 From Frankenstein 's first theatrical adaptation in 1823 to the cinematic adaptations of the 20th century , including the first cinematic version in 1910 and now @-@ famous versions such as James Whale 's 1931 Frankenstein , Mel Brooks ' 1974 Young Frankenstein , and Kenneth Branagh 's 1994 Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein , many audiences first encounter the work of Mary Shelley through adaptation . Over the course of the 19th century , Mary Shelley came to be seen as a one @-@ novel author at best , rather than as the professional writer she was ; most of her works have remained out of print until the last thirty years , obstructing a larger view of her achievement . In recent decades , the republication of almost all her writing has stimulated a new recognition of its value . Her habit of intensive reading and study , revealed in her journals and letters and reflected in her works , is now better appreciated . Shelley 's conception of herself as an author has also been recognised ; after Percy 's death , she wrote of her authorial ambitions : " I think that I can maintain myself , and there is something inspiriting in the idea . " Scholars now consider Mary Shelley to be a major Romantic figure , significant for her literary achievement and her political voice as a woman and a liberal . 
