Description: 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 literature: 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 Monsters: 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.
Review Quotes: "If you are a horror fan, a history buff, a culture student, a movie-goer, an avid reader or a combination of any or all of these you are about to have the reading adventure of a lifetime." - Sara Karloff, daughter of Boris Karloff
"Here are fresh and original readings of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's timeless work. Each essay demonstrates that so long as humans do not change fundamentally, Frankenstein's power will remain undiminished by age." - Leslie S. Klinger, author of the New Annotated Frankenstein