Published: June 11, 2011
Words: 3,206 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781458153265

Short description

This short story is a Phobos Award Winner. Kyle suffers from neurofibromatosis, a crippling disease most famously associated with the Elephant Man. When a shady medical practitioner offers Kyle a chance to cast off his deformed appearance forever, he accepts without a second thought. But does Kyle truly understand what this new treatment will cost him?

Extended description

Kyle Ameus Waterbey is afflicted with a hideous illness. He would do anything to be rid of it. Anything.

Kyle suffers from neurofibromatosis, a crippling disease most famously associated with the Elephant Man. When a shady medical practitioner offers Kyle a chance to cast off his deformed appearance forever, he accepts without a second thought. But does Kyle truly understand what this new treatment will cost him?

This story has won a Phobos Award and the Vera Hinckley Mayhew Award.

Tags

murder, medicine, disease, illness, replication, neurofibromatosis, elephant man

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Reviews

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Review by: GraceKrispy on Aug. 28, 2011 :
A very short story, I found the entire premise really riveting. It was almost horrifying to think of the misery Kyle must experience in his every day life, and you could feel his pain and agony in the story. I felt the writing flowed well, although there were a few places where the word choices felt a bit unnatural, almost as if a thesaurus had been consulted. It wasn’t a big detraction, but it did give it somewhat of a temporarily stilted feel to the voice in my head. Although the entire concept was incredibly fascinating, the ending was a bit disappointing to me. It felt predictable, and I wondered what Kyle had expected to happen. Without giving anything away, with the way the doctor had explained the process, I kept waiting for Kyle to question that very possibility, but he never did. Perhaps it was his excitement that prevented him from asking, but he seemed to question other aspects of the procedure. The abruptness of the ending also caught me a bit by surprise, but it worked with the story.

Overall, a great short story that is both thought-provoking and satisfying.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: S. Wolf on June 16, 2011 :
Very well-written story based on an interesting concept. Short and straight-forward, it grabs you quickly and doesn't let go until the surprising conclusion. Reminded me a bit of the movie The Presitige, and the questions raised by it. If you're looking for a quick, thought-provoking read, give this one a try. Well done.
(review of free book)

Review by: Lynette Ferreira on June 11, 2011 :
Excellent!! I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and although I should have known the scanning process would create another, it still surprised me.
(review of free book)

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