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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?
GraceKrispy
Posted August 29, 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.
Overview
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?