A virus infected all of the Earth’s animals, and they can’t be consumed anymore. Eating human flesh is legalized, and well-ordered, state-controlled cannibalism becomes the norm. Of course, we all now know that viruses can be used as an excuse for wide-scale societal modifications. In Agustina Bazterrica’s novel Tender Is the Flesh, the virus is a fiction created to advance a global depopulation program.
How does a society decide who is a human human and who is not so much and is fit to be eaten? What is a valuable life? And which lives can be sacrificed to the comforts of the more valuable ones? The premise of Bazterrica’s novel becomes less far-fetched when we remember that we have long accepted the volitional nature of the value of human life. If you don’t agree, I refer you to the recent legislation in Great Britain legalizing abortion at any stage of pregnancy. There is absolutely nothing different but the will of the mother between the babies who will be born and those who will be discarded. Bazterrica makes it very clear that she’s thinking about this analogy by placing the question of babies—which ones are treasured and why—at the heart of the novel.
This is a short book but it grapples with some of the most difficult questions of our times. Euthanasia, infertility, climate alarmism, fear of pandemics, hypocritical feminism. It’s a powerful novel but I can’t recommend it to anybody who doesn’t have a very strong stomach. I’ve felt nauseous for two days because the descriptions in the book are very graphic.
I discovered Bazterrica by pure chance at the bookstore yesterday. I didn’t expect much because a female Argentinean author in her fifties is, inevitably, very left-wing. The good news is that talent is stronger than the idiocy of even the most committed artist. And this is a talented book.
Clarissa's Blog 
Have you read Meat by Joseph D’Lacey? Same theme (eating humans, classifying human children), published almost a decade earlier.
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No, never heard of it. Maybe it was an inspiration for Bazterrica’s novel if it is well-known.
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Writing from the UK you have jumped the gun on changes to abortion laws – there has been some discussion, but no changes to law yet.
We have, however, almost decided to kill anyone useless who is costing the NHS (government health care) too much money. Mark the predictions about impact and then come back in 5 years time when many multiples are being killed and see how that state-mandated murder is justified!
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Thank you for the clarification!
Yes, the euthanasia laws are insane. This is what awaits all of us if we continue on this path. I’m very sad when I look at all this. We’ll have two tiers of people, ones whose lives are precious and will be extended with every possible means. And the “unnecessary” people who will be put down like cattle.
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I finally got around to reading this book and second your warning “It’s a powerful novel but I can’t recommend it to anybody who doesn’t have a very strong stomach. I’ve felt nauseous for two days because the descriptions in the book are very graphic.”
I’m surprised that you were able to finish reading it considering you personal history.
Many years ago when I was not yet even in my mid-life I said that my goal was to live long enough to become a burden on society knowing that when that happen society would kill me. It’s beginning to look like I may have been prescient.
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Thank you for this comment. I felt it deeply because of the dead baby and the ending feels all the more horrific.
I think the novel deserves to be read. But it’s a bit of work to read it.
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I didn’t intend for that to be Anonymous.
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