Flesh (novel)

Farmer originally wrote a story called The Screaming Goddess , but both Fantasy & Science Fiction editor and Galaxy editor G. L. Gold refused to publish it. The latter, however, advised the author to rework the novel into a novel for the publisher Beacon Books , which at that time released a series of Galaxy Science Fiction Novels with a bias in the sexual theme. When the novel was published, it was the only work in the series that was censored, as the text was too bold for that time ^[2] . The author got many ideas from the book of Robert Graves “The White Goddess ” ^[3] .

After eight hundred years of space travel, an international space expedition returns to Earth. The return of star travelers is not very pleasant. While they were gone, a certain global catastrophe destroyed a developed civilization and threw humanity back into the Middle Ages . In the United States, several warring states have been formed, which are united by one thing - sex has been raised in the cult. There were no moral principles in society. The commander of the astronauts - American Peter Stegg, the local nobility declares the Hero of the Sun and the King Deer . Surgically (apparently some human knowledge of medicine has been preserved), deer horns are implanted into his head, which increase his masculine strength, after which he is constantly forced to participate in sexual orgies throughout the country. This leads to unpleasant consequences, thinking with his own genitals, and not with his head, forgets everything about everything. The remaining astronauts, who do not want to put up with this state of affairs, decide to abduct several local women and fly on their ship to another planet in order to revive the familiar civilization.

• Peter Stegg - the main character, the captain of the ship "Terra"
• Dr. Kalthorp is an anthropologist in the Terra Crew
• Rudolph Churchill - Stegg's first assistant, who led the remaining crew after him
• Neffi Sarvant is a geologist in the crew of Terra and at the same time an adherent of the Orthodox Christian sect.
• Virginia - High Priestess of the cult of the Great Gray-haired Mother of the DC County (former Federal District of Columbia )
• Mary Casey - Caught Hostile by the DC Caseyland Girl

Critics generally warmly received the book. Although most liked Farmer's style, they felt that the author needed the plot only to relate frank descriptions of sex scenes to each other ^{[4] [5]} . The revised and enlarged edition, published eight years later, was received even more favorably, largely thanks to a much better perceived plot ^[6] .

Reviewing Farmer 's 2006 Strange Relations , William Rich called the novel “a fascinating study of primitive beliefs transplanted to American traditions.” He noted about the plot: “Despite the absurd assumption, the narrative is very believable. It is funny, but funny in the sense that it causes nervous laughter [...] As in most of Farmer’s books, adventure, religion, philosophy, humor and sex are carefully balanced here ” ^[7] .

• "Flesh" in the library of Maxim Moshkov
• Reviews on "Flesh" on the official website of Farmer