Autotomy Cocktail by Zachary Ashford

Serge Couture turns to genetic engineering in his efforts to escape a degenerative disease. The problem is, his experiments prove too successful.

CRISPR has a lot to answer for, in fiction at least, and I loved this tale of a young man learning how to mess with his DNA by watching YouTube videos.

I found the initial conversation between Serge and his brother off putting, because the way they talk to each other is so vulgar, but after that scene I got into the story, and the relationship with his brother does pay dividends later on.

If you love body horror, you have to read this book. Ashford knows how to write the horrific with just the right amount of humor to make it even more gross. I loved Serge’s changes, and their consequences. This is a short story, but there is enough plot and world building to expand into a longer work.

The resolution is a little disappointing because it takes the story in a new direction that is barely even described before it ends. Part of it makes sense, when you accept this world has teens that can so successfully rewrite their genetic code after watching a couple of videos, but there are also ramifications that impact on the whole story that I would like to have seen explored in more depth, or not introduced at all. It is a suitably creepy ending all the same.

I award Autotomy Cocktail…