Although written for a worthy cause, many readers find this short satirical vignette by Neil Gaiman very disturbing. It was featured in the 1991 anthology comic Born to be Wild, sales of which benefited PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). The story provides a modern take on Jonathan Swift’s infamous 1729 satirical essay A Modest Proposal, which advocated solving an Irish famine by having the very poor sell their babies to the rich: “A young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled…” OMG!
Original Text / PDF / Audio (348 words)