The Dorians by Nick Cutter
Gallery Books (May 2026)
Reviewed by Briana Morgan
What would you give up to be young again, and what would you do with this new lease on life? These complex bioethical dilemmas form the backbone of Nick Cutter’s The Dorians, a medical/body horror novel released in May of this year. Taking its name from The Picture of Dorian Gray, Cutter’s latest release explores themes of aging, immortality, and humanity’s quest for meaning.
In The Dorians, five terminally ill, elderly people planning to go through assisted suicide are stopped at the last minute and offered the chance to serve as test subjects for an experimental anti-aging procedure. Spearheaded by nineteen-year-old wunderkind Dr. Astrid, the procedure involves implanting a hydra in each participant’s body, which will reverse the progress of their illness and, by extension, their physical age.
Fans of Cutter’s other novels will enjoy the character-driven nature of this book (and the lack of animal cruelty, aside from a few jellyfish). As participants regain their lost health and youth, they become increasingly desperate to keep their newfound vigor. This desperation leads them to take drastic measures, including committing acts of violence.
Much like Cutter’s other work, The Dorians sets up a hint of parasitism gone bad early on. We see this pay off in the most chaotic, diabolical way as things go expectedly sideways. I really enjoyed the character arcs and the relationships in this book, and they kept me invested in the lives of the old-turned-young people as the hydras wreaked havoc on their bodies.
For fans of movies like Cocoon and The Substance, The Dorians is well worth the read and its lingering implications of immortality.
