The Album of Dr. Moreau

by Daryl Gregory

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Album of Dr. Moreau is a twisty novella from the gifted mind of Daryl Gregory. Released 18th May 2021 by Macmillan on their Tor Forge imprint, it's 176 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

I actually put off reading this one for a while (sorry about that) because of Mr. Gregory's history of straight-outta-nowhere psychological horror. I even avoided reading this one at bedtime despite the relatively short length because I didn't want his creepies living rent free in my subconscious. I needn't have worried. The powerhouse writing is here; it's a very very well written story, but without the gut-punch horror and creeping dread. The emotions hit me hard with this read. The H.G. Wells pastiche brings the pathos, there's sharp and wry humor (reminiscent of Hunter S. Thompson and William Burroughs throwing fists in Billy Wilder's hotel suite), and grafted seamlessly into the mix is a credible locked room murder mystery featuring a wildly popular human/animal hybrid boy band whose skeezy manager/exploiter has turned up dead after a wild concert afterparty.

I really enjoyed it. It's very very weird and very very well written. The denouement is satisfying. The characters are sweetly bizarre (pangolins are, incidentally, my absolute favorite animals bar none), and well written and mostly believable. The science-fiction aspects were a bit over the top, but once readers get past the spliced sentient human animal hybrids, it's mostly smooth sailing.

Four and a half stars. Content warnings for drugs, sex, some gore, and rough language.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.