In Jurassic Park, Dr. Ian Malcolm says the immortal line “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Ras Thavas is probably the living (fictional, that is) embodiment of that sentiment.

Appearing in the 1927 novel The Master Mind of Mars, Ras is a skilled surgeon who takes the brains of rich old Martians and pops them into the bodies of young, healthy and (we can only assume) attractive Martians. Yes, it’s giving us Get Out vibes as well. Jordan Peele just made his version a hell of a lot scarier.

Ras’ Earthling assistant, Ulysses Paxton, puts a stop to this, but only after falling in love with one of the young Martian women who was to be switched with an old hag. We can’t help but feel this was the right decision but with the wrong motivation, but at least Ras eventually sees the errors of his ways and in subsequent appearances in Burroughs’ novels, he’s using his genius for good rather than helping old rich folk. Not before he makes some monstrous synthetic humans, of course. Maybe you can’t teach an old dog new tricks after all. You can give it a new brain, though.