Renard dedicates this book to H.G. Wells in a lengthy preface in which he goes overboard in his homage to Wells and also tries to explain to readers that what they are about to read is less of a thriller and more of an allegory. The story is obviously inspired by The Island of Dr. Moreau and takes those experiments of creating new forms of life by mingling man with beast to a truly horrible and gruesome level. Dr. Frederic Lerne conducts experiments with plant grafting that start with intermingling plant species, moves into creating plant/animal hybrids and ending with the final ghastly human phase. Renard fancied himself as the French Poe and his style (at least in these English translations) captures the mood and tone of Poe very well. A book that will give you nightmares to be sure. (An aside: Some have complained of the bowdlerized English translation of Renard's books. This book apparently had a sexual content to it in the original French that the prim translator censored.)