2023 Hugo Award Finalists
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Start giftingThe Daughter of Doctor Moreau
Bookseller recommendation
“As in her fantastic novel Mexican Gothic, Moreno-Garcia has once again created a mystery that keeps unfolding into stranger and stranger shapes. An isolated little girl lives in both her father's wealthy, reclusive world and the company of the servants that run the remote estate where he performs his research. She is familiar both with his extraordinary claims and with the harsh reality of the partial successes he has had. She comes of age as forces both outside and inside push Doctor Moreau (based on the H.G. Wells character) to stake one last scientific gamble. Narrated with hackle-raising grace by Gisela Chípe, the story gains speed slowly but becomes a hairpin slalom of a thriller. Be prepared to listen to the last two hours at a sprint! ”
— Nialle • The Haunted Bookshop
Bookseller recommendation
“A fantasy, adventure and even a bit of romance, this riff of the H.G. Wells century-old classic is a great read with a strong, intelligent woman at its center.”
— Anne • Newtonville Books
Bookseller recommendation
“In her follow-up to Mexican Gothic, Moreno-Garcia gives us another... well, Mexican Gothic. And an update of a sci-fi classic, no less! Yet this feels (fittingly) like an evolution, not a retread. The two point-of-view characters serve as wonderful foils, and the tension between them is gripping -- such a far cry from the perfunctory romances common in sci-fi. And it really is a will-they-won't-they: you feel at any point that it could go either way. Whether or not you're cheering for them to end up together, you'll definitely be cheering for them individually. Many secondary characters prove equally fascinating. Gisela Chipe's reading is among the finest I've ever heard, creating a recognizable voice for each character, with accents varying from European to Indoamerican. As in her other works, Moreno-Garcia embeds the setting within a well-researched historical and political context that adds both vividity and thematic richness. Doctor Moreau develops and broadens themes introduced in Mexican Gothic, finding overlaps between bodily autonomy and anticolonialism. The political and personal merge as the action slowly rises, ending with a cathartic, unsettling climax and a sweet denouement.”
— Graham • Next Chapter Booksellers
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a lavish historical drama reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico.
“This is historical science fiction at its best: a dreamy reimagining of a classic story with vivid descriptions of lush jungles and feminist themes. Some light romance threads through the heavier ethical questions concerning humanity.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“The imagination of Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a thing of wonder, restless and romantic, fearless in the face of genre, embracing the polarities of storytelling—the sleek and the bizarre, wild passions and deep hatreds—with cool equanimity.”—The New York Times (Editors’ Choice)
FINALIST FOR THE HUGO AWARD • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, Time, NPR, Polygon, Tordotcom, Paste, CrimeReads, Booklist
Carlota Moreau: A young woman growing up on a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of a researcher who is either a genius or a madman.
Montgomery Laughton: A melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers.
The hybrids: The fruits of the doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities.
All of them live in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Dr. Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction.
For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and, in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is both a dazzling historical novel and a daring science fiction journey.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of the novels Velvet Was the Night, Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow, and a bunch of other books. She has also edited several anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award–winning She Walks in Shadows (a.k.a. Cthulhu’s Daughters). She has been nominated for the Locus Award for her work as an editor and has won the British Fantasy Award and the Locus Award for her work as a novelist.
