The Island of Dr. Moreau

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Digireads.com, 2017 - Fiction - 92 pages

Often referred to as a "father of science fiction", H. G. Wells was one of the first authors to write a type of speculative fiction which referenced the advancements in science of his time. Characteristic of Wells's work is their warning against the unintended consequences of technological development gone too far. First published in 1896, "The Island of Dr. Moreau" is the account of Edward Prendick, an Englishman who finds himself stranded on an island in the South Pacific after being shipwrecked. The island is home to Dr. Moreau, an eminent physiologist from London who has fled England when his gruesome experiments in vivisection had been publicly exposed. Prendick soon learns that Moreau has continued his experiments on the island transforming animals into human-like hybrids called beast folk. Worrying that he may be next on the list of subjects, Prendick flees into the jungle trying to escape whatever gruesome plan that Moreau may have in store for him. "The Island of Dr. Moreau", which was meant as a commentary on Darwin's theory of evolution, is a most uncanny prediction of the ethical issues raised by the science of genetic engineering in modern times and a cautionary tale of the potential dangers of science when left unchecked. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

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About the author (2017)

H. G. Wells was born in Bromley, England on September 21, 1866. After a limited education, he was apprenticed to a draper, but soon found he wanted something more out of life. He read widely and got a position as a student assistant in a secondary school, eventually winning a scholarship to the Royal College of Science in South Kensington, where he studied biology. He graduated from London University in 1888 and became a science teacher. He also wrote for magazines. When his stories began to sell, he left teaching to write full time. He became an author best known for science fiction novels and comic novels. His science fiction novels include The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Wonderful Visit, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, The First Men in the Moon, and The Food of the Gods. His comic novels include Love and Mr. Lewisham, Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul, The History of Mr. Polly, and Tono-Bungay. He also wrote several short story collections including The Stolen Bacillus, The Plattner Story, and Tales of Space and Time. He died on August 13, 1946 at the age of 79.

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