On an uncharted South Pacific island, the mad genius Doctor Moreau has found refuge. It’s here, away from London and the civilized world, that the scientist can conduct his experiments on animals without condemnation. When Edward Prendick, the sole survivor of a shipwreck, washes ashore, he bears witness to Moreau’s cruel research and its bloody, inevitable unraveling.

In exploring the disquieting crossroads of scientific progress and ethical responsibility, Wells’s cautionary account of the perversion of natural order rattles readers’ sensibilities to this day.