A Vindication of Monsters: Essays on Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley

by Lucy Sussex, Nancy Holder, Sara Karloff

In 1797 an extraordinary visionary died, leaving behind a grieving husband, a two-year-old daughter, and a newborn. The woman was Mary Wollstonecraft, her daughter Fanny Imlay, and her baby Mary Godwin, who, through many trials and tribulations, grew up to become the remarkable Mary Shelley, creator of one of the most important books in Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus . While many books have examined both women’s lives, their remarkable similarities, their passions, joys, and their grief, A Vindication of Essays on Mary Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft , delves deeper into the stories behind both women, their connections to historical events, society, their philosophies, and their political contributions to their time. These essays and memoirs explore Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley, and Shelley’s circle of friends, including her husband, the capricious poet Percy Shelley; the libertine Romantic Lord Byron; the first modern vampire author John Polidori; and other contemporary creatives who continue to be inspired by both women today.

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction

252 pages, Paperback

Published October 15, 2023

About the author

Lucy Sussex's books include Blockbuster! Fergus Hume and The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, which won the 2015 Victorian Community History Award, Women Writers and Detectives in the Nineteenth Century and Saltwater in the Ink: Voices from the Australian Seas. She has a PhD from the University of Wales and is an honorary fellow at La Trobe University. Her forthcoming book is Outrageous Fortunes.

Reviews

[R.A. Goli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankenstein has been one of my favorite books and among the few I’ve re-read several times, so I was excited to read ‘A Vindication of Monsters’.

Most fans know fun facts about how Mary Shelley came up with the idea of Frankenstein during ‘the year without summer,’ and how she allegedly lost her virginity on her mother’s grave. A Vindication of Monsters dives deeper into the lives of Mary Shelley, and those around her, and how Frankenstein - credited as being the first science fiction story - continues to influence writers, film makers, and theatre producers, and is still in print 200 years after its first release.

While I found a few of the essays a tad dull, on the whole they were varied and interesting, discussing themes of revenge, and rejection, within the story and how they may relate to traumas Mary herself suffered. Also discussed at length are themes of morality, and scientific responsibility, as well as feminism.
Most interesting were the essays under the topic ‘Society’. There’s also very handy timeline, family tree, and places of interest sections.

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review

[Kayleigh Dobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful - perfect for people with an interest in Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, classic gothic literature, and scifi and horror fiction.

[Happy Goat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review at Happy Goat Horror:
https://happygoathorror.com/2024/07/0...

These essays ran the danger of being samey, considering that they're mostly about Mary Shelley and her most famous work, Frankenstein. After decades of discussion on this author and her work, you might think that nothing new can be brought to the table. Well, it can, and it's all here!

Every essayist here brought a different angle, topic, and perspective to Mary Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Shelley's works. I particularly enjoyed Lee Murray's essay, which delved into one of Shelley's other, less-known works, and the perspective she brought.

This is perfect for anyone with an interest in this area, and I'd most definitely recommend it as source material for anyone working on a project of this nature.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review soon!