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The Island of Dr. Moreau By H.G. Wells

The Island of Dr. Moreau By H.G. Wells. Notes on H.G. Wells. Born Herbert George Wells in England in 1866, died 1946 Worked as a teacher’s assistant and studied biology before turning to writing for a living Became one of the most successful authors of his time Famous novels:

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The Island of Dr. Moreau By H.G. Wells

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  1. The Island of Dr. MoreauBy H.G. Wells

  2. Notes on H.G. Wells • Born Herbert George Wells in England in 1866, died 1946 • Worked as a teacher’s assistant and studied biology before turning to writing for a living • Became one of the most successful authors of his time • Famous novels: • The Time Machine • The Invisible Man • War of the Worlds

  3. Became one of the most important and influential thinkers and authors of the 20th century • Is considered a visionary and a prophet (he predicted tanks, military aircraft, and the world wars) • Was the first to write about the themes of time travel, interplanetary invasion, genetic manipulation, and nuclear war (coined term “atomic bomb”)

  4. Besides fiction, he wrote about social topics, history, and even prophecy • His epitaph, as per his request, reads “God damn you all; I told you so”

  5. Notes on The Island of Dr. Moreau • 1st published in 1896 in England • Its initial publication shocked and horrified its readers • Got poor reviews • In Dr. M., H.G. Wells critiqued the scientific and social views of his day • Some scholars suggest Moreau’s island is a symbol of the island of Britain

  6. The novel explores the implications of the theory of evolution, which was hotly disputed in England at the time (Wells believed in the theory) • Some people considered humans to be the pinnacle of evolutionary development • In Dr. M., Wells suggest that humans are not as high and mighty as they like to think and that people are not so far removed from animals • Much of Dr. M. stems from the debate of vivisection, which at the time was quite intense.

  7. Vivisection means surgery upon a living being; often it refers to experimental (and frequently painful) surgery on animals • Doctor Moreau is a vivisectionist who experiments on animals to make them something radically different from what they were • The novel is similar to Frankenstein (which was an inspiration for Dr. M.) • Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Moreau are similar characters in many ways.

  8. The book suggests warnings against the immoral use of scientific knowledge, and against the temptation by scientists to take the role assigned to God • The story is a precursor to common modern practices such as gene-splicing and bioengineering • H.G. Wells called this book a “scientific romance” (later called Science Fiction) • Dr. M. could fit into the following horror subgenres: • Technohorror, maniacs, and rampant animals

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