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A new Nick Cutter book is always cause for a celebration in the horror community! My memory is trash but I believe THE DEEP was the first book of his I read, followed up by THE TROOP. And then it was years before I read another of his books (excluding THE SATURDAY NIGHT GHOST CLUB, published under his real name, Craig Davidson). 

Mostly because THE TROOP? It really fucked me up. At the time, I felt like it was the most grotesque thing I had ever read & really stretched the limit of my enjoyment (though there was so much about the book I loved). I’m really considering a reread at some point, though. Considering how much more horror I’m reading than I was my first time around, I’m curious how the book will hit now.

THE DORIANS is the second Cutter book in a row (after THE QUEEN, which I fucking loved) with some pretty distinct Jurassic Park vibes (Cutter even references the science of Jurassic Park in the acknowledgments in this one). 

Like I did in my review for THE QUEEN, I’m going to drop this extremely relevant quote right here:

“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

–Dr. Ian Malcolm

So, yeah. There’s more than a little of Jurassic Park baked into the DNA of THE DORIANS. Add in a touch of Cocoon & Grumpy Old Men, and sprinkle liberally with something like The Thing & that’ll get you somewhere close to the vibe of this one.

One of the more thought-provoking aspects of this story is its inclusion of MAID (medical assistance in dying), which is legal in Canada (where this book is set…Cutter is Canadian). The idea of this practice & the morality of it permeates nearly every aspect of the story, and while I’ll (mostly) keep my soapbox tucked away, I’ll just say that I’m extremely for it and think it should be legalized in all 50 states here in the US. Given the current state of *gestures broadly* all this, I’m not sure I’ll ever see the day. 

And with THE DORIANS, Cutter isn’t heavy-handed about MAID (probably because it’s legal in all of Canada, and I imagine somewhat less controversial as a result). But again, the ins and outs of the practice are always a part of the story, whether directly or more peripherally. 

The story follows a group of old folks who are dying from one terrible affliction or another (cancer, Lyme disease, Parkinson’s). Each of them has elected to use MAID, to end their lives on their terms. But at the last moment, each of them receives an intriguing offer: travel to a remote island & undergo an experimental procedure that may reverse their aging. 

This project was created & is overseen by one Dr. Astrid Marsh, all of nineteen years old & probably the smartest person alive. Astrid also has the emotional intelligence (and volatility) of a two-year-old hungry for a snack. 

As is the way with horror novels, things go great right up until they don’t. Astrid is manipulating things in nature that she doesn’t control as well as she thinks. Again, I’m reminded of a Jurassic Park quote, something about the “illusion of control.”

And so yeah, for awhile, this colorful group of 75-80+ folks begin to rapidly de-age, and enjoy a sense of vitality (and horniness) they haven’t felt in years. But this is, after all, a Nick Cutter novel. It’s only a matter of time before the body horror & existential dread begin.

This was such a fun read, cover to cover. Cutter is kind of brilliant when it comes to tone, pacing, and dialogue. The subtle shifts from the comedic to the horrific. The moments that feel like standing over a huge precipice, and knowing there’s no going back. You’re in the teeth of the monster now, it’s really happening. Don’t look away. 

I can’t tell if I’m just getting more & more saturated in gore and viscera from all the horror I’ve been reading, but I feel like this is perhaps the…tamest of the Cutter novels I’ve read? Which is not to say that it isn’t totally gnarly at times, BECAUSE IT VERY MUCH IS. But it did feel a touch more restrained than some of his other work (particularly THE TROOP), so just something to note. 

But whether it churned my stomach or not, THE DORIANS is an incredible sci-fi/horror novel. It’s a novel full of big ideas, and big questions. Questions about morality & mortality, life, love, regret, grief. This thing really runs on the full spectrum of humanity, and it’s so incredibly well written. It feels quite cinematic, too; no doubt someone could adapt this into an amazing show/movie…I’d actually love to see it happen! Nick Cutter remains one of the best in the world at this, a monstrously talented horror author & THE DORIANS is a wild time. 

Huge thanks to Gallery Books for sending THE DORIANS my way, I loved it so much! This one releases May 19th!