The text of the novel is the narration of Edward Prendick, a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat who is left on a beautiful island in the South Seas. On the island Prendick is drawn into the wild and cruel world of Doctor Moreau, who aspires to play God with animals as Doctor Moreau creates human-like hybrid beings from animals via vivisection.

The novel deals with a number of philosophical themes, including pain and cruelty, moral responsibility, human identity, and human interference with nature. Wells described the novel as 'an exercise in youthful blasphemy'.

The Island of Doctor Moreau is a classic of early science fiction and remains one of Wells's best-known books, and has been adapted to film and other media on many occasions.

When the novel was written in the late 19th century, England's scientific community was engulfed by debates on animal vivisection. Interest groups were even formed to tackle the issue: the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection was formed two years after the publication of the novel. The novel is presented as a discovered manuscript, introduced by the narrator's nephew; it then 'transcribes' the tale.