A classic of science fiction and a dark meditation on Darwinian thought in the late Victorian period, The Island of Doctor Moreau explores the possibility of civilization as a constraint imposed on savage human nature. The protagonist, Edward Prendick, finds himself stranded on an island with the notorious Doctor Moreau, whose experiments on the island's humans and animals result in unspeakable horrors. The critical introduction to this Broadview Edition gives particular emphasis to Wells's hostility towards religion as well as his thorough knowledge of the Darwinian thought of his time. Appendices provide passages from Darwin and Huxley related to Wells's early writing; in addition, excerpts from other writers illustrate late-nineteenth-century anxieties about social degeneration.
| ISBN: | 9781551113272 |
| Publication date: | 30th July 2009 |
| Author: | HG Wells |
| Publisher: | Broadview Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 292 pages |
| Genres: |
General Fiction |