What is the tone or mood in the story?

THe mood and tone is one of dark bleak confusion. Because Wells writes from the first-person perspective of Prendick, the reader never grasps the full details of events unless Prendick does so himself. This confusion reflects the natural imperfections of a narrator who is not omniscient. It is augmented by the vague details of Montgomery's and Moreau's past, the blurry philosophical muddle of the Beast Men (who are neither beasts nor men, but who are also both beasts and men), and the uncertain prospect of rescue. This is a method of inspiring bleakness and despair among readers, who come to feel as ineffectual as Prendick.