Mad scientist: Difference between revisions
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See ''[[The Falling Woman]]'' by [[Pat Murphy]] for an archaeologist who does deal with such madness. [[Gwyneth Jones]]' ''[[Life (novel)|Life]]'' deals with a type of breakdown. | See ''[[The Falling Woman]]'' by [[Pat Murphy]] for an archaeologist who does deal with such madness. [[Gwyneth Jones]]' ''[[Life (novel)|Life]]'' deals with a type of breakdown. | ||
==See also== | |||
* [[Mad Scientist Japanese Tea Party (WisCon 31)]] | |||
[[Category:Characterization]] | [[Category:Characterization]] | ||
Revision as of 09:36, 1 June 2007
The Mad Scientist is one of the more common character archetypes of science-fiction, dating back to Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein (1818), and its title character.
Mad scientists are usually men, and sometimes have beautiful daughters who end up betraying them for the hero.
Women in the role of mad scientists are rarer, or are punished more quickly by the narrative, without achieving the kind of grandeur accorded to their male counterparts.
Somehow, mad scientists have been rarely connected with the common trope of women and madness -- although the frustrated aspirations of women who historically have longed to be scientists might be enough to drive one mad.
See The Falling Woman by Pat Murphy for an archaeologist who does deal with such madness. Gwyneth Jones' Life deals with a type of breakdown.