THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU (UPDATED w/LINKED TOC) by H. G. Wells - 4.5 Stars...Where It All Started

The Island of Doctor Moreau is a 1896 science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells, addressing ideas of society and community, human nature and identity, playing God and Darwinism. The mythic figure of the chimera, a human/animal hybrid, is brought into the scientific age.

Source: Wikipedia.org

4.5 Stars...Where It All Started
These days, the premise of genetic manipulation and moral complexities on an island may sound intriguing if not derivative. Think "Jurassic Park" and "Lord of the Flies." In this case, though, the author predates those novels by decades, creating a scientific thriller that became a building block for generations to come.

Prendick becomes a castaway of sorts on an uncharted island, and soon discovers man-beasts that show uncommon intelligence if not disturbing signs of experimentation. Soon, he meets Dr. Moreau and Montgomery, men intent on exploring the possibilities of vivisection, blending mankind with animals. Horrified, he worries that he will be next on the doctor's table in the House of Pain. Instead, the Beast People begin reverting to their bestial states and turning on their human lords, slowly rejecting the Law that the cold-hearted doctor has instilled, through hypnotism, into their brains. Moreau, Montgomery, and Prendick become the endangered species.

Told as a first-person account, "The Island of Dr. Moreau" is my first venture into the writing of HG Wells. I'm surprised by the readability, considering its date and British origins. Their is little of the pretentious dialect we see and hear in British entertainment.

While Wells seems to wrestle here with a reconciliation of a religious society in the late 1800s and the emergence of evolutionary theory, he keeps the story fast-paced and entertaining. He seems to push against the ideas of an angry, distant God, as well as the ramifications of mankind in the throes of Darwinism. In his own words, he called the story a "youthful blasphemy," though it seems to be more an honest questioning of how and/or if science and faith could work hand in hand.

Dated as some of the scientific aspects may be, this is a clear stepping stone to many of the novels of the last few years. Crichton and company owe Wells a huge debt, and as for me, I'll be picking up more of his books.

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