Mary Shelley was a 19th century English writer who pioneered what later became known as science fiction, composing the science-based horror story Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, and the future history The Last Man. Shelley's circle of friends included poet Lord Byron and John Polidori, who was one of the first to write about vampires. She was married to Byron's close friend and fellow Romantic poet Percy Shelley.
Biography
The Eighth Doctor mentioned that he and Professor Chronotis spent time near Lake Geneva with Mary and Byron. (WC: Shada, AUDIO: Shada)
In June 1816, Mary encountered two versions of the Eighth Doctor simultaneously. She witnessed the older versions apparently coming back to life after being dead, providing inspiration for Frankenstein. Mary then left with the earlier version of the Doctor and travelled with him for years. (AUDIO: Mary's Story)
Hours after leaving Lake Geneva, the Doctor took Mary to Vienna on 11 September 1873, where they encountered two Cybermen. (AUDIO: The Silver Turk)
She later visited Lincolnshire in 2011 and in the 1650s, where she encountered some Varaxils who were looking for a human who could channel Odic energy. She also met Aleister Portillon who was obsessed with Lord Byron and had a biography on Mary herself. (AUDIO: The Witch From the Well)
During her travels with the Doctor, Mary met Axons and King Harold at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066. (AUDIO: Mary's Story)
Another adventure with Mary involved her believing someone to be her brother, until the Doctor had pointed out that it was not. (AUDIO: Neverland)
After her encounter with the Bone Lord, Mary decided to leave the Doctor's company, as she feared his other companion: death.(AUDIO: Army of Death)
Also in 1816, Mary encountered the Tenth Doctor as Zzazik, an alien creature wrapped in bandages, was absorbing bolts of energy. This sight provided Mary with inspiration for a scene in Frankenstein. The Doctor mentioned that she looked familiar, but did not comment further. (COMIC: The Creative Spark)
- The chronological order of Mary's encounters with the Doctor in 1816 from her point of view is not known.
In 1822, Mary was widowed when her husband Percy drowned after his schooner sank off the coast of Italy. (PROSE: Managra)
Legacy
The Eighth Doctor had a copy of Shelley's Frankenstein in his TARDIS library, inscribed to him by her, implying that the two remained on good terms after her departure from the TARDIS. The Doctor read the preface aloud, and mentioned that what Mary wrote wasn't the entire truth about what happened. (AUDIO: Storm Warning)
The Twelfth Doctor saw Mary, among other companions, when Bernice Summerfield was hit by temporal energy in the Pyramid Eternia. (PROSE: Big Bang Generation)
Other information
A Reprise of Shelley lived in Europa and fought alongside the Fourth Doctor. (PROSE: Managra)
Behind the scenes
- A few years after writing Frankenstein, Shelley wrote a little known science fiction novel called The Last Man, which takes place at the end of the 21st century. In the context of the Whoniverse, and the recent revelation that she travelled with the Doctor, it is possible that her writing of this book (and, possibly, of Frankenstein) may have been influenced by her experiences with the Doctor. The prologue of The Last Man even includes a story of the author and her unnamed travelling companion and cites this adventure as the inspiration for the novel.
- Although Percy and Mary Shelley were depicted as husband and wife in June 1816 in the audio story Mary's Story, they did not actually get married until 30 December of that year.
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