Reviewed by:
Michael Thal
Genre:
Science Fiction/Fantasy/Satire
Approximate
word count:
40-45,000 words
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on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes &
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Author:
When he recovered
from a deadly sickness in 2012, Michael La Ronn realized the
shortness of life. So he decided to pursue his passion—writing.
Today he writes quirky science fiction and fantasy novels about
vegetables and androids, short stories, and poetry. The author lives
with his wife in Des Moines, Iowa.
Description:
Kendall Barnes is
one of the human citizens of the Middle Rind of New Eaton. His city
is unique for it is comprised of cereal boxes and soda bottle
skyscrapers. On its streets are other people as well as “candy
bars, boxed dinners, doughnuts, and other processed foods each with
bright packaging and droopy eyes, adding artificial color to the
area.”
In Kendall’s
world most of humanity is obese and the underclass are the
vegetables. The Gourmans, the ruling class, keep the humans happy
with plenty of junk food and inactivity.
Kendall intends on
entering the Festival of the Harvest to be held in Nonpareil Square.
All he has to do is slash and gash the most free-running vegetables
with his knife and fork weapons. He could win Nutrizeen injections
that would shed his unwanted pounds leaving him fit with a god-like
body.
Fry Guards bring
in the prisoners—a fresh group of veggies harvested from the
battlefield. (New Eaton is at war with the vegetable kingdom.) The
vegetables are led off of a jail ship connected by chains. When set
free to be attacked by the likes of Kendall Barnes, a few prisoners
fight back. They are led by Brocco (a brave broccoli) Celerity (a
stick of celery you wouldn’t want to mess with), and Frank, (an
odious onion).
Appraisal:
Thus Michael La
Ronn begins his satirical novel, Eaten:
The Complete First Season. The author
does an amazing job of showing the depth of hatred between the
Gourmans and the vegetables. The Gourman leader, Sodius, is a cloud
of salt making Adolph Hitler look like a pacifist.
Sodius is
contrasted by Carrodias, a carrot, who is the vegetable king. He’s
a courageous vegetable willing to risk his life for peace between the
two kingdoms.
La Ronn provides
his readers with a non-stop joyride in a plot filled with unexpected
twists and turns as the vegetable “terrorists” stop at nothing to
end Sodius’ reign of genocidal terror against the vegetables. In so
doing, La Ronn explores the folly of racial hatreds and the stupidity
of war.
FYI:
Readers beware:
Eaten: The Complete First Season
leads into other volumes so the plot is not resolved.
Format/Typo
Issues:
No
significant issues.
Rating: **** Four Stars
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