Fat Farm
Encyclopedia
"Fat Farm" is a short story by Orson Scott Card
. It appears in his short story collection Maps in a Mirror
. Card originally published this story in the January 1980 issue of Omni
magazine.
. The art for this comic was done by Jin Han and the script was written by Aaron Johnston, who also co-authored the novel Invasive Procedures
with Card.
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
. It appears in his short story collection Maps in a Mirror
Maps in a Mirror
Maps in a Mirror is a collection of short stories by Orson Scott Card. Like Card's novels, most of the stories have a science fiction or fantasy theme...
. Card originally published this story in the January 1980 issue of Omni
Omni (magazine)
OMNI was a science and science fiction magazine published in the US and the UK. It contained articles on science fact and short works of science fiction...
magazine.
Plot summary
Martin Barth is a very rich man with a serious overeating problem. When his obesity interferes with his enjoyment of his lifestyle, he goes to a secret clinic, gets himself cloned and then transfers his memories into the clone. After Barth has legally transferred his identity to his replacement and it is too late to change his mind, he is told that he is now the property of the company that runs the clinic. His name is now "H", because he is the eighth "edition" of himself to go through the process. He has a choice: immediate death or "an assignment". Since he doesn't want to die he agrees to work for the company. He is then dragged into the middle of nowhere and forced to do manual labor so that he will be in shape for the unspecified job they want him to do. After two years, with only a brutal overseer for company, "H" is given his assignment. He leaves the camp, just in time to see his clone - "I" - who is now fat dragged into the camp to begin the process over again. As his plane is taking off, "H" thinks about how much he hates himself for repeating this process over and over again. He wishes that the newest clone would suffer even more than he had. After telling this to the business man, who is his new supervisor, the young man laughs out loud. He explains that the overseer (or "old man" as "H" refers to him) is actually "A", the original.The comic
The short story "Fat Farm" was made into a comic which appears in the October 2005 issue of InterGalactic Medicine ShowIntergalactic Medicine Show
InterGalactic Medicine Show is an American online fantasy and science fiction magazine. It was founded by multiple award-winning author Orson Scott Card. An anthology also called Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show was published by Tor in August, 2008, featuring selected stories from...
. The art for this comic was done by Jin Han and the script was written by Aaron Johnston, who also co-authored the novel Invasive Procedures
Invasive Procedures (novel)
Invasive Procedures is a medical thriller by Orson Scott Card and screenwriter Aaron Johnston. This novel was based on the short story "Malpractice" by Card.-Plot:...
with Card.