A Glutton For Punishment by Michael J. Elliott

Genre: Horror

Description

The time: Not long from now

The place: Close to where you live.

In a world where health and medical costs have skyrocketed due to obesity and related illnesses, an authoritarian government takes drastic measures.
The overweight have their food purchases strictly monitored. They are provided with a Cal-Card which must be presented every time they buy groceries and other food. Attempting to purchase non approved items results in severve disiplinery measures.
The overweight are given three attempts to loose and maintain a healthy weight. Failure to do so results in the overweight being rounded up and send to internment camps.

Lynda Whittaker has just failed her third weight lose attempt.
Inside obesity camp Clinton, the inmates are consigned to work for various multinational companies as virtual slaves with few rights and very little priveledges.
Any infringement of camp rules result in summary execution.
But apart from these draconian conditions, Lynda is about to stumble upon a secret.
Something so frightening, so abhorent, it will push her to the brink of sanity.

Michael J Elliott presents a frightening vision of a future society where to be thin is not only an aspiration, it could mean saving your life and where the overweight have become the 21st Century pariahs.

Amazon

This is an Electric Eclectic Book, and a novelette especially if you want a quick read or are looking to find new authors. The book is being officially launched on the Electric Eclectic Facebook page on 20th May. You’re welcome to join us.

Karen’s Review

Oh this book!

I was reading a story in one of the author’s short story collections –  Choice Cuts and came across a story called Happy Religious Observance. Although I’ve read a few from of Michael J Elliott’s stories, this one is genius. sHow he comes up with his ideas, I don’t know. All his stories are clever, but now and again one of them is literally genius.

A Glutton for Punishment tells of a future where it is a crime to be fat. The story is  plausible as the author picks up on things already in our every day life. Lynda, the main character, and is in denial about her weight (aren’t we all!) until she is sent to Fat Camp. This isn’t the Fat Camps we would imagine. This is a internment camp.

I liked Lynda; she grows in confidence and becomes stronger. Due to circumstances she loses weight and meets a man. Being the romantic person I am, I had hopes. Then I remembered: This is Michael J. Elliott.  He doesn’t do romance. He does horror, a happy ended she would not get.

I’m not going to give you any kind of clue as to what happens, but I’ll warn you – it’s chilling. I’m still shaking at the thought. It’s really the stuff of nightmares. Very cleverly thought out and crafted.

This is the genius of Michael J. Elliott.

As always, if you read it, I would love to hear what you think as well.