Big Girl

April 20, 2020
Philip K. Dick Award–winner Elison (The Book of Flora) refracts fatphobia through a dystopian lens in this powerful but repetitive collection of stories and essays about body image. The unflinchingly brutal “Such People in It,” which offers a glimpse into a future poverty-ridden and fundamentalist America in which human bodies and relationships are under strictly regimented control, and the poignant “The Pill,” about the complicated relationship between a weight loss–obsessed mother and her daughter, are both original to this collection. The impact of “The Pill” is lessened slightly by the personal essay “Guts,” which comes later in the collection and retreads the same material from a nonfictional perspective. Weaker entries show notably less polish: the biting satire of the title story is delivered with far too heavy a hand, and though the magical realist “El Hugé” ends with a bang, it spends too little time getting there. Rounding out the collection is “Sprawling into the Unknown,” a whimsical and informative interview with Elison about her life and writing process. Elison’s devoted readers and anyone with a love of Atwoodian dystopias should take note.

June 12, 2020

This collection of short stories by Philip K. Dick Award winner Elison (The Book of the Unnamed Midwife) delves into world of obesity and society's attitudes toward those considered to be "too big." A group of small-town teenagers commit big, ugly acts in the story "El Hug�." We follow the trials and tribulations of a 15-year-old girl who wakes one morning to find she's 350 feet tall in "Big Girl." In "The Pill," we discover a twisted utopia when a "cure" for obesity is found, while "Such People in It" illustrates a world reminiscent of George Orwell's 1984. In "Guts," readers get an idea of what it means to have guts, both literally and figuratively. Also included is a nonfiction essay about Elison's journey of self-discovery in "Gone with Gone with the Wind" and an interview of Elison by Terry Bisson (Fire on the Mountain). VERDICT Through the lens of sf/fantasy, Elison's works bring to light topics we generally prefer to keep in the dark: obesity, body shaming, privilege, poverty, and governmental control. With concise, sharp prose and a satirical point of view, Elison take us places we never wanted to go, but in the end we are grateful that we went.--Elisabeth Clark, West Florida P.L., Pensacola

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