[Ads-l] Further Antedating of "Mad Scientist"

Mon Aug 3 15:15:16 UTC 2026

 Dr. Moreau definitely qualifies.  But who was the first mad scientist to
be called a Mad Scientist? I would think the trope started to become common
in the pulps circa 1925 but may have accelerated after Nagasaki.

JL

On Mon, Aug 3, 2026 at 11:12 AM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Dr. Moreau definitely qualifies.  But who was the first mad scientist to
> be called a Mad Scientist? I would think the trope started to become common
> in the pulps circa 1925.
>
> JL
>
> On Mon, Aug 3, 2026 at 9:00 AM Rich Lowenthal <
> 000018596069864c-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
>> Dr. Frankenstein was "mad" in the sense that he crossed boundaries and
>> performed experiments that should not be done. Another early example of
>> the trope is Coppelius in E.T.A. Hoffman's "The Sandman" story, which
>> predated "Frankenstein" by a couple of years. Of course the phrase "mad
>> scientist" is not used of either in the texts.
>>
>> What I believe is lacking in "Frankenstein" (I haven't read the book in
>> years) is the later connection of insanity with genius, an idea that
>> developed later in the century among Victorian thinkers. Dr.
>> Frankenstein was reckless rather than insane, and tries to correct what
>> he had done. I would attribute the modern conception of the mad
>> scientist to Wells, working from ideas of Thomas Huxley as well as
>> writings in the Victorian journal "Mind" (first published 1876 and still
>> in business today).
>>
>> Of course none of this is helpful in identifying the first use of the
>> phrase. But I do think Dr. Frankenstein gets a bit of a bum rap these
>> days.
>>
>>
>> ------ Original Message ------
>> From "John Baker" <0000192d2eeb9639-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>> Date 8/3/2026 8:23:33 AM
>> Subject Re: Further Antedating of "Mad Scientist"
>>
>> >Frankenstein was not really mad, at least in the mad scientist sense, in
>> the original novel. Doctor Moreau (1896) or Griffin of The Invisible Man
>> (1897) might be a candidate.
>> >
>> >
>> >John Baker
>> >
>> >
>> >>  On Aug 3, 2026, at 8:51 PM, Jonathan Lighter <
>> 00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>  The larger issue for me and perhaps millions of others is not when
>> the
>> >>  collocation "mad scientist" appeared, but when the Mad Scientist as a
>> >>  cultural figure developed from the mad scientist as a harmless
>> >>  eccentric or highly misguided weirdo.
>> >>
>> >>  I would guess that Viktor Frankenstein was the first Mad Scientist.
>> >>  Does anyone know when or if he was so described? (Creators of medieval
>> >>  golems were not scientists.)
>> >>
>> >>  BTW, the Mad Scientists on _Mystery Science Theater 2000_ were always
>> >>  referred to as "the Mads."
>> >>
>> >>  JL
>> >>
>> >>>  On Sun, Aug 2, 2026 at 10:32 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
>> >>>  <00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>>  The citation below was published after the excellent citation Fred
>> >>>  found. I think the "mad scientist" is depicted as "dangerous and
>> evil"
>> >>>  but not "insane".
>> >>>
>> >>>  [Begin HDSF definition]
>> >>>  mad scientist n.
>> >>>  a scientist who is insane or eccentric, esp. so as to be dangerous or
>> >>>  evil: a stock figure of melodramatic horror stories
>> >>>  [End HDSF definition]
>> >>>
>> >>>  Date: May 15, 1875
>> >>>  Newspaper: Lewiston Evening Journal
>> >>>  Newspaper Location: Lewiston, Maine
>> >>>  Article: City and County
>> >>>  Quote Page 3, Column 2
>> >>>  Database: GenealogyBank
>> >>>
>> >>>  [Bein excerpt]
>> >>>  The orioles have come and the taxidermists are after them. Can't
>> >>>  science let these beautiful birds alone—at least those that make
>> their
>> >>>  homes in the gardens of the city? Some mad scientist attempted to
>> >>>  shoot an oriole under the chamber window of one of our citizens,
>> early
>> >>>  Saturday morning. The citizens expostulated, and the man of science
>> >>>  withdrew.
>> >>>  [End excerpt]
>> >>>
>> >>>  Garson
>> >>>
>> >>>>  On Sun, Aug 2, 2026 at 3:45 PM Jonathan Lighter
>> >>>>  <00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>> >>>>
>> >>>>  Not "mad" in the later nuance of "malevolently and dangerously
>> insane."
>> >>>>
>> >>>>  JL
>> >>>>
>> >>>>  On Sun, Aug 2, 2026 at 3:30 PM Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com>
>> wrote:
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>  Thanks, Fred. Now added to HDSF.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>  I note that the 1883 citation that had been the earliest in HDSF
>> was also submitted by one Fred Shapiro.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>  Jesse Sheidlower
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>  On Sun, Aug 02, 2026 at 05:31:04PM +0000, Shapiro, Fred wrote:
>> >>>>>>  mad scientist (OED 1893, Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
>> 1883)
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>>  1871 Daily Patriot (Washington, DC) 21 Aug. 2/3 (Newspapers.com)
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>>  We find twenty mad scientists airing their crotchets of
>> differential expansion, strength in weakness, and the like.  This is not
>> testimony of experts at all, but vagary of eccentrics.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>>  Fred Shapiro
>> >>>>>>
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>> >>
>> >>
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>
>
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> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>

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