It's unknown whether Ms. Shelley ever achieved her dream of creating life. While it is true that her secret notebook gives account, in astonishing detail, the tools and methods needed for doing so, there is no evidence to suggest she ever succeeded.

Today, however, the hope of a small group of enthusiasts has been rekindled owing to the notes' recent discovery.

They work in secret, pushing the boundaries of both science and ethics, trying to create a new kind of life - a creature that, if Mary was right, will obey their every whim.