The Dorians

by Nick Cutter

On a remote island in the Canadian wilderness, five elderly volunteers from different walks of life are given a tantalizing offer: to stall their biological clocks or even reverse them, restoring their lost youth. The chance to put death on pause—forever, perhaps. The remarkable secret lies in the high-tech harnessing of an ancient and extraordinary biological agent…one with no conscience, yet possessed with a single-minded purpose that has helped it persist for eons: the will to survive. The dark heart of unbridled human ambition finds its apex in an unholy experiment that now tests the limits of both creator and subject, eclipsing all bounds of morality and sanity….

Genres: Horror, Science Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook, Adult, Mystery

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 19, 2026

About the author

Hello Everybody!

I figured this bio was looking a little cobwebby, so here to update it a bit (January 2026). What's changed in the decade since I wrote my initial bio? Mmmm, not a lot. I still enjoy bubblebaths, strong coffee and passionate conversations, moonlit walks on the beach, eldritch horrors and biological horrors run amuck.

Oh, and I have a new book: The Dorians!

I've been politely requested to be on Twitter and Instagram. You may find me here in the internet aether, if it pleases you:

Twitter: @ItsNickCutter
Instagram: nickcutter2026
website: www.craigdavidson.net
signed books website: www.nickcutter.com

Yrs,
Nick Cutter
(but not really)

Reviews

[Nikki Lee (Nikkileethrillseeker) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy Hell! 😱 What did I just read? This book is WILD! What started as a slow burn horror story turned into an unnatural tale of bloody rage! Nick Cutter KILLED IT with The Dorians!

Picture this, you are 80 years old and dying from cancer. You decide you are ready to get help with assisted suicide. In Canada, it’s called MAID.

But then you are approached with an offer to receive a revolutionary treatment which holds the potential to reverse your biological age. Would you do it???

When these five volunteers take the offer on a secluded island, they have no idea what they’re getting into. It’s truly terrifying and I have to say that Cutter developed a pretty unique story. This isn’t some product you use ….. it’s an unnatural creature.

I loved this and hope all you horror fans will too! Add this to your TBR IMMEDIATELY!

BTW, these characters are highly unlikable BUT that’s the point!!! You’d be pissy too if you were 80 years old, miserable and dying. Just saying.

Pub date 5/19

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Huge thanks to Gallery Books for the gifted copy.

[Brandon Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tense slow burn that *eventually* gets crazy!!

While I was never bored per-say, this took me FOREVER to read. It’s worth a read, but this is definitely the least horrific of all of Nick Cutter books. So, if you go into this expecting to read one of the most disgusting/depraved/brutally graphic books ever, you might be disappointed.

I also had trouble keeping the characters together (probably bc it took me forever to read) but this was solid.

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title/Author: The Dorians by Nick Cutter

Format Read: Audiobook from LibroFM

Pub date: May 19th, 2026

Publisher: Gallery

Page Count: 400/13 hours

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978166807...

Recommended for readers who enjoy:

-Aging/Death

-Medical Experiments of Human & Animal bodies

-Isolation/Island/Band of Survivors

-Wilderness areas/Jurassic Park vibes

-Volunteers for experimental technology to "cure" what ails you (in this case, old age and health complications)

-Child prodigies/Morally gray characters
"On a remote island in the Canadian wilderness, five elderly volunteers from different walks of life are given a tantalizing offer: to stall their biological clocks or even reverse them, restoring their lost youth. The chance to put death on pause--forever, perhaps. The remarkable secret lies in the high-tech harnessing of an ancient and extraordinary biological agent...one with no conscience, yet possessed with a single-minded purpose that has helped it persist for eons: the will to survive. The dark heart of unbridled human ambition finds its apex in an unholy experiment that now tests the limits of both creator and subject, eclipsing all bounds of morality and sanity...."--NoveList Plus

__

Minor complaints:

-Zero complaints

Final recommendation: Science Fiction Horror is typically a hard sell for me. I get lost in all the medical details and jargon. It just doesn't interest me, I would rather reach for the supernatural or paranormal threat.

But I will always show up for a Nick Cutter book. He doesn't disappoint. Sometimes he throws in some unnecessary animal cruelty/death that I skim/skip and caution readers about in my reviews. That being said, there is a little bit of that in the Dorians. The medical experimentation involves Jellyfish and the prior test subjects before humans, are wolves (who are still alive and on the island)
The band of senior, volunteer test subjects are expertly brought to life on the page and it is easy to invest in their fictional lives through backstory segments. The audiobook narrator gives them unique and distinct voices. The medical professionals and staff on the island are what give this book its Jurassic Park vibes. The science is easy to follow and doesn't get weighed down by too much techy-shit. Nick Cutter is so clever with dialogue and story development--his writing has matured and evolved so much since The Deep and The Troop--way less metaphors (although he is good at those) and more meat to sink one's teeth into--very intricately plotted horror with pitch-perfect dread, suspense, and tension. This is a 5-star horror all day long and it would make a fantastic TV show.


Comps: Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Jurassic Park, The Graceview Patient by Caitlin Starling, Red River Seven by A. J. Ryan, Nothing Tastes as Good by Luke Dumas, Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang, Lakewood by Megan Giddings

CW: scientific experiments, body horror, gruesome descriptions, some animal cruelty/experimentation (jellyfish/woles), death of a child (choking)

[bookmarksandbarbells]

Anything this creepy dude writes is an immediate TBR add. No need to read the description, I'm IN.

[Dead Inside · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Teddy embraced this as an unassailable fact. The sun is hot. Water is wet. Hugo isn’t human anymore.”

And Nick Cutter writes at another level.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This started off soooo promising, I thought for sure it would be a five-star read. It had such an interesting set up, all these elderly people who go to this island to do this experiment where they can reverse ageing. It reminded me of some of my favorite books of all time like We Spread, and The Troop, and The Merge. The initial set up was so intriguing and so good!

But then after they are on the island and they've had the procedure this book really lost me, it got so boring and repetitive and why was there sooooooo much sex, god damn. If I had to read about one more elderly man getting an erection and being so thriller about it, I was going to lose my mind.

Here's the vlog where I read this book and a few other five star predictions: https://youtu.be/e1tLMvX4UVc

[Shannon]

DNF 44%
I’m finding this boring. And Astrid is awful.

[Gareth Is Haunted · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another fantastic novel from. Nick Cutter.
The story follows a group of elderly people who have just about given up on life when a stranger turns up and offers them something they had all but given up on.
This book may be a bit of a slow burn but in exchange gives us plenty of background information and lots of bloody delights. In fact I loved that it was slowly paced. If anything tthia amplified the moments of action and also let us get to know the main character's more intimately.
If you're looking for an intriguing and occasionally horrific novel to read, then this is for you.

[liv stormborn ʚɞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

’Hell is empty, and all the devils are here’

The Dorians is horror virtuoso Nick Cutter’s latest science-based body-horror, this time following five terminally ill elderly Canadians as they sign up as test subjects for the ‘Hydra’ - an amalgamation of coral, fungi, and jellyfish that supposedly keeps its host young forever. What is initially a medical marvel quickly turns sinister, as the subjects begin to display dire side-effects, and the child prodigy behind the creature reveals her true nature.

Cutter has been my favourite horror writer since I first read the disgustingly sensational The Troop back in 2021. Since then, I have adored every one of his books, with The Dorians as no exception.

The Dorians is a slow-burn, atmospheric story that builds dread with each chapter. Reminiscent of The Deep, I felt an intense claustrophobia within the walls of Spindrift, the lab in which the events of the book are based, with a haunting knowledge that no matter how well things appeared to be going, they could only end in total disaster. Cutter is a master at crafting an unsettling, uncomfortable ambience that encompasses the narrative from beginning to end, and this story implemented that in full force. It worked brilliantly alongside the gradual decline in the characters mental states, and the ominous way in which the ‘Hydra’ only grows in strength with each passing day.

The ‘Hydra’ itself made for a fascinating ‘antagonist’ - as antagonistic as an unthinking, lab-developed entity can be. It’s one driving ‘thought’ - to survive no matter the cost - fit so well against the backdrop of the story, the desire of the five subjects to live again. It made for some amazingly descriptive gore, that somehow managed to seep into my dreams (or rather nightmares) after I finished the book!

The characters were engaging and all unique from one another, and having so many points of view on the ‘Hydra’ and events of the story made for great reading. I particularly enjoyed Teddy, the cynical jokester, and Maddy, the shrewd and calculating former businesswoman. As usual, Cutter’s dialogue and pacing were magnificent, and I am always impressed by how digestible his books are especially when compared to how devastating the content is.

Overall, The Dorians gets 4/5 stars. Another stellar read from the master of horror.

thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! <3

[Matty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one from Cutter. This story is more terrifying than his others in the sense that one day science will push medical practices to something resembling the heart of this book. It has less gore than most of his books and slower paced, but it still has some crazy body horror which he is known for.

[Nathrixia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good and kept me entertained. Overall I'd definitely recommend it, but I felt something was missing tbh.

Unfortunately, it wasn't really scary for me ... for the first two-thirds, it felt more like a science thriller maybe ... but it got really good towards the end, when the horror truly began. The characters were a mixed bag, also in terms of likability. Parts of the story were a bit predictable I think, for instance the whole thing with Ing and Ast didn't really come as a surprise. Generally, I would have liked Ast to be a bit more fleshed out ... more multifaceted.

Also, I could have done without the seniors all getting so horny, i guess i get it, but... yeah, didn't really need to read about that, or at least less of it. I also would have liked a bit more regarding the experiment itself, maybe some former failures could have made an appearance etc., but still it was very interesting.

All in all, I loved the premise, and I thought it was really good towards the end when the horror kicked in. You definitely can't go wrong with this book.
Therefore a solid 3/5 🌟.

[Blaiz Ferrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m ASHAMED this was my first read by Nick Cutter 😬🤣 because WOW. This may be the first sci-fi horror book I’ve absolutely loved.

I LOVED these chaotic senior citizen characters 🤣 they were making straight-up teen decisions and it made the story so entertaining while also being surprisingly emotional. Because honestly… who wouldn’t want to be young again? To rewind time, escape aging and death? But of course, nothing comes without a cost — and this story takes that idea and runs absolutely wild with it.

A group of elderly volunteers travel to a remote island with the promise of reversing aging and cheating death… but the experiment quickly turns into something horrifying and deeply twisted.

The atmosphere was creepy, the body horror was disgusting in the best way, and the whole story really makes you think about mortality, survival, and how far humans will go to escape death. Such a wild ride.

[BiblioPeeks (Katt) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sometimes I wonder if there is a moment at the threshold of our deaths—one fleeting eyeblink before the end draws down—when we're given some kind of understanding."

This character-driven little gem about the yearning for immortality was hard for me to put down! Five uniquely different crotchety older folks have signed up for MAiD (medical aid in dying) due to terminal health issues. Before the final step, they're given a chance to participate in an experiment to reverse aging—along with a surprise sixth person—what could go wrong?

This sinister slow-burn tale delves into past regrets, who we are at our core, and humanity's obsession with youth. The science of the bioengineered genetically blended "Hydra" is intriguing with the perfect amount of detail to induce a chilling parasitic creature-feature vibe. Creeping dread seeps in as the arrogant teenage prodigy in charge teeters on the edge of madness, and the subjects feel better and stronger—yet not quite themselves. Though I expected a bloody escalation more quickly and pacing dips a bit, tension and suspense are ever present while multiple perspectives keep things interesting. Corey Brill is spectacular as the narrator for the audiobook, with a performance that gave me literal chills and heightened the entire experience!

Some outcomes are predictable, while others surprise as events spiral wildly out of control. The conclusion is quite satisfying as retribution is explored even as questions linger. Imagine a blend of 'Cocoon', 'The Island of Doctor Moreau', and the 'X-Files' episode "Young at Heart", and you have an idea of the lighthearted camaraderie prior to a horrifying and violent turn near the end—when the body horror shows up. NICK CUTTER skillfully addresses autonomy, ethics, hubris in playing God, and the mind-body connection. For fans of isolated settings, foreboding unease, and medical science gone wrong, THE DORIANS is a must-read!
____

Thank you to Gallery Books and Simon Audio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

[Cyndi Farfsing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick Cutter delivers again. Absolutely one of my favorite horror authors and I have loved every book I’ve read by him, this was no exception.

My head is still reeling finishing this book, it has everything I look for in a horror novel. The rapidly increasing sense of dread, the balanced and not gratuitous gore, a mix of character and plot, and twists that smack you in the face.

From the moment our characters set foot on Spindrift to get a second shot at life from the mysterious and mad scientist Dr. Marsh, the sense of impending doom reading this book which grows suffocating with every passing chapter.

I would describe it as a slow burn, but not the type of slow burn that slogs on. It’s the type of slow burn that gets under your skin and makes you not want to put this book down. I honestly went into this book kind of blind, not really reading the synopsis, because I know I really enjoy Nick Cutter’s work. Not that knowing much would change my thoughts on the book but I’m kind of glad I did.

This is a horror story, not a thriller, and it’s a novel that doesn’t sugar coat being a raw, in your face, what goes bump in the night horror. This book is a mishmash of Frankenstein, Dorian Gray with a little bit of Jurassic Park (minus the dinosaurs) thrown in for good measure. And you know what? It works, it all works.

I devoured this book in less than a day, the story was riveting, horrifying and I couldn’t get enough. If you are a horror fan, this book should be added to your tbr immediately.

[Erika Skye · Rating 1.5 out of 5]

1.5 ⭐️

Five ailing seniors have opted in to MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) and are about to end their lives when they receive a mysterious offer — to join an experiment in the remote Canadian wilderness instead. When they arrive, they learn that a new technology has been developed that can reverse their aging, bringing them all the way back to age 25 — and with the potential to live forever. But as the first human subjects in the experiment, they don’t know what kind of side effects await.

Things I liked:
● The premise.

Things I disliked:
● Wayyyyy too much of the narrative focused on our elderly protagonists rediscovering their sexual urges and abilities. Super happy for them but I don’t want to read about it!
● Most of this book was from the perspective of sexist old men. Again, not something I personally enjoy reading.
● The lack of horror — scary things don’t start happening until about 75% of the way through. It’s an agonizingly slow burn, and by the time scary stuff did go down, I hated all the characters enough to be actively rooting for their demise.
● The cartoonishly unhinged villain. At a certain point I just had to roll my eyes.
● The way things ended — not with a bang but a whimper.

I can’t in good faith recommend this to anyone.

*DISCLAIMER: Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book for the purposes of providing an unbiased review.*

PUB DATE: May 19th, 2026

[bookrat_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was good. It started too slow for my liking, but ended with more action. Sci-fi horror is not really my jam. That being said something told me I needed to read this book. Now I'm officially creeped out. It's scary to think that scientifically someday something like this could happen, if it isn't already happening and we don't know. *Shivers*

[Heidi Zuva · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting exploration of how our obsession with attaining more and more (specifically of life and youth) can drive us to make Faustian bargains counter to the overall good of humanity.

Themes of the capitalistic focus on individualism, losing control of a tool so we become its tool instead (ahem, AI), and greed.

The pace slows considerably in the middle, so I wouldn’t recommend this as an intro sci-fi pick, but for those already deep in genre (or coming from litfic) I expect it’ll be a hit.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this is a buzz book I can get behind.

Five elderly people, all on the brink of medically assisted suicide, are approached by a young girl and a bioethicist who claim they can reverse the aging process — maybe even cheat death entirely.

Quarantined on a remote Canadian island and cut off from the world, the volunteers place their trust in Astrid and her mad‑scientist methods, clinging to the hope that the risk will be worth the reward.

But if you’ve read Nick Cutter before, you already know better. There are no happy endings here. This slow‑burn sci-fi body horror digs into the terrifying resilience of living organisms — how they adapt, mutate, and fight to survive under any circumstances, no matter the cost.

A solid 4 stars... and a perfect reminder of what you get when you mess with mother nature.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published May 19, 2026.

3.5 stars

So, with a title like this, you know it’s not going to end well….

We begin with five senior citizens in Canada who, for various reasons, all of them worthwhile, are ready to die. Then they are offered an experimental second chance. They’ve reached the end, so what do they have to lose, right?

Sometimes death isn’t the worst thing. Have these people never read a Stephen King novel? Sheesh.

I often think that the descriptions of Cutter’s books sound better than they end up being, but I mostly enjoyed this one. He did a good job fleshing out each of the five subjects, though I wish he had done a bit more with the staff, especially Ingrid. But, overall, good book.

[Matt Milu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, the synopsis on the back of the book is actually the entire book! The first 85% is very slow as it is just the “set up”…Then from there, it finally picks up the pace and exciting things start to happen! 3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️!

[Michael Hicks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: This review was originally published at FanFiAddict.

Stories about mankind’s search for eternal youth and beauty are almost as old as mankind itself, ranging from ancient tales about the Fountain of Youth to present-day cosmetics industries and their promises of wrinkle-vanishing creams and lotions that restore the skin’s lost elasticity. Nowadays, social media influencers peddling nonsensical promises under the guise of attention-grabbing headlines are a dime a dozen. Yet, the allure of such promises refuses to fade despite the mountains of scientific evidence – and worse – that runs contrary to such wish fulfillment.

On the horror fiction front, Nick Cutter’s latest, The Dorians, most certainly runs headlong toward the “and worse” part of the equation. In this book of science gone wrong mayhem, a group of elderly folks at death’s door – quite literally, given their preparations for medically assisted suicide – are offered a last-minute reprieve and a promise to cure what ails them. The offer, or perhaps more so the mystery surrounding this offer, is too tantalizing to ignore. They quickly find themselves secreted off to a remote island that’s home to a scientific compound spearheaded by 19-year-old Dr. Astrid Marsh, a super-genius who graduated from Princeton before reaching her teens. Now funded by corporate benefactors to the tune of billions and billions of dollars, she’s in the process of fine-tuning a procedure to reverse aging via a biological implant genetically engineered from coral, jellyfish, and fungal mold. Marsh has named this specimen the Hydra but, of course, the results are less Cocoon and more Jurassic Park.

Once the Hydra has been implanted in our handful of dying old folks, they soon find themselves feeling better and looking younger. But it wouldn’t be much of a horror story if everything turned out hunky-dory, would it? Oh no, no no no, that simply would not do. The trials and tribulations of Marsh’s astronomically high IQ comes with a cost. Not only is she socially inept, she’s also got severe anger management issues and is crazier than a sack full of rabid cats. And then there’s the test subjects themselves, particularly the tall, broad-bodied Hugo, who lost his daughter at a tender young age to an innocent mishap and who spent much of his own youth doing very bad things, and Claire, whose hunger for youth has turned her into a manipulative minx.

As the experiment progresses, the group can’t get younger fast enough for their liking and begin taking things into their own hands. Much of this initially involves doing a lot of talking, threatening, and cajoling that contrasts their rediscovered youthful appearances with slang from the 50s, so they sound like outdated greasers, minus the leather jackets and finger snapping, until they finally concoct plans to violently expedite their aging reversal. Eventually, Ian Malcolm’s infamous words from Jurassic Park come to haunt all involved as the Hydra exerts its own instinctual controls over their bodies because, you know, “life finds a way.”

Much like the Hydra, The Dorians itself is a mishmash of works that have come before, engineered into a cobbled-together end-product made from pieces of this and bits of that. Rather than trying to shy away from what’s come before, Cutter leans hard into the various influences that constitute The Dorians. You can see the stitchwork binding together Michael Crichton and Stephen King, The Island of Doctor Moreau, dashes of Carpenter and Cronenberg, a smidge of The Substance, Frankenstein, and plenty more. So much of The Dorians reads like an Easter egg hunt to spot all the ideas and constituent components that Cutter’s cribbing from earlier creatives who have done all the work for him. Little of the story is fresh or original, and there’s an almost meta-level commentary to this book’s existence, which lives much like the Hydra itself, as a parasite riding on the backs of others.

Which brings me to a central mystery of my own making – how to fairly judge The Dorians on its own terms when so much of it exists in relation to works that came before. In liberally taking so many constituent parts from so many other works, Cutter has managed to take much of what works from his forebears and dismiss a lot of what didn’t. While The Dorians is wholly unoriginal, with so much of its plot points virtually cut-and-pasted from a veritable goldmine of sci-fi horror genre definers that ran headlong into the fray so Cutter could stroll his way through decades later, it’s not without its own thoughts and complexities, shallow though they may be. It’s derivative, but so recognizably so one could argue it’s pastiche. It’s premise and execution are so overly familiar in too many crucial ways, but it’s never dull or unreadable. For the most part, I found myself enjoying the read, even as I recognized so many of its combinate parts from so many other previous sources. Could The Dorians exist in its current state without Jurassic Park or Frankenstein or Doctor Moreau before it? I doubt it; the whole book is the literary equivalent of memberberries, albeit in a blessedly less pernicious way than a Ready Player One or some such equivalent. Is a book that’s unoriginal but enjoyable better than a book that’s original but boring? Or is it just six of one, half-dozen of another? I don’t know. I guess at the end of the day, my thinking is that The Dorians is little more than junk food for the brain. It tastes good, but it’s not good for you, and you’ll probably forget all about it in a day or two anyway.

[Thespookybookclub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute BANGER!!! Nick has done it again!
Review to come! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be the first sci-fi horror book I've read that has so many cringe moments, all of them perfectly integrated to the plot, and absolutely necessary to drive the story forward! And what a story this is: medical horror combined with the very real horror of old age, packed into a deliciously creepy tale of body horror. The premise adopts what made the 1985 movie Cocoon so special: the terrific implementation of the "fountain of youth" idea, as experienced by a bunch of interesting characters in their seventies and eighties - adjusted, however, to the current scientific market, and without the aliens. Instead, we get a teenage girl, a child prodigy in medicine, who has devised her own version of The Thing, ready to deliver immortality and rejuvenation to a select group of elderly people. But, as the book's title suggests, these people are conceptually closer to Dorian Gray than, let's say, Highlander or Wolverine - hence, the Dorians!

The book has great build-up, razor-sharp, realistic dialogue, and a very strong sense of what counted as humor or fun a couple of generations back (therefore, watch out for some slight sexism and racism). It develops quickly and satisfyingly into a sort of Greek tragedy, where the hubris of scientists (their manifest arrogance and overconfidence), their violation of the so-called "natural order", gets punished in the most unpredictable of ways!

Characterization, setting, pacing, and atmosphere are all flawless. If anything, I'd complain that the book's ending made me want more - all the characters (even the cynical ones) felt extremely relatable, with the spectres of Frankenstein and Cronenberg haunting the developments in the book almost throughout. It's an easy recommendation, though it should be made clear that it's neither an adventure type of tale nor a mystery thriller; it's closer to a meditation on old age and an exploration of ethics in science, with an engaging (and utterly gruesome) narrative backing the concepts and the questioning every step of the way.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Nick Cutter book, where have you been all my life? I'm burning with anticipation to head down this rabbit hole, The Troop you are next!

I can feel Stephen King's influence all over these pages and I didn't mind a bit. As I am approaching the age of the protagonists of the novel, I sympathized with their grim plight and wondered if I would make the same foolhardy decisions given the opportunity. I'm thankful I don't have to.

Highly recommend and look forward to the next by this author.

[Becky Spratford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review in the May 2026 issue of Booklist and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2026/05...

Three Words That Describe This Book: Frankenstein retelling, gripping, immersive. existential terror

When you read this book, there is some pun intended with the

Most horror, is at is core, about coming to terms with the fact that we will all die. Think about it. All of the undead creatures, ghosts, trying to defeat the supernatural monster in order to live and make better choices in your own life.

All of that is here in this novel. This one is on the nose about all of that. The wonder, the fear, the horror of coming to terms with your own death and making the choice to have a chance to live forever instead. All of the horror of not being able to die but also what does that mean if no one can die. And also, we are not meant to live together so what does that do to our bodies and our humanity?

What is even more terrifying here is that our protagonists are choosing to be part of a scientific experiment to reverse their own aging. Literally moneys from doing assisted suicide, they instead take an offer to go to a remote island in far northern Lake Huron (Canada) and be part of an experiment, knowing full well it could go "hinky" but figuring they have nothing to lose.

Dr Marsh-- the prodigy scientist in charge is 19 (Mary Shelley's age when she wrote Frankenstein), she makes more than one mention about reading the Shelley novel and how she will make different choices than Dr. Frankenstein with her monsters. But there is more in this book that makes allusions to the classic.

Readers will be hard pressed not to think about Michael Crichton in general and Jurassic Park in particular here. But also while Dr Marsh and her subjects are undergoing a well described experiment (involving jellyfish-- which was a cool addition to the horror monster world).

The title also refers to The Picture of Dorian Gray-- the subjects call themselves the Dorian Grays. And Algernon (from Flowers for Algernon) is also mentioned.

All of these allusions are on purpose in a good way-- to prepare readers for what is coming, to serve as a short hand to give Cutter the space to tell HIS original and unique take on this type of story. A cautionary tale about playing god, a scientific advancement can go too far, the mad scientist out for power over life itself, etc.... As a reader, Cutter brings you under the umbrella and says-- hey, you've seen this before-- but then he also says-- watch me bring my own take on it. That was fun.

In terms of storytelling, it is all done with an omniscient narrator that gets into the heads of all of the characters at some point. The "subjects"-- our 5 seniors who go through with the experiment-- and the 2 scientists (Marsh and a bio ethicist), 2 indigenous workers, and a few more to come when you read-- all of them are fleshed out well. We get to see how they appear

Cutter is a great storyteller. This is a gripping story. You will want to keep reading. Most reminded me of a mixture of The Troop and The Queen by him, but decidedly less gory than most of his books.

Thought provoking and heartbreaking. It will make you angry in a bunch of ways, but also it will terrify everyone who reads it because (and I do think Cutter wants readers to make this connection even though it is not there explicitly) your thoughts will go to AI right away. There is no AI here, but the story-- a scientist working on a technology that has a mind of its own that could do a lot of good, but also a lot of harm. I recently finished Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay and there is a lot of similarity here in appeal even though the plots are VERY different on the surface.

Horror that reaches its tendrils out to grab hold of the reader.-- These words are important.

Another great readalike is a title that I think deserves more attention-- Unwieldy Creatures by Addie Tsai. It was a finalist for the 2022 Shirley Jackson Award.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Gallery Books for this free book. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

As someone who has passed the ‘middle-aged” milestone, a horror story involving the scientific potential for regressing the aging process, coupled with the moral, ethical and physical consequences of meddling with mortality captured my interest.

The Dorians features a group of ailing elderly characters who postpone their sanctioned care to end their lives to take a risk with an experimental treatment to give them a second chance at life by returning their youth. But the cure for aging is not quite the miracle they were anticipating and the isolated island laboratory soon becomes far more dangerous than expected.

The Dorians is a slow-burn novel featuring multiple unlikeable characters, a creative utilization of scientific theory and a commentary pertaining to personal agency, ethical experimentation and the shared difficulties and dehumanization that those with chronic illnesses and elderly bodies may contend with. Divided into three parts and depicting multiple perspectives, the last part of the novel is where the tension and dread that permeated the atmosphere finally reaches its zenith.

Although there were some characters who weren’t wholly unpleasant: Moses, John, Ingrid, Vanessa and Frank-to a degree-Astrid and the other members of the group: Maddy, Teddy, Claire and Hugo were provided with detailed-and sometimes sympathetic-histories and distinct personalities and yet failed to engender an emotional connection nonetheless.

Astrid was especially frustrating due to her potential as the young genius who presumed that she would not to turn away from her creations and yet whose emotional instability made her come across as volatile and inconsistent.

The science behind the Hydra was interesting, yet its effects upon each character wasn’t consistent. While not intentionally nefarious, its penchant for gruesome body horror due to its need to fulfill its function despite different obstacles, was depicted in a wonderfully unsettling fashion.

Nevertheless, I wish more time had been spent developing the experimental aspects, especially when the situation started to go awry. My enjoyment of the novel increased as it reached its conclusion, only for it to plummet once again upon reading the epilogue.

The Dorians was my first time reading Nick Cutter’s writing and unfortunately it was not the book that I was anticipating.

[Mogsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2026/05/24/...

A few years ago, I read about Canada’s expansion of its MAiD program, which stands for Medical Assistance in Dying, allowing eligible patients with grievous medical conditions to legally seek physician-assisted death. What struck me most though, is that its framework is considered one of the most permissive in the world. While many countries strictly limit this option for terminally ill adults, Canada does not. And ever since learning about it, I had a feeling authors would eventually begin writing stories related to the emotional and ethical implications, and I was right. The Dorians is probably the second or third book I’ve read recently that explores themes surrounding right to die, bodily autonomy, fear of decline, and how far people are willing to go in order to end their personal suffering. Nick Cutter, the pseudonym for critically acclaimed Canadian author Craig Davidson, takes those themes and pushes them into full-blown horror science fiction territory.

The story follows a group of elderly characters nearing the end of their lives for different reasons, who have all independently sought out MAiD. Each of them is approached by a mysterious doctor named Astrid Marsh, who offers them the chance to participate in a highly experimental but life-altering treatment at her secluded research facility on a remote island. Some of these individuals are terminally ill and out of medical options, while others are simply exhausted by old age and feeling like they have become a burden to society. What they all share, however, is regret. That lingering hope of a chance at a do-over is what drives a lot of them to at least hear Dr. Marsh out, even for those who have already made peace with the idea of assisted death.

And indeed, it turns out what the brilliant doctor has planned is nothing short of revolutionary. In her research, she has discovered a way to not only stop aging, but to reverse the biological clock completely, restoring youth to those willing to participate in her study. Of course, the treatment comes with enormous risks, and it is definitely not for the squeamish. The experiment centers on the hydra, a primitive multicellular organism known for its apparent biological immortality as they do not age due to their stem cells existing in a constant state of renewal. And now, Dr. Marsh and her team have found a way to harness those regenerative properties and integrate them into human hosts. Despite the uncertainty and hideousness behind the process, it’s not hard to see why many of the participants would take her up on the offer.

After his last few novels, Nick Cutter feels fully back in his element with The Dorians. As much as I admire some of his weirder, more ambitious work, I truly think he’s at his strongest when he’s tackling straightforward body horror with a tightly managed cast of characters and a more focused premise. After all, what’s more anxiety-inducing than the idea of aging? Losing control of your body is terrifying enough, but losing your mind right alongside might be even worse. That fear sits at the center of this novel, and the author digs into it with all the grotesque detail he’s become known for.

And yes, the body horror absolutely delivers. I simply love it when horror novels incorporate a biological component, and if you’ve read Nick Cutter before, you already know he has a talent for making certain biological processes feel disturbing in the most skin-crawling ways possible. But what really makes the novel effective, and also what I think is its greatest strength, is that the horror here isn’t necessarily of the “jump scare” variety, nor would I say it is scary in the traditional sense. Instead, it’s unsettling on an idea level, paired with vivid and sometimes nauseating imagery that becomes harder and harder to look away from.

But while Cutter clearly had a lot of fun exploring the nightmarish possibilities of Dr. Marsh’s hydra experiment, we still have a strong emotional thread running beneath all the biological ick and gore. For one, the elderly participants all came to the island thinking they were staring down the final stretch of their lives. Many of them carry deep loneliness, resentment, or fear about what’s coming next. In some ways, I wish the story had spent more time unpacking these ideas related to the characters’ anxieties and regret about aging, which might have helped flesh them out more as individuals. Instead, the plot spends a lot of time delving into the backstory and psychology of the main antagonist. While important and interesting in its own right, it also pulled the focus away from the others, and by the end, the villain was honestly the only character who really stuck with me.

Ultimately, The Dorians was for me a really entertaining return to form for Nick Cutter. It’s gross and packed with the kind of body horror that gets under your skin, but it’s also thoughtful and emotionally messy. The novel does have some issues, but I still feel like it’s one of his stronger works and well worth checking out if the premise speaks to you.

[☆Mrs_Christini☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really really enjoyed this. An island in Canada. ..When Nick Cutter mentioned Saskatoon I wanted to call him and thank him for writing the book.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic horror book needs three things for me to love it. Interesting characters, plot and a good sense of writing atmosphere and dread. This book really hit all three of those for me, and the other Nick Cutter novel I gave five stars to Little Heaven was exactly the same way.

I think if you even slightly enjoy horror stories you should look into this one, I for one am now terrifed of jellyfish. Ok... even MORE terrified of jellyfish. *shivers*

[Daniela · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had great potential but it got so incredibly boring and dull that it was a real struggle for me to finish. I would have DNF'd but I kinda wanted to see if this would pay off.