Synopses & Reviews
The Dogs of Truth contains 17 new or previously uncollected short stories. Included are "High Rise High," about a student revolt at the ultimate "secure" high school; "Focus Group," where a star-struck fan dictates the fate of soap opera characters through a biochip implant; "Escape from Shark Island," which looks at an extreme version of today's trendy "family bed;" and "Precautions," where germ-phobia reigns supreme.
The new stories tell of the "Grand Opening" of the world's largest mega-mall, study the relationship of a writer and his muse in "Getting It Back," and, in "The Shop of Little Horrors," take a dark look at the child-free lifestyle.
Review
"Her writing is a treasure house of gems."--
Washington Post Book World"Beauty pageants, hi-tech motherhood, fat farms, game shows-nothing involved in shaping women's expectations is immune from her scrutiny. Most of these stories shine with incisive edginess. Visionary, uncovering humor and horror."--The New York Times Book Review on Weird Women, Wired Women
Praise for Thinner Than Thou:
"'Super-Size Me' meets 'Soylent Green.'"--Entertaintment Weekly
"A clever what-if, Reed's tale is provocative as well as amusing."--People
"Health clubs replace houses of worship in Kit Reed's not-so-science-fiction novel Thinner Than Thou."--Vanity Fair
"Reed's latest is an "if this continues" dystopia in the tradition of John Brunner's The Sheep Look Up or Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Reed has a singular gift for this kind of Swiftian satire, and her book is as funny as it is outraged."--San Francisco Chronicle
"Sink your teeth into this delicious story, a wild, irresistible ride through a not implausible dystopic future."-M. G. Lord, New York Times bestselling author
"When a novel convincingly alters your perspective, it's fair to call it a success. Thinner Than Thou reminds us how shallow beauty can be when it loses its context in body, mind and spirit."--The Philadephia Inquirer
"Kit Reed has written a compelling novel about a world where pursuit of beauty has become mandatory for all. It captures the pain, emptiness, and absurdity of the quest for physical perfection but opens the possibility of liberation from this tyranny. This provocative and engaging book is a must-read for anyone concerned about our culture's increasing obsession with physical appearance."-Ruth Striegel-Moore, co-author of Eating Disorders: Innovative Directions in Research and Practice
"Deliciously satirical . . . a zesty send-up of our contemporary obsession with attaining eternally svelte self-images. Much like such dark, mocking works as Nathanael West's The Day of the Locust, Reed's plot careers hell-bent toward an apocalyptic ending [that] leaves you wanting more."--The Associated Press and Knight-Ridder syndicates
"In a world of Dr Atkins, facelifts, botox and eating disorders, this nightmare vision hits the pressure points like acupuncture. Multi-faceted, witty, and endlessly inventive."-Geoff Ryman
"This particular satire is Reed at her mordant best. A timely, witty page-turner which tells us the truth about ourselves and our society while making us laugh aloud."--Michael Moorcock
"Reed's visionary tale is brilliant."--Booklist
"Stinging and mordantly witty . . . a cast of delicious characters. Reed reaffirms her position as one of our brightest cultural commentators."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Darkly humorous and unsettling, this is an important book."--Romantic Times
About the Author
Kit Reed has received two Guggenheim fellowships and an Aspen Institute Rockefeller Fellowship. She has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award; two of her works have been finalists for the James W. Tiptree Award. Kit Reed lives in Middletown, CT and teaches at Wesleyan University.