The Sin of Tantalus by Michael Spearwater

Not so long ago in the recent past, a company developed an artificial pheromone that improved the taste of otherwise low-quality beef or pork: Tantalus. To improve results, and thus sales, they decided to find a way to vector it directly into meat animals as a metabolic product. In hindsight, this was a really bad idea, but that didn't stop someone from spreading the vector as widely as possible. In the present, the country is currently on its fifth wave of Tantalus-related infections in as many years. As a primary side effect, an unlucky handful of consumers with the wrong genetic predisposition develop a savory scent that proves too tempting for many of their uninfected peers. The government has had to step in to ensure that fewer cannibalistic murders occur after the disastrous first wave, but the treatments are palliative at best, and much of the related legislation seems to be written by people who don't necessarily care about the victims of the situation. The population at large doesn't mind as long as there's more savory bacon and steak to eat. The story follows an infected teenager named Martin Gallegas as he tries to lead a normal life within the safety restrictions designed to help keep him alive, and so far he's managed to stay ahead of the curve. At the suggestion of a friend, he takes up video-blogging, sharing some of his experiences in the hopes that someone somewhere might benefit from it. Martin is living out his own personal dystopia in a world where he's the most delicious thing around, and there's no shortage of folk who want him on the menu. All he's got is a camera and an audience. The apocalypse will be livestreamed.

New Adult • Science Fiction/Dystopian • Horror

Content Warning: Violence, cannibalism