The Physique Harvest
by Michael J. Seidlinger
Style: Horror
ISBN: 9781955904872
Print Size: 204 pages
Writer: Conflict Books
Reviewed by Andrea Marks-Joseph
In a determined, depression-fueled seek for a bodily illness that mirrors their defeated psychological state, two loners discover themselves on a bloody, manic revenge rampage.
Half physique horror, half exploration of the destruction that grief may cause on our sense of wellness, The Physique Harvest is disturbing, disgusting, and at occasions deliciously delusional.
The novel follows Olivia and Will, who bonded over feeling sickened with grief in a digital help group. They now reside collectively in an residence they’ll’t afford. The not-quite-couple spends all their time centered on and “working” towards getting new forms of debilitating sicknesses. Actually all their time is spent this manner; there’s little or no point out of labor, consuming meals, intercourse for pleasure, or speaking to different folks on this novel, as a result of the 2 protagonists don’t do these issues. Truly, they’ve prevented them for so long as they probably can.
They solely really feel alive after they’re “crashing” from signs, and they also group as much as “chase” any sickness that will put their our bodies out of fee. They dig deep into bins on the road, licking the gadgets they discover in hopes of catching one thing severe (not meals poisoning, that’s too short-term to really feel satisfying). They go to pressing care, providing tissues to sick folks to get near them, reaching into the hazardous waste bins and retrieving used needles to stab themselves when the nurses go away them alone within the room.
Their relationship is an instance of how getting right into a cycle of self-harm can take over your life, consuming all of your ideas. Creator Michael J. Seidlinger presents an enchanting exploration of this dynamic by two depressed loners who’re determined to catch a fever that makes their pores and skin get away into rashes.
In the future a person named Zaff walks into their residence and tells them he has the sickness of all sicknesses, and he may give it to them, too! However first, he should present them what it’s wish to experience the excessive of an sickness that provides “a model new world” after they cross a fever temp of 103F.
Typically The Physique Harvest looks like sci-fi, as a result of because the occasions escalate, it’s unclear whether or not the primary characters are inside a fantasy panorama, a shared psychosis, or a manic episode bursting into the world exterior of their minds. At occasions, the facility Will, Olivia, and Zaff wield on this heightened sickened state looks like that of vampires who can mind-control mere mortals with their charisma, charming folks to their theatrical deaths with out a second-thought or a second-glance. Olivia describes it as “the sheen and shimmer of the tail finish of the euphoria”—the phrases “finish of” performing some heavy lifting, as a result of this sickness is in reality terminal.
Because the virus progresses of their our bodies, they expertise intense, however temporary, assaults of dizzying, debilitating ache; Within the time between these painful episodes, they really feel invincible. The Physique Harvest’s twists and turns take you to locations you possibly can by no means think about. Have you ever seen the memes that say “[X] takes me locations I wouldn’t go along with a gun?” That’s precisely what this ebook does, time and time once more.
The gore on this novel is delivered briefly batches, however it’s vivid and visceral. It’s actually not like something I’ve learn, even in straight-up horror fiction. I sadly began studying this ebook whereas consuming a really scrumptious meal, which I’d not suggest. The meals was so flavorful and textured that I stored taking extra bites with out actually pondering, however chewing whereas studying The Physique Harvest was a harrowing expertise—I stored frowning and flinching as I learn descriptions of the primary characters spitting into one another’s mouths to contaminate one another. It was so unexpectedly disgusting, however I couldn’t look away.
That stated, the vast majority of the ebook is concerning the grossness of getting a physique and never caring what occurs to it: For instance, at one level Olivia will get so feverish that she urinates whereas sleeping on their shared mattress, and during the ebook they return to sleep in that very same mattress, having by no means cleaned it, remarking on the odor that fills the room.
As soon as they meet Zaff, their mysterious guardian angel of sickness, his first acts of violence really feel random and chaotic—a dramatic present of the vampire-like powers of energy and manipulation gained by means of this new virus. Later, Will and Olivia concentrate on enacting revenge on those that wronged them of their earlier than occasions; they go as far as to enchant their means into a greater model of their previous lives. These are gory, grotesque, and graphically described—a penis sliced in half in order that it resembles a “wilted banana peel”; a home abuser turning purple as he’s choked by his personal belt; Olivia calling for her assistant to movie her bleeding from the eyes to attain on-line success.
In its purest type, The Physique Harvest is concerning the mania, the self-destruction, and all-consuming means that nothing else issues once you’re so anxious and depressed that you just barely really feel such as you exist. This novel is formidable in ways in which I’m sure will sink in much more within the weeks after I’ve learn it. I think I’ll proceed to be astounded on the layers and uncooked emotion Seidlinger wrote into these corrupted, careless individuals who deserved extra kindness than life—and their household, pals, lovers, and colleagues—ever confirmed them.
There’s a thematic brilliance, too, in the way in which Seidlinger made these missed folks, discarded by society, the primary characters of his novel—and within the nonjudgmental means he wrote Olivia and Will falling from their privileged positions to a standing that society would deem unsavory, and within the intelligent, wicked means they later rise again up the ranks by means of virus-induced mania. I beloved that Olivia and Will know what they appear to be to the surface world for almost all of the ebook—they know the way strangers will react to them, they usually typically use that to their benefit.
Readers can anticipate storylines that observe patterns of self-harm, that includes scenes of characters reducing themselves and others, home and youngster abuse, mutilation and disfigurement, suicidal ideation and makes an attempt, and an outline of the method and aftermath of self-immolation.
I can even observe that I exploit the phrase “mania” to explain the state of their expertise of this pseudo-magical sickness because it learn to me, an individual with bipolar who has skilled by-the-book medically-diagnosed mania in its numerous kinds, fairly often, for a few years. Their sickness wasn’t introduced with a direct comparability to mania, however there are definitely parallels to it that trace at it being a psychological sickness or perhaps a hallucination. For many who could have concern about my use of that phrase when describing these storylines, I’d say that even for those who do learn Olivia and Will’s wild rampages as mania, I imagine it was written as true to the expertise—I didn’t discover it offensive or stereotypical, nor a caricature for the aim of mimicking an actual sickness.
That stated, with the frequent dialogue of their suicidal ideas and makes an attempt, in depth explanations concerning the influence of each Will and Olivia’s previous anxieties manifesting as paranoid and depressive habits, the a number of mentions of them residing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and their blatant makes an attempt to contaminate themselves with the bodily fluids of susceptible and sick folks (with out considered who they might infect alongside the way in which), I’d advise that anybody feeling something lower than settled or secure of their headspace with any of those subjects strongly think about studying this solely after they really feel their nearer to their greatest.
On the subject of COVID-19, although, I’ll say I actually appreciated that the writer framed those that are nonetheless masking to keep away from the brand new pressure of COVID-19 doing rounds within the novel as form, beneficiant, and thoughtful of their fellow residents. I used to be actually a bit bowled over as a result of (as a chronically unwell reader who remains to be residing a fairly remoted life avoiding sicknesses) I had gotten into the rhythm of having fun with these reckless, aching people who don’t have any care on the earth, actually prepared to crash to their loss of life if it made them really feel one thing. All of the sudden seeing characters representing myself on this context—and being revered and honored in an area the place it was each sudden and albeit, not vital—made this story really feel much more grounded in compassion.
Finally, Will, Olivia, and their twisted guardian angel in in search of to ravage their immune methods serve sturdy “damage folks damage folks” vibes, however after we first meet them, they’re floundering and spiraling, performing out of ache with the intention to solely damage themselves. It’s very clear, heartbreakingly so, that these two individuals are clinging to the bodily sensations of sickness out of a tangled, torturous mixture of grief, rage, and their consciousness that they’ve fallen so low in society that something they tried wouldn’t get them out of the outlet they’ve stumbled into.
Seidlinger opens The Physique Harvest with the J.G. Ballard quote: “I needed to rub the human race in its personal vomit, and drive it to look within the mirror.” after which goes on to do precisely that. Society isn’t constructed to guard or help felons (Will) or victims of abuse (Olivia) in any tangible or accessible means. For those who’ve ever been so anxious that you just can’t go away the home or so depressed that your solely obscure sense of motivation comes by a buddy who understands the darkness you’re overwhelmed by and helps you search one thing self-destructive to set it alight—you’ll perceive this couple. You’ll acknowledge elements of your self in Will and Olivia instantly. “I misplaced all the pieces—my girlfriend, my financial savings, my sanity! Whenever you went and pointed blame sq. on me, you instantly made it in order that I used to be banished to the margins of society. I’ve dug by dumpsters. I’ve had dozens of illnesses. I’ve licked semen clear off a stranger’s dick. I’ve finished all of it and was sober, utterly lucid doing so. And what did I get? Energy. I received energy. With each new low, I gained data that I may solely go up from there. Greater.” —It’s in moments like this that the reader’s coronary heart breaks much more for Will, who admits to his worst enemy that he’s been in search of out sicknesses for the frenzy of experiencing his physique therapeutic itself, rising from the ashes of illness to chase an unbelievable excessive based mostly merely on his immune response.
I’d extremely suggest The Physique Harvest to readers who loved the also-often-gross poisonous lesbian throuple novel A Good Completely happy Woman by Marissa Higgins and for anybody who desires to learn unlikable however empathetic characters who don’t have any management over their lives, spiraling into no matter mess comes their means subsequent, hoping for the worst.
The very finish of The Physique Harvest is genuinely surprising. Michael J. Seidlinger crafted an sudden, supremely intelligent fruits of all that Will and Olivia went by. It’s certainly one of my favourite issues on the earth when the title of a novel seems in a phrase or idea within the ebook; the thrilling reveal that impressed this ebook’s title will go down in historical past as one of many biggest to ever do it. I’ve by no means gasped so many occasions in a row earlier than.
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