Horror fiction is full of self-important cliches, making it a ripe target for selfparody and outright satire. The most famous satire is almost certainly The Invisible Man, in which a mad scientist spends his time trying to frighten villagers who either ignore him or think him annoying.

Both Griffin of The Invisible Man and William are only dimly aware of the personal consequences of their actions, and they share the delusion of being greater than they are, as well as the desire for revenge upon their enemies. Both The M.D. and The Invisible Man share as a common ancestor the greatest of all madscientist tales, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus (1818; see separate entry). Like William, Victor Frankenstein brings life to the dead, and as in The M.D. the deed brings with it great evil that visits itself on their families and friends...