'I have lately written...a tale, to illustrate an opinion of mine, that a genius will educate itself.'

Mary Wollstonecraft is best known for her pioneering views on the rights of women to share equal rights and opportunities with men. They are expressed here in two novels in which heroines have to rely on their own resources to establish their independence and intellectual development. Strongly autobiographical, both novels powerfully complement Wollstonecraft's non-fictional writing, inspired by the French Revolution and the social upheavals that followed.
New to this edition is a completely rewritten introduction that incorporates the latest scholarship and features a consideration of the social formation of Wollstonecraft as a Revolutionary feminist and her literary-political career, as well as a critical account of the two novels. A new bibliography includes all the latest critical writing on Wollstonecraft, while heavily revised notes link her fiction to her extensive reading, her other writings and major events and issues of the day. In addition, the text has been completely reset, making it easier on the eyes. It is by far the highest quality edition available, and a great choice for readers interested in pre-Victorian literature and feminist history.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

瑪莉·沃斯通克拉夫特（Mary Wollstonecraft，1759年4月27日－1797年9月10日）是一位18世紀的英國作家、哲學家和女權主義者。
在她短暫的寫作生涯中，她寫就了多篇小說和論文、一本旅行書簡、一本法國大革命史、一本行為手冊以及一本童書。
《A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects 女權辯護：關於政治和道德問題的批評》（1792年）是沃斯通克拉夫特最知名的作品；在這本書裡，她提出：女性並非天生地低賤於男性，只有當她們缺乏足夠的教育時才會顯露出這一點。她認為男性和女性都應被視為有理性的生命，並還繼而設想了建立基於理性之上的社會秩序。

對普通大眾——特別是女權主義者而言，沃斯通克拉夫特的一生要比她的作品更吸引人們的注意，這主要是由於她另類的生活方式。在與無政府主義運動的先驅者威廉·戈德溫William Godwin　結婚之前，沃斯通克拉夫特還曾與兩個男人有過兩段不幸的愛情。沃斯通克拉夫特與戈德溫有一個女兒，即是《Frankenstein 科學怪人》的作者瑪莉·雪萊（Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley）。38歲時，沃斯通克拉夫特死於產後併發症，並遺留下幾部未完成的手稿。

在沃斯通克拉夫特死後，戈德溫出版了《Memoirs of the Author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman 女權辯護作者傳》（1798年），其中透露了她另類的生活方式。本為紀念妻子的戈德溫，卻在無意之間將她的名譽破壞長達一個世紀之久。但是，隨著20世紀初女權主義運動的興起，沃斯通克拉夫特對性別平等的提倡以及對傳統女性特質的批評開始變得日益重要。在現今，沃斯通克拉夫特被視作是女權主義哲學家的鼻祖之一，而女權主義者們也經常會提到她的生活與作品。

Mary Wollstonecraft was a British writer, philosopher, and early feminist. Editor Gary Kelly is Canada Research Chair at the University of Alberta.