Under the Skin: the unsettling novel by Michel Faber
On Scottish roads, a woman named Isserley picks up hitchhikers. Her routine hides a dark truth: she is an alien who selects humans to send them to her planet, where they are processed as meat. Michel Faber inverts the classic invasion trope and uses science fiction to examine the meat industry from a unique perspective. 🛸
A powerful metaphor about industrial livestock farming
Faber builds a continuous analogy where humans are the livestock, called vodsel. The narrative details how they are captured, transported, and prepared, exposing the bureaucratic logic and desensitization required to carry out this work. Through Isserley's eyes, who perceives a contradiction between her mission and her growing empathy, the book shows how a system can normalize cruelty and reduce living beings to products.
Central elements of the analogy:- The vodsel (humans) are bred and selected as livestock for consumption.
- A cold industrial process is described for capturing, transporting, and processing individuals.
- The novel exposes the desensitization necessary to keep the system running.
The work invites us to question our own position in the food chain and our capacity to feel compassion for what is different.
Psychological depth and alienation
Beyond science fiction, the work delves into Isserley's psychological state. She suffers painful body modifications to appear human and endures profound isolation. Her interactions with hitchhikers, especially with some individuals, awaken in her complex moral doubts. The novel offers no easy solutions, but pushes the reader to reflect.
Themes explored through the character:- The physical and emotional pain of Isserley's transformation to infiltrate.
- The internal conflict between the assigned duty and the emerging compassion.
- Loneliness as a consequence of living a double identity in a hostile world.
A reflection that endures
Under the Skin works as a disturbing mirror of our own practices. By presenting humans as the livestock of an alien civilization, Faber forces us to evaluate the morality of how we treat other species. The next time you see a hitchhiker on a Scottish road, or simply look at your plate, Faber's novel ensures you will do so with different eyes. 🤔