Book Review: “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau” by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia

In this retelling of the classic, Dr. Moreau works in the backwoods of the Yucatan, and, as the title tells us, has a daughter.  A remarkable daughter, probably product of his biological experiments, though exactly what way is is not certain.

Dr. Moreau’s experiments are ethically iffy, monstrous, even.  But his creations certainly seem more human than monster. In a twentieth century twist, the evil is compounded because Moreau’s funders claim ownership of his creations.  Carlota, too, is to be sold off to a wealthy suitor, to secure her father’s lab and work.

The creatures Carlota grew up with are her brothers and sisters, and poor innocent Carlota herself is too dutiful and falls in love too easily.  The hacendados are cruel and violent, and soon enough move to enslave all the hybrids they have paid for.  Dr. Moreau himself clearly values his own work and reputation more than the lives he has created.

Can disaster be averted?  What will happen to these innocent creatures, including Carlota nee Moreau?

This story is as good as we’ve grown to expect from Moreno-Garcia. It’s as gothic than Beautiful Ones but not quite as supernatural as Gods of Jade and Shadow.

I never liked the Wells original very much, though Moreno-Garcia’s update is a bit better.  Obviously, her biology makes more sense (transgenic experiments are a real thing these days), but also the psychology is both more restrained and more realistic.  The crazy self-important doctor and the violent wealthy hacendados are the monsters here, everybody else is just broken people.

So, yeah.  We’re rooting for the “monsters”, for sure.

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1. Sylvia Moreno-Garcia, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, New York, Del Rey, 2022.

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