Friday, December 17, 2010

Sci-fi/Fantasy Fridays: The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells

Where: N-train
Digital reading device: Motorola smart-phone with chipped orange paint.
Who was reading: A 30-ish woman with frizzy hair, clad in a floor-length brown coat that had something of a bronze sheen.
If she were a fantasy character... she would be the keeper of a prestigious unicorn stable. The daughters and sons of the aristocracy would come from miles around to take exorbitantly priced riding lessons, and if she were particularly savvy, she might also run a side-business in carved horn drug paraphernalia.
Published in 1896: (an anagram of the year of my birth!) this is the tale of Edward Pendrick, a ship wreckee who finds himself stranded on a sinister little isle in which the eponymous villain, Dr. Moreau, creates monstrosities out of living creatures.
Fun Fact: The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) was formed 2 years after the publication of this novel. BUAV remains active to this day as a strong proponent for the ethical treatment of animals.

1 comment:

  1. You were born in 1698? We're one step closer to unmasking this Scarlet Pimpernel.

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