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Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream Brings the Feminist Icon to the Comic Page

Mad Cave Studios has announced the print edition of comixology Original, Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream—a stirring new edition, arriving in English for the first time. This expressively illustrated fictional account follows the life of Mary Shelley, the groundbreaking writer whose imagination birthed one of literature’s most enduring figures: Frankenstein’s monster, with cameos from Romantic-era artists and writers woven throughout.

Written by Naples native Alessandro Di Virgilio and illustrated by Manuela Santoni, with translation by Lucy Lenzi and editing by Stefano A. Cresti and Sarah BrunstadMary Shelley: The Eternal Dream blends biography and fiction in a haunting narrative told through the eyes of Shelley’s infamous creation.

The extraordinary life of the woman who created one of fiction’s most enduring characters: Frankenstein’s monster. Born at the turn of the 19th century to the famous philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft (forerunner of the feminist movement) and William Godwin (novelist and radical politician), Mary Shelley lived a life in constant flight from social conformity. Her struggle birthed a pop culture phenomenon. Now in print for the first time in English, Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream chronicles Shelley’s relationships with other important artists and writers, including her eventual husband Percy Shelley, and the “butterfly effect” of love, hardship, tragedy, and inspiration that led to the creation of the infamous monster.

Perfect for fans of literary history, feminist icons, and gothic storytelling, Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream stands alongside illustrated works like Fun Home, Jane, and The Brontë Sisters. With its unique narrative voice and evocative art, this edition invites readers to see not only the facts of Shelley’s life, but the very heart whose scars brought Frankenstein’s monster to life.

Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream will be available wherever books are sold on January 13, 2026, and at local comic shops on January 14, 2026. Final Order Cutoff is on December 1, 2025.

Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream

Preview: Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream

Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream

Written by Alessandro Di Virgilio with art by Manuela Santoni
Translated from Italian by Lucy Lenzi
Lettering and layout by Giulia Gabrielli
Edited by Stefano A. Cresti
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The life of writer Mary Shelley, daughter of the famous philosopher, Mary Wollstonecraft, forerunner of the feminist movement, and William Godwin, novelist and radical politician is a constant escape from 19th century conformity, filled with acquaintances with important artists and writers.

When she was 17, she eloped with her future husband, the romantic poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley, to then visit Europe with her step-sister Claire and her lover, the famous Lord Byron.

In 1816, the year without a summer, the four of them stayed in Geneva at Villa Diodati, along with the doctor and writer, John Polidori. In order to combat boredom during rainy days, they created a challenge to write a story which would evoke “true terror.” Mary created one of the most beloved monsters in world literature, Frankenstein, also known as the modern Prometheus, the incarnation of man’s ancient fear towards diversity and the unknown.

Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream