The Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 science fiction by English author H. G. Wells. The text of the novel is the narration of Edward Prendick who is a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat. He is left on the island home of Doctor Moreau, a mad scientist who creates human-like hybrid beings from animals via vivisection.
The novel deals with a number of philosophical themes, including pain and cruelty, moral responsibility, human identity, and human interference with nature. The Island of Doctor Moreau is a classic work of early science fiction and remains one of Wells' best-known books.
The novel is the earliest depiction of the science fiction motif "uplift" in which a more advanced race intervenes in the evolution of an animal species to bring the latter to a higher level of intelligence. It has been adapted to film and other media on many occasions.