Tender is the Flesh and Raven tries to Formulate her Thoughts on Speculative Fiction

Now this might take the cake for the quickest read of 2024. I picked it up on the 20th and finished before noon on the 22nd. Now I had seen so much hype for Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica all over Booktok and Bookstagram. Normally hype does not compel me to read a book (my big sin on Bookstagram is that I haven't read 4th Wing or Iron Flame and I have zero intentions to do so). However, hype around horror books is not as common as controversy. When I looked more into the hype I saw an equal number of critiques. Maybe that was what finally sold me on the book.

I started with little information, having not even read the summary or any full reviews. All I knew was that 1. It was considered by many to be deeply disturbing and graphic, 2. That it was a translated work, and 3. That it had something to do with cannibalism. Now point three was a definite understatement, but I didn't honestly want to know very much. A book full of praise and controversy was more than enough for me. Plus given my reading record I clearly don't have issues with stomaching stories of cannibalism or other graphic content. So let's get into it.

Speculative fiction is a vague term. An umbrella term that includes a wide array of genres such as horror, science fiction, and fantasy is bound to have a lot of room for what to do and what can be included. The best speculative fiction, in my opinion, starts by asking a very simple question. From that simple question we complicate it, failed solutions and bad faith ideas. However, my favorites tend to still be rooted in what our reality will do with that question, not simply posing a world and enacting some idea in an extreme form. With that in mind, I believe the question behind this novel would be "What would happen if we had to get rid of all the animals?"

In this world (please note the novel was written pre-pandemic) a virus has infected the majority of animals that now makes them lethal to humans. Eating meat is deemed too dangerous, but even being near animals could pose a possible risk. Slaughterhouses empty out as the Transition occurs. Scientists seem unable to figure out how to cure the virus as fear spreads. The solution of veganism is dismissed as scientists claim there are vital nutrients now missing from the human diet with the absence of meat. So the selected solution is "Special Meat". Meat grown from "humans" though they try not to see them as that. Genetically modified and bred to be meat, these "humans" are raised in captivity and sold by various breeding centers to be used for meat, leather, big game hunting, and just about any other use. This solution only comes after endless scandals of cannibalism and people eating the dead to satisfy their craving for meat.

Our story focuses on Marcos who comes from a family that used to slaughter animals. Now he works for a slaughterhouse for these modified humans. His life seemingly descending into madness as his father continues to deteriorate, the loss of his only son, and worse of all his life revolves around slaughtering creatures that look just like him. As you could probably guess this guy is not doing so great.

While I love the story, it does take a certain kind of audience to enjoy it. There is gore and plenty of it. There is sexual violence in many forms in this story. This is not the type of story to read while eating on your lunch break (although I made a valiant effort I did choose a salad for next day's lunch). Some people avoid certain types of media in fear of turning vegan, and this could be one of those works. Though I will clarify at the time of my completion of this novel I am still not considering veganism as a viable option for me. Mentions of the virus in this story may sit uncomfortably with some as we live in the COVID times, especially as there is a lot of doubt about the legitimacy of the unnamed virus in this story and we all have heard COVID conspiracies that sound a little too close to what the author predicted. To clarify I do not know the author's stance on any of these issues nor do I feel the need to ask, The point of this section is to simply highlight somethings I noticed or things I have seen others point out that have bothered them about the book. I will also take this chance to state that horror is about discomfort and that it is okay for you to be uncomfortable with a work, but that is not a sin against anyone.

Now that I'm off my soap box, I would like to address the art of translation. As an English Teacher we don't work with many translated works so a lot of us don't understand the full depth of what goes into translating a work. To find a way to describe all these new concepts and connotations to us and then being able to translate it is something that must be acknowledged. especially considering how much of this work is about how language transforms our perception. They can't call it human meat so they call it "Special Meat", they can't be humans so they call them "Head", its not a foot its a "Lower Extremity". I am always curious about works that talk about how language shapes us and seeing the idea be conveyed in a translated work adds even more depth to the concept.

Final Rating 4/5 Stars: I absolutely demolished this book. While I had trouble getting through some particularly graphic scenes I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I wish some themes had been more explored, and that we had gotten more time with some characters (we meet a new one in the second to last chapter) . Overall it's a thrilling and chilling read. One that came to me at such a strange moment this year.

-Sincerely Raven