What’s cooking up in the Laboratory.

The story of the crazed scientist creating something terrible in their laboratory has been a staple of science fiction and horror for around two centuries. Villains were once hidden away in castles or crumbling stately homes, and the emphasis has shifted from the ungodly baron or aristocrat to the brilliant but mad genius.

From Castles to Spaceships

In science fiction, the castle or stately home has often been replaced by a spaceship or space station. A classic example is Dr Hans Reinhardt in Disney’s The Black Hole. Even so, DC’s Titans returned to the old setting by placing Dr Niles Caulder, creator of the Doom Patrol, in an abandoned grand house.

At least when the locals turn up with pitchforks and flaming torches, the doctor could call https://www.aportglobal.com/relocation/ for some help with Laboratory Relocation.

Where It All Began

So why do so many stories use this trope, and what caused the shift from religious villains to scientific ones? The answer is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Published in 1818, it tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who creates life and, in doing so, a monster. Written in the wake of the Enlightenment, when science was challenging old beliefs, Shelley’s hugely influential tale plays on the fear of what might happen when humans try to play God.