John Yorke takes a look at Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus.

Mary Shelley began the short story that would develop into her Gothic novel in 1816 while she was still a teenager. It was published two years later when she was twenty. Despite her young age the book has mature themes: the perils of unregulated scientific experiment, the responsibilities that come with parenting, how society treats the vulnerable and outcast, and man’s role in the universe. Written at a time when women were largely denied an education, this was an extraordinary feat. At the time the fashion was for novels with prescriptive moral lessons; yet Mary created complex characters and storylines that allowed readers to draw their own conclusions.

The daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin, both literary celebrities, Mary should have had the best start possible for a writer. But her mother died a few days after giving birth to her and soon afterwards her father remarried, leaving the education of his daughter neglected. That Mary had the resourcefulness to educate herself, and then to go on to write such a groundbreaking novel was a testament both to her talent and determination.

John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and he shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatized in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. From EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless, he has been obsessed with telling big popular stories. He has spent years analysing not just how stories work but why they resonate with audiences around the globe, and has brought together his experience in his bestselling book Into the Woods. As former Head of Channel Four Drama, Controller of BBC Drama Production and MD of Company Pictures, John has tested his theories during an extensive production career working on some of the world’s most lucrative, widely viewed and critically acclaimed TV drama. As founder of the hugely successful BBC Writers Academy, John has trained a generation of screenwriters.

Contributor: Dr Anna Mercer, Cardiff University

Researcher: Nina Semple

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4