shelley came to write Frankenstein is as legendary as the novel itself. In 1816, 18-year-old Mary and her future husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, spent a summer in Switzerland with Lord Byron and some friends. Stuck indoors due to relentless storms, the group decided to pass the time with a ghost story contest. Inspired by scientific experiments of the day—particularly those involving electricity and the reanimation of dead tissue—she began crafting the story that would become Frankenstein.

Think about it: Mary Shelley was just a teenager when she conceived a tale so profound it would shape an entire literary genre. She wasn’t simply writing about a monster; she was tackling big philosophical questions about creation, responsibility, and the boundaries of human achievement.

Breaking Barriers

Mary Shelley wasn’t just a young writer—she was a young female writer in an era when women were expected to stick to embroidery rather than groundbreaking literature. Publishing wasn’t an easy road. At first, Frankenstein was released anonymously, leading many to assume it was written by a man (because surely no woman could dream up something so macabre and complex, right?).

When her name was eventually revealed, she faced intense scrutiny—not just for the novel’s dark themes but for daring to step outside the “acceptable” boundaries for women. Yet Shelley persisted. Over her lifetime, she wrote numerous novels, essays, and travelogues, cementing her place in literary history.

The Birth Of Science Fiction

So why is Frankenstein considered the first science fiction novel? It would be easy to write it off as a horror novel, it certainly plays into that category with its ghoulish patchwork monster and layers of tension. But unlike earlier gothic works, which relied on supernatural elements, Frankenstein is grounded in science—or at least the science of its time. Shelley took contemporary theories about electricity and biology and asked, “What if?” That simple but powerful question became the foundation of the entire genre.

Her novel introduced a key hallmark of science fiction: exploring the ethical implications of scientific advancement. From H.G. Wells’ time machines to the AI dilemmas of modern sci-fi, Shelley’s influence is everywhere. Today, science fiction is a vast and varied genre, but its roots lie firmly in the hands of a teenage girl who dared to ask questions about science, humanity, and morality.

A Classic Inspiration

At 18, most of us are just figuring out what we want to do with our lives. Mary created an enduring masterpiece. As a woman in a male-dominated society, she opened doors for future generations of writers, proving that imagination knows no gender.

If there’s one thing you can take from this, it’s to believe in yourself. If Shelley can turn around a literary classic at 18 in a world where women weren’t allowed to do much of anything, who knows what you could achieve if you put your mind to it?