The Daugher of Doctor Moreau is a retelling of the H. G. Wells’s classic science fiction novel, The Island of Doctor Moreau. It has been nominated for the Hugo award for Best Novel for 2023. I’ve never read the original story, and this one isn’t one I’ll be rereading. It took me a bit to understand why I disliked this story so much.

I don’t like horror.

I didn’t realize at first that this is a horror novel, as is the original from what I know of it, and that is enough for me to dislike it. It’s well-written, and the descriptions of the surroundings are lush and inviting. I couldn’t warm up to the characters, but that may be because I never warmed up to the book. There is a love triangle and, if you like horror, it’s probably a decent book. But.

This is one of the nominees for the Hugo Best Novel award. I don’t think it’s a likely winner, and I personally hope it doesn’t win; I don’t want to see more horror in later years.

Moreno-Garcia, Silvia. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. New York, New York: Del Rey Books, 2022. 102,844 words. 3 stars.