Island of Dr Moreau. H. G. Wells. 2005.

Adrift in a dinghy, Edward Prendrick, the single survivor from the good ship Lady Vain, is rescued by a vessel carrying a profoundly unusual cargo - a menagerie of savage animals. Nursed to recovery by their keeper Montgomery, who gives him dark medicine that tastes of blood. Prendick soon finds himself stranded upon an uncharted island in the Pacific with his rescuer and the beasts. Here, he meets Montgomery’s master, the sinister Doctor Moreau - a brilliant scientist whose notorious experiments in vivisection have caused him to abandon the civilised world. It soon becomes clear he has been developing these experiments- with truly horrific results.

A parable on Darwinian theory, and a biting social satire, Island of Doctor Moreau is a fascinating exploration of what it is to be human.