Books with author Mary W. Shelley

Penned by Mary Shelley (1797-1851), Frankenstein is the best-selling Gothic classic about an experiment that goes horribly wrong, and a monster who swears revenge on his creator. Swiss student Victor Frankenstein uncovers the secret to bringing life to what is lifeless, and in assembling body parts to create a monster, ultimately sets the stage for his own destruction and that of everything that he loves when the monster is rejected by society. Penned as part of a competition between Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Polidori to see who could write the best horror story, Frankenstein is resonant with themes of love, friendship, hubris, and fear. It presents the epic battle between man and monster, showing that man is not always capable of controlling that which he creates.Frankenstein was first published anonymously in London in 1818, reflecting English biases towards female authors, and Mary Shelley was not credited as the author of Frankenstein until the French edition was published in 1823. Frankenstein has had a lasting influence on literary tradition, opening the door to literary horror as a genre, and is widely recognized as the first work of science fiction. It has been adapted for film, television, and stage, as well as providing the basis for new works of literary fiction.

This eBook has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. The Last Man is a post-apocalyptic novel which tells of a future world that has been ravaged by a plague. Lionel Verney or The Last Man is the orphan son of an impoverished nobleman. Lionel is originally lawless, self-willed, and resentful of the nobility for casting aside his father. When he is befriended by Adrian, son of the last King of England, he embraces civilization and particularly scholarship.

The Last Manby Mary ShelleyDownloadA futuristic story of tragic love and of the gradual extermination of the human race by plague, The Last Man is Mary Shelley's most important novel after Frankenstein. With intriguing portraits of Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron, the novel offers a vision of the future that expresses a reaction against Romanticism, and demonstrates the failure of the imagination and of art to redeem the doomed characters.Fiction Science Fiction

This eBook, with an active table of contentsFrankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is the original 1818 'Uncensored' Edition of Frankenstein as first published anonymously in 1818. This original version is much more true to the spirit of the author's original intentions than the heavily revised 1831 edition, edited by Shelley, in part, because of pressure to make the story more conservative. Many scholars prefer the 1818 text to the more common 1831 edition.Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel written by Mary Shelley about a creature produced by an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was nineteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first edition was published anonymously in London in 1818. Shelley's name appears on the second edition, published in France in 1823.Shelley had travelled in the region of Geneva, where much of the story takes place, and the topics of galvanism and other similar occult ideas were themes of conversation among her companions, particularly her future husband, Percy Shelley. The storyline emerged from a dream. Mary, Percy, Lord Byron, and John Polidori decided to have a competition to see who could write the best horror story. After thinking for weeks about what her possible storyline could be, Shelley dreamt about a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made. She then wrote Frankenstein.

The Last Man, by Mary ShelleyIncludes: Complete BibliographyBiography of Mary ShelleyLive Linked table of contents for easy navigationSoon, too soon, I entered the giddy whirl; forgetting my studious hours, and the companionship of Adrian. Passionate desire of sympathy, and ardent pursuit for a wished-for object still characterized me. The sight of beauty entranced me, and attractive manners in man or woman won my entire confidence. I called it rapture, when a smile made my heart beat; and I felt the life's blood tingle in my frame, when I approached the idol which for awhile I worshipped. The mere flow of animal spirits was Paradise, and at night's close I only desired a renewal of the intoxicating delusion. The dazzling light of ornamented rooms; lovely forms arrayed in splendid dresses; the motions of a dance, the voluptuous tones of exquisite music, cradled my senses in one delightful dream.

Known widely as the author of "Frankenstein", Mary Shelley horrified us with her notorious monster brought to life with more humanity than we care to admit.Her later, lesser-known novel "The Last Man" (1826) explores similar thematic concerns, though from a vastly different perspective. The nightmarish story envisions the end of humanity from a ruthless and inescapable plague. Full of heart-wrenching loss, "The Last Man tests" the resilience of humanity, as well as its capacity for sorrow and grief.Of Shelley’s literary works, "The Last Man" can be seen as the not only the most autobiographical, but also as a literary tribute and memorial to her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley , and Lord Byron amongst other members of her coterie. "The Last Man" is largely shaped by the events of Mary Shelley’s life, and, to a lesser extent, by some of the historical events of Europe during the 1810’s and early 1820’s.Plot:The story is discovered, in 1818, in fragments buried in an ancient cave, rumoured to be the cave of the Sybils. The writings contain the recollections of a “past” history occurring well into the future. The writings have been left for future generations as a record of the devastating plague of the late twenty-first century. The narrator is Lionel Verney, age thirty-seven, who is, to his knowledge, the last surviving human on Earth. He has left this record in the year 2100, before setting out to sea...

The Apocalyptic Novel of the 19th Century“What is there in our nature that is for ever urging us on towards pain and misery?” - Mary Shelley, The Last ManSet in the late 21th century, The Last Man by Mary Shelley follows closely the life of Lionel who grew up isolated from society although he and his sister were meant to be raised by the Royal British family. Eventually, he becomes civilized and fond of the society of Men after meeting the heir of the British throne, Adrian. But how will he and the human society survive a deadly plague? This Xist Classics edition has been professionally formatted for e-readers with a linked table of contents. This ebook also contains a bonus book club leadership guide and discussion questions. We hope you’ll share this book with your friends, neighbors and colleagues and can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it.Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher. Xist Publishing creates books for the touchscreen generation and is dedicated to helping everyone develop a lifetime love of reading, no matter what form it takes Get your next Xist Classic title for Kindle here: http://amzn.to/1A7cKKl Find all our our books for Kindle here: http://amzn.to/1PooxLl Sign up for the Xist Publishing Newsletter here. Find more great titles on our website.