Michael Wysession is a professor of geophysics in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, and the Executive Director of the Teaching Center. His research involves using seismic waves to construct three-dimensional images of Earth’s interior. He is also dedicated to improving national science literacy and science education, and is a fan of speculative fiction genres.
The topic of climate first comes in with the writing of the book, in 1816. The 18-year-old Mary Godwin was vacationing in Geneva, Switzerland, with her soon-to-be husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, and friends. It was not much of a vacation because the weather was terrible: gloomy, dark, rainy and cold.