Tender is the Flesh - When Cannibalism Becomes Accepted
Like cattle on meat hooks, this book suspended me within a world that I hope never comes to fruition.
The story follows Marcos, a man working at a slaughterhouse. Not just any slaughterhouse though; a slaughterhouse for humans or 'special meat.' In a world where animals became contaminated with a virus that rendered them unsafe for consumption, the people 'adapted' and shifted towards farming human meat instead. They do their best to pretend that those they assign to slaughter are just lowly beasts. They cut their vocal cords so they cannot speak and therefore become closer to being animals. However, there are some who cannot overcome the dread of facing the truth day-in and day-out within the slaughterhouse. When Marcos is gifted a human woman to 'raise' on his own, his feelings are darkly mixed about what he wants to do with her.
Let me just say that I love to eat meat. Reading this detailed account of slaughtering humans definitely grossed me out. The writing is smooth and subtle. It makes it easy to remember that the way we slaughter animals en masse is not much different from what happens in this book. But that's not the only point. It is also foreboding and terrifying to imagine that through the selfishness of humanity, we could resort to consuming ourselves like it's the next natural course of action.
I recommend you try not to eat while you read this book.
