The Island of Doctor Moreau
The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wellsby H. G. Wells
Shares rank 135 of 179 science fiction novels by recommenders
People recommend it as a disturbing, terrifying read that still holds up for its era. The main caveat is that Wells's writing feels dated to some readers.
People recommend it as a disturbing, terrifying read that still holds up for its era. The main caveat is that Wells's writing feels dated to some readers.
4 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 75%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 3 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Disturbing and terrifying read
“Terrific and terrifying read for that era, and even later.”
Comment from 15 Nov 2025 in “The Nature of the Beast: Charles Le Brun's Human-Animal Hybrids (1806)” “one of the more disturbing books I've ever read”
Comment from 15 Nov 2025 in “The Nature of the Beast: Charles Le Brun's Human-Animal Hybrids (1806)” Favourite book for a reader
“one of my favourite books”
Comment from 25 Aug 2026 in “Starbase, LA”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Wells's writing feels dated
“I found H.G.Wells writing to be very dated”
Comment from 15 Nov 2025 in “The Nature of the Beast: Charles Le Brun's Human-Animal Hybrids (1806)”
Other science fiction novels people recommend
The four most recommended other science fiction novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Hail Maryby Andy Weir | 117 | 24 | 83% | 12 | — | Approved |
| There Is No Antimemetics Divisionby qntm | 98 | 34 | 74% | 9 | 1.5 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| Blindsightby Peter Watts | 96 | 27 | 78% | 12 | — | Approved |
| Duneby Frank Herbert | 82 | 25 | 77% | 12 | — | Approved |
| The Island of Doctor Moreauby H. G. WellsThis page | 3 | 1 | 75% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
All 4 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“one of my favourite books”
“one of the more disturbing books I've ever read”
“I found H.G.Wells writing to be very dated”
“Terrific and terrifying read for that era, and even later.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.