We have a cover! I love the glitchy unicorn, it's so trippy. Plus, the official blurb:

"It's 2075 and time once again for the annual Senecan Games, a fight-to-the-death tournament in which the sinful are contestants, as nominated online by their neighbors, mutuals, and IRL friends. But who has time to stream murder games in this economy?

From New York Times bestselling author Olivie Blake comes NEWPHORIA!, a playful yet biting dystopian satire about what happens if we get the future we deserve."

You are browsing at a bookstore and see a cover that catches your attention. You know nothing about the author or the story so you flip a third of the way into the book. You read two sentences and slam the book shut. Shelve it and walk away. What did you read?

Gift link here: 🔗 Our Insatiable Appetite for Stories About Cannibalism

Recently, the New York Times published an article about the rising trend of cannibalism in contemporary fiction and how it's been used as a metaphor to express desire, obsession, female rage, and a ton of other human experiences. It has also coincided with the horror renaissance that's been happening, exploring new and innovative ways to unpack social issues that make the act of cannibalism into political commentary. And like most horror, it reflects the current societal fears and how we're coping with them. Some key quotes:

"Lately, cannibalism has become a popular and potent trope in contemporary fiction, where it has cropped up as a metaphor for contentious issues: misogyny, social inequality, our cultural obsession with body image, rampant consumerism and the ways social media drives overconsumption and, in turn, consumes us."

"This new breed of fictional cannibals feels different from its predecessors, less monstrous and more sympathetic. Often, these cannibals eat people to protest or weather systemic injustice or in response to trauma, violence and discrimination."

Cannibalism is one of my favorite things to read about in fiction (I literally have A Certain Hunger in My Taste section), so this was a fascinating article to read. This new iteration in modern novels also feels like a different flavor than previous versions, which usually accompanied more straightforward horror villains or sometimes on shipwreck stories. It offers such a visceral way to depict complete and total consumption, whether that be of a person or an idea (often both). It often accompanies themes of female rage and revenge against systemic injustice in a way that resonates with me, and even when it doesn't, it's just plain fun! The act of eating can be simultaneously sensual and disgusting, and even doubly so when the thing you're eating is a human body. The utterly violent and invasive nature of it also can make it a really satisfying form of ultimate revenge.

It made me wonder: What draws you to cannibalism in books and what aspects of its use as a metaphor excites you the most? The intimacy of the act? The exploration of social issues? The pure gore factor? And if it doesn't interest you at all, why?

Also, if you are new to the cannibalism trend, here are some great lists to start with that might inspire you! 🔗 hungy women 🔗 Women Hungering: Appetite, Horror, and Consumption 🔗 Unusual Cravings: Cannibalism in Fiction 🔗 The Monstrous Feminine (Quest)