Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1816, and it was first published in 1818.

Quick Scoop

  • The core drafting of Frankenstein happened in the summer of 1816, during Mary Shelley's stay near Geneva with Percy Shelley and Lord Byron.
  • She was about 18 years old when she began writing it, which is part of why the book’s ambition still feels so striking today.
  • The novel was first published anonymously on 1 January 1818 as Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.
  • A later, revised edition under her own name appeared in 1831, with stylistic changes and a new preface explaining how the story came to her.

In short: when people ask “when was Frankenstein written,” they usually mean the main composition period in 1816, with publication following in 1818.

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