<p>2016 Reprint of 1831 &ldquo;Popular&rdquo; Edition.&nbsp; Shelley completed her writing in May 1817, and &ldquo;Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus&rdquo; was first published on 11 March 1818 by the small London publishing house Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, ' Jones. &nbsp;It was issued anonymously, with a preface written for Mary by Percy Bysshe Shelley and with a dedication to philosopher William Godwin, her father. It was published in an edition of just 500 copies in three volumes, the standard 'triple-decker' format for 19th-century first editions.</p>

<p>The second edition of Frankenstein was published on 11 August 1822 in two volumes (by G. and W. B. Whittaker) following the success of the stage play &ldquo;Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein&rdquo; by Richard Brinsley Peake.&nbsp; This edition credited Mary Shelley as the author.</p>

<p>On 31 October 1831, the first 'popular' edition in one volume appeared, published by Henry Colburn ' Richard Bentley. This edition was heavily revised by Mary Shelley, partially because of pressure to make the story more conservative. It included a new, longer preface by herself, presenting a somewhat embellished version of the genesis of the story. This edition tends to be the one most widely read now, although editions containing the original 1818 text are still published. &nbsp;Many scholars prefer the 1818 text, arguing that it preserves the spirit of Shelley&#39;s original publication.&nbsp; The &ldquo;Popular&rdquo; edition is the one reprinted herein.</p>