by Keith Laumer
First published 1998
The vegetables have turned predator. What started as an ordinary day becomes a fight for survival when the produce aisle becomes a hunting ground. The protagonist faces an impossible reality where carrots bite back and lettuce leaves conceal deadly intent. Each meal preparation becomes a tactical decision. Every garden visit requires military precision. The familiar comfort of home cooking transforms into a battle of wits against an enemy that should be dinner, not diner. Laumer brings his signature twisted humor to this bizarre scenario, finding comedy in catastrophe. The story explores our fundamental relationship with food through an absurd lens that makes the mundane terrifying. Though Laumer died before completing the manuscript, his distinctive voice carries through this tale of botanical revenge. The book captures that uniquely human fear of being consumed by what we thought we controlled. Ben Bova provides context in his introduction to this posthumous work.
Genres: science-fiction, horror, action, comedy
Vibes: absurd, dark-humored, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-allies, mundane-becomes-extraordinary
384 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Baen