island of Dr. Moreau short story ID

July 7, 2022 4:27 PM

A few years back I read a short story about the "inverse" of the Island of Dr. Moreau - where the animal/human hybrids were reversed. I'd love to read it again.

This story was likely in a feminist or other fractured fairy tale collection. I remember a scene by the fireplace in a cottage in the woods, and the creations all came together in the end to kill someone. It was well creepy - even to me who had not read the original storg, and I would love to read it again.

posted by House of Leaves of Grass to Writing & Language (1 answer total)

Response by poster: Good question, MollyRealized, and I’m realizing I either never read the original Wells story or didn’t retain much of it. I had the impression that the critters in the story I’m looking for were made out of “leftovers”, so to speak - that once Dr. Moreau had made his Ape-Man he didn’t want to waste the other bits, so he made a Man-Ape as well. The creatures had animal intellect and had made a bit of a community in the island that the story narrator stumbled upon.
posted by House of Leaves of Grass at 7:47 AM on July 9, 2022