Mary Shelley Was Inspired To Write Frankenstein For A Ghost Story Challenge During “The Year Without Summer.”

Percey Shelley and Mary Godwin (at the time) came to Geneva, Switzerland for the summer of 1816 despite the miserable weather. There, Lord Bryon, who was touring with John Polidori, his doctor at the time, was encountered by Percy, Mary, their son William, and Mary's stepsister Claire. They discussed personal philosophies and the origin of life throughout the dismal summer days, according to the British Library.

Lord Bryon then suggested one day that they all create ghost stories to exchange with one another. "I busied myself to think of a story", Mary Shelley wrote in the opening to Frankenstein. "One to make the reader dread looking around, to make the blood curdle, and to quicken the heartbeats - one to speak to the mysterious anxieties of our nature and arouse exhilarating horror. I would not be able to call my ghost story a ghost story if I did not succeed in doing these things".

Mary Shelley was inspired to write her most famous horror novel, Frankenstein, which would be read for many generations to come thanks to the ghost story competition and the depressing atmosphere of their summer. This is one of the interesting facts about Mary Shelley.