“Tender Is the Flesh” by Agustina Bazterrica is a dystopian novel set in a world where humans are farmed for meat due to a mysterious virus that makes animal flesh inedible. The story follows Marcos, a worker in a processing plant where humans are bred and slaughtered for consumption. As he grapples with the moral implications of this gruesome reality, he is forced to confront his own humanity and the dehumanization of others.

Marcos’s life becomes increasingly complicated when he acquires a female “specimen” for personal use. Their relationship challenges his beliefs and awakens suppressed feelings of empathy and connection. The novel explores themes of survival, the commodification of life, and the ethics surrounding meat consumption, ultimately asking readers to reflect on the nature of humanity and the choices we make in a morally ambiguous world. Through visceral imagery and unsettling scenarios, Bazterrica crafts a chilling examination of society’s darkest impulses.