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Food: The Three Course Omnibus
The prix fixe... pain and misery!
This is not a cookbook...
This is not a menu...
This is not a plan for your next dinner party...
But it IS a recipe—of sorts.
What follows are three courses of dystopian, culinary misery created by appetites and decadence that threatens to consume civilization-along with humanity itself.
First Course: Winner, Winner, Chicken_ _ _ _. Sharren Menter, widow and factory worker in Tacoma, Washington, faces the daunting task of raising three children in a mid-23rd Century world where governments and the planet are starting to crumble. But when presented with the opportunity of a lifetime to feed her family for an entire year, she has to take it. Doesn’t she...?
Second Course: Food. After the worldwide Downfall, Jesse lives in a new nation that rose from the old world’s ashes. A dreamer living in a harsh world, he just wishes he could enjoy the dishes of his ancestors. But for some, that dream doesn’t work out.
Third Course: The MVP Room. Faced with the impossible task of managing the voracious appetites of the King and Queen of Pacifica, Garren, the Royal Steward, makes impossible choices... until what he sees shows him he no longer can.
This omnibus collects the first three stories of the “Food” series. It is a DARK dystopian, extreme horror series that will offend some readers. Read at your own risk. You have been warned.
This is not a cookbook...
This is not a menu...
This is not a plan for your next dinner party...
But it IS a recipe—of sorts.
What follows are three courses of dystopian, culinary misery created by appetites and decadence that threatens to consume civilization-along with humanity itself.
First Course: Winner, Winner, Chicken_ _ _ _. Sharren Menter, widow and factory worker in Tacoma, Washington, faces the daunting task of raising three children in a mid-23rd Century world where governments and the planet are starting to crumble. But when presented with the opportunity of a lifetime to feed her family for an entire year, she has to take it. Doesn’t she...?
Second Course: Food. After the worldwide Downfall, Jesse lives in a new nation that rose from the old world’s ashes. A dreamer living in a harsh world, he just wishes he could enjoy the dishes of his ancestors. But for some, that dream doesn’t work out.
Third Course: The MVP Room. Faced with the impossible task of managing the voracious appetites of the King and Queen of Pacifica, Garren, the Royal Steward, makes impossible choices... until what he sees shows him he no longer can.
This omnibus collects the first three stories of the “Food” series. It is a DARK dystopian, extreme horror series that will offend some readers. Read at your own risk. You have been warned.
135 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 9, 2023
1 person is currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Caston
11 books190 followersJeffrey Caston is a Pacific Northwest native who currently makes his home in the Puget Sound region. Inspired by reading at a young age, he took up writing by the age of 11. One of his most cherished gifts is a manual typewriter he received for his birthday while still in the fifth grade.
Once he got older, he discovered other genres, including horror. He became an instant fan of Anne Rice and Stephen King.
He is embarking on a new phase in life with indie writing. His writing will have a marked horror bent, but will include elements of thrillers, science fiction, and fantasy. His debut novel, Immunity, marks the start of his "Horrific Northwest" setting and multiverse.
His stories will provide you with a richly detailed world with characters you can meet again and again.
He can be reached at jeffreycastonbooks@outlook.com.
Once he got older, he discovered other genres, including horror. He became an instant fan of Anne Rice and Stephen King.
He is embarking on a new phase in life with indie writing. His writing will have a marked horror bent, but will include elements of thrillers, science fiction, and fantasy. His debut novel, Immunity, marks the start of his "Horrific Northwest" setting and multiverse.
His stories will provide you with a richly detailed world with characters you can meet again and again.
He can be reached at jeffreycastonbooks@outlook.com.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 20, 2024
The Hungry Games...
FOOD: The Three Course Omnibus
by Jeffrey Caston
No spoilers. 4 1/2 stars. This is a collection of mosaic short stories, the first of a series, about the dystopian year 2124. Collectively, they foretell a grim future ahead for our world...
This novella is served to the reader in three courses:
FIRST COURSE: Winner, winner, chickensh*t
The TV producer told Sharren, single mother of 3, that it was the opportunity of a lifetime. Food for a year if she could beat three other contestants in a food preparation game show...
INTERLUDE (Chapter 9)
An ancient man, once known as Horace Stant, now known as The Eternal Man, the Methuselah of his time, sits 75 floors above the studios. As he watches the games, he thinks back to how it all started. He knows that these games are not just blood sports. They serve a higher purpose...
SECOND COURSE: Food
Jesse was called upon to do service to the King and Queen of the Pacific Northwest, but Jesse protested that he had already served his country. However, in that dystopian society, a man was expected to give 'til it hurts...
THIRD COURSE: MVP Room
In 2124's society, Garren, Stephen, and Penter are in service to the King and Queen. Stephen and Penter obtained their ranks by being from noble families with long-standing ties to the Royals, but Garren was only an up-and-coming from a working class family. This meant that Garren had to watch his Ps and Qs around the other two while observing the inequality of the upper and lower classes and still hang onto some of his humanity...
This collection of three shorts told of a very dismal future for our world and gives the reader food (please pardon the pun) for thought.
Individually, I would rate all three stories and the interlude (Chapter 9) a solid 4 1/2 stars, and I'm looking forward to the other novellas in this series.
Warning to some readers: This is extreme horror. Murder, mayhem, and animal cruelty are part of the stories, but it was not overly detailed, and IMO palatable.
Recommended!
FOOD: The Three Course Omnibus
by Jeffrey Caston
No spoilers. 4 1/2 stars. This is a collection of mosaic short stories, the first of a series, about the dystopian year 2124. Collectively, they foretell a grim future ahead for our world...
This novella is served to the reader in three courses:
FIRST COURSE: Winner, winner, chickensh*t
The TV producer told Sharren, single mother of 3, that it was the opportunity of a lifetime. Food for a year if she could beat three other contestants in a food preparation game show...
INTERLUDE (Chapter 9)
An ancient man, once known as Horace Stant, now known as The Eternal Man, the Methuselah of his time, sits 75 floors above the studios. As he watches the games, he thinks back to how it all started. He knows that these games are not just blood sports. They serve a higher purpose...
SECOND COURSE: Food
Jesse was called upon to do service to the King and Queen of the Pacific Northwest, but Jesse protested that he had already served his country. However, in that dystopian society, a man was expected to give 'til it hurts...
THIRD COURSE: MVP Room
In 2124's society, Garren, Stephen, and Penter are in service to the King and Queen. Stephen and Penter obtained their ranks by being from noble families with long-standing ties to the Royals, but Garren was only an up-and-coming from a working class family. This meant that Garren had to watch his Ps and Qs around the other two while observing the inequality of the upper and lower classes and still hang onto some of his humanity...
This collection of three shorts told of a very dismal future for our world and gives the reader food (please pardon the pun) for thought.
Individually, I would rate all three stories and the interlude (Chapter 9) a solid 4 1/2 stars, and I'm looking forward to the other novellas in this series.
Warning to some readers: This is extreme horror. Murder, mayhem, and animal cruelty are part of the stories, but it was not overly detailed, and IMO palatable.
Recommended!
August 19, 2025
This is an incredibly clever trilogy of science fiction stories packed with lots of lore and dystopian horrors that feel straight out of an episode of "Black Mirror".
The first story is also the longest, with nine full chapters. In the aftermath of an alien invasion, the division between haves and have-nots has grown ever wider in a fallen North America (now soon to be mostly under the rule of the Kingdom of Pacifica), to the point where all social supports are eradicated, leaving the common person to struggle just to put food on the table. A reality TV show exploits the situation by recruiting vulnerable people to participate in an eating contest. The winner will receive a year's supply of food for them and their family. What is not explained ahead of time is how extreme the competition can get, what happens to the losers, and even what happens to the winners.
Yes, this is a more complex and twisted version of "The Long Walk", but for those with very strong constitutions. Detractors may say this is another example of gross for grossness sake, and maybe they are right. But the horrific element of the story is very real. One of the most depraved byproducts of Internet culture has been to stream "willing" participants doing a variety of humiliating, gross, or dangerous challenges for money or attention. This includes TikTok challenges like the Cinnamon, Blue Whale, Skullbuster, Blackout, and Dusting Challenges which can have deadly consequences.
These cruel and sadistic games exist in a society of plenty, but in a world driven by extreme desperation, what would people NOT be willing to do? This story imagines what that might look like in extremely disturbing detail. The story also explores the line between consent, manipulation, and force. Thus, one is meant to reflect on power exchange and to analyze under what circumstances such exchanges between "consenting" adults is a product of psychological and cultural damage.
The second story, "Food", is actually the first one written, and is what gives the omnibus its name. I had forgotten that I had already read this a while ago, but don't think that this means the story is forgettable. I quickly remembered the shocking turn that it takes, which was popular enough to kick off a series that has now continued beyond this trilogy.
The third story is called "MVP Room", which is more or less a direct continuation of "Food". This one will make you have a direct loathing for any foods such as foie gras, veal, kobe beef, and wagyu.
One common theme you'll find rammed down your throat in these stories is the extremely cynical outlook it has on the American elite. Big Tech, Finance, and the Military Industrial Complex really pull the strings of the nation, and when the political institutions fall, it is the billionaires that literally become royalty, a class that has been so manipulative and powerful in their shadow governance for centuries that they have become degenerate and subhuman, creating an entire society that only pursues its own gluttony fed by complete disdain and disregard of the everyday folk.
I am not a big supporter of the "extreme" fiction trend, which in some ways has exploited the same human tendencies as these Internet challenges just for a quick buck and some notoriety, but when the extremities serve a purpose, I can be persuaded to see the artistic power behind this form of writing. I believe such is the case with this omnibus, which purposefully paints a very bleak future we may be hopeless to avoid. It's designed to make the reader feel no sense of hope or escape. Humankind survived destruction by an alien invasion, only to be reduced to their ultimate end by our own evils, cultivated by an ever scheming industrial royalty. Author Jeffrey Caston examines trends in human society that we have taken for granted and plays them forward through the most nihilistic lens imaginable. The resulting world is not so much a warning as it is a chilling promise.
That being said, now that I've finished these three stories, I'm not sure I want to subject myself to any more, and this story certainly put me off eating chicken or liver and onions for at least a year. But these stories are very short, so if you are looking to challenge yourself with some extreme content, I don't mind recommending this one.
SCORE: 4 chickenshits out of 5
The first story is also the longest, with nine full chapters. In the aftermath of an alien invasion, the division between haves and have-nots has grown ever wider in a fallen North America (now soon to be mostly under the rule of the Kingdom of Pacifica), to the point where all social supports are eradicated, leaving the common person to struggle just to put food on the table. A reality TV show exploits the situation by recruiting vulnerable people to participate in an eating contest. The winner will receive a year's supply of food for them and their family. What is not explained ahead of time is how extreme the competition can get, what happens to the losers, and even what happens to the winners.
Yes, this is a more complex and twisted version of "The Long Walk", but for those with very strong constitutions. Detractors may say this is another example of gross for grossness sake, and maybe they are right. But the horrific element of the story is very real. One of the most depraved byproducts of Internet culture has been to stream "willing" participants doing a variety of humiliating, gross, or dangerous challenges for money or attention. This includes TikTok challenges like the Cinnamon, Blue Whale, Skullbuster, Blackout, and Dusting Challenges which can have deadly consequences.
These cruel and sadistic games exist in a society of plenty, but in a world driven by extreme desperation, what would people NOT be willing to do? This story imagines what that might look like in extremely disturbing detail. The story also explores the line between consent, manipulation, and force. Thus, one is meant to reflect on power exchange and to analyze under what circumstances such exchanges between "consenting" adults is a product of psychological and cultural damage.
The second story, "Food", is actually the first one written, and is what gives the omnibus its name. I had forgotten that I had already read this a while ago, but don't think that this means the story is forgettable. I quickly remembered the shocking turn that it takes, which was popular enough to kick off a series that has now continued beyond this trilogy.
The third story is called "MVP Room", which is more or less a direct continuation of "Food". This one will make you have a direct loathing for any foods such as foie gras, veal, kobe beef, and wagyu.
One common theme you'll find rammed down your throat in these stories is the extremely cynical outlook it has on the American elite. Big Tech, Finance, and the Military Industrial Complex really pull the strings of the nation, and when the political institutions fall, it is the billionaires that literally become royalty, a class that has been so manipulative and powerful in their shadow governance for centuries that they have become degenerate and subhuman, creating an entire society that only pursues its own gluttony fed by complete disdain and disregard of the everyday folk.
I am not a big supporter of the "extreme" fiction trend, which in some ways has exploited the same human tendencies as these Internet challenges just for a quick buck and some notoriety, but when the extremities serve a purpose, I can be persuaded to see the artistic power behind this form of writing. I believe such is the case with this omnibus, which purposefully paints a very bleak future we may be hopeless to avoid. It's designed to make the reader feel no sense of hope or escape. Humankind survived destruction by an alien invasion, only to be reduced to their ultimate end by our own evils, cultivated by an ever scheming industrial royalty. Author Jeffrey Caston examines trends in human society that we have taken for granted and plays them forward through the most nihilistic lens imaginable. The resulting world is not so much a warning as it is a chilling promise.
That being said, now that I've finished these three stories, I'm not sure I want to subject myself to any more, and this story certainly put me off eating chicken or liver and onions for at least a year. But these stories are very short, so if you are looking to challenge yourself with some extreme content, I don't mind recommending this one.
SCORE: 4 chickenshits out of 5
May 28, 2024
I am so excited that Jeffrey Caston decided to put the first 3 Food books into one volume! Having read, and loved, all three in the past, I was thrilled to do a re-read once I got my hands on the Omnibus. I still loved all of these stories that are building a world and setting the scene for the longer books in the series to come. Some thoughts on each "course".
Winner, Winner, Chicken ____- This was 100% not what I was expecting. I saw the cover and assumed it would just be a gross story about food. I did not expect a great story about a dystopian future that forces a mom to make tough choices for her kids. The game show setting made it super fun and I find myself wanting more of this story. Luckily for me there is more. Warning, I was right about the gross part, but the story and MC made it worth it for me.
Food- This short story was very disturbing and gross, but at the same time it gives a startling commentary on what could happen in a not so distant future if we don't get our shit together!
The MVP Room- This series just keeps getting more and more depraved! In the way you want extreme horror to be! So this one went into the MVP room and man, this is not a place you want to be! Loved getting some of Garren's backstory, his inner conflict between survival and being troubled by his job is really well done. What is being done in the MVP room was described in a very visceral manner (yep, that was on purpose) and is sick and scientifically on point.
100% recommend (not for the faint of heart, this is a gore heavy series but with a background of beautiful social commentary).
Winner, Winner, Chicken ____- This was 100% not what I was expecting. I saw the cover and assumed it would just be a gross story about food. I did not expect a great story about a dystopian future that forces a mom to make tough choices for her kids. The game show setting made it super fun and I find myself wanting more of this story. Luckily for me there is more. Warning, I was right about the gross part, but the story and MC made it worth it for me.
Food- This short story was very disturbing and gross, but at the same time it gives a startling commentary on what could happen in a not so distant future if we don't get our shit together!
The MVP Room- This series just keeps getting more and more depraved! In the way you want extreme horror to be! So this one went into the MVP room and man, this is not a place you want to be! Loved getting some of Garren's backstory, his inner conflict between survival and being troubled by his job is really well done. What is being done in the MVP room was described in a very visceral manner (yep, that was on purpose) and is sick and scientifically on point.
100% recommend (not for the faint of heart, this is a gore heavy series but with a background of beautiful social commentary).
December 23, 2024
Food for thought…
In a dystopian near-future, food is scarce.
Resources are growing thin, and desperate measures are needed to be taken in order to survive.
WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN ****: In a bid to feed her family, Sharenn agrees to take part in a new television show, competing against three other competitors for the prize - a whole years supply of food - but has no idea until she takes part what she will have to do in order to win.
FOOD: Years later, constrained in a government-run apartment, Jesse sits and watches old re-runs of cookery and culinary programmes to pass the time - trying to distract himself from his true purpose, and the sole reason for his being there.
THE MVP ROOM: Finally, in the last story, we follow Garren - whose sole role in the government is to help facilitate and supply the Royal family with that which they most desire, fresh meat. But not taken from animals…instead from human livestock. Forced to watch and witness as the latest in a long line of donors is despatched, under orders from the queen, Garren finds himself starting to question just how much longer he can carry on doing this as guilt and regret slowly start to set in.
These three short, extreme horror novellas paint a very grim and bleak looking future. They feature, amongst other things, scenes of animal torture and cannibalism so if that’s not your thing, you’re probably best to avoid, but aside from a few errors in the text, they are very well written and a chilling introduction to what appears to be an ongoing world the author is creating.
Certainly I look forward to reading more by this author, and will be checking out some of the others in the series - the only thing I WILL say, is that they are in need of a good edit.
Other than that, as a chef myself, I really enjoyed reading this collection.
Keep up the good work!
In a dystopian near-future, food is scarce.
Resources are growing thin, and desperate measures are needed to be taken in order to survive.
WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN ****: In a bid to feed her family, Sharenn agrees to take part in a new television show, competing against three other competitors for the prize - a whole years supply of food - but has no idea until she takes part what she will have to do in order to win.
FOOD: Years later, constrained in a government-run apartment, Jesse sits and watches old re-runs of cookery and culinary programmes to pass the time - trying to distract himself from his true purpose, and the sole reason for his being there.
THE MVP ROOM: Finally, in the last story, we follow Garren - whose sole role in the government is to help facilitate and supply the Royal family with that which they most desire, fresh meat. But not taken from animals…instead from human livestock. Forced to watch and witness as the latest in a long line of donors is despatched, under orders from the queen, Garren finds himself starting to question just how much longer he can carry on doing this as guilt and regret slowly start to set in.
These three short, extreme horror novellas paint a very grim and bleak looking future. They feature, amongst other things, scenes of animal torture and cannibalism so if that’s not your thing, you’re probably best to avoid, but aside from a few errors in the text, they are very well written and a chilling introduction to what appears to be an ongoing world the author is creating.
Certainly I look forward to reading more by this author, and will be checking out some of the others in the series - the only thing I WILL say, is that they are in need of a good edit.
Other than that, as a chef myself, I really enjoyed reading this collection.
Keep up the good work!
March 1, 2024
Wow
This book is foul. It made me want to gag with almost every turn of the page. And I couldn't put it down. For the most part, the writing is fantastic. There are a few errors but not many. It's a short read (about an hour and a half). But my god, it's heart pounding and disgusting on every page.
This book is foul. It made me want to gag with almost every turn of the page. And I couldn't put it down. For the most part, the writing is fantastic. There are a few errors but not many. It's a short read (about an hour and a half). But my god, it's heart pounding and disgusting on every page.
May 1, 2024
I read the first story, and found it to be fun, but ugh that ending was especially painful. I read parts 2 and 3 the next day while I was hungry(due to an AM fast) and an afternoon of no access to food.. isn't it strange how art can imitate life? Don't get me wrong, I 💯 respect that true hunger isn't 14 hours of no food, but I'm privileged enough to acknowledge that.. this story is about true hunger. Hunger pangs and pains respectively...can you imagine a world where food is only for the rich? That's some horror for you right there. Layer that with deeper caste systems and futuristic dystopia royals and you get a Caston book that has legs and speaks for itself on so many levels that go above the violence
March 25, 2025
What a great collection of food based horror stories. I picked this up after reading a post about it on reddit.
The world building is fantastic and I'm hoping the author expands on the lore and back story in the future.
All three stories in this collection are very well written and I'm definitely keeping an eye out as the author finishes the next few stories to close out the series.
The world building is fantastic and I'm hoping the author expands on the lore and back story in the future.
All three stories in this collection are very well written and I'm definitely keeping an eye out as the author finishes the next few stories to close out the series.
May 26, 2024
Picture the worst future you can imagine, a society in which oppression and disregard for human life has reached unimaginable new heights. Then multiply the result by about a thousand; that's the kind of horrifying dystopian world which awaits in this excellent omnibus.
The first story describes the downfall of humanity and how a new world formed, the second gives us a nightmarish glimpse into the lives of its unfortunate citizens and the third follows a servant of the monstrous reigning monarchy as he struggles with their inhuman regime. The shocks are disturbing and skillfully written, the plots thought-provoking and extreme. A real horror gem that's well worth a read
The first story describes the downfall of humanity and how a new world formed, the second gives us a nightmarish glimpse into the lives of its unfortunate citizens and the third follows a servant of the monstrous reigning monarchy as he struggles with their inhuman regime. The shocks are disturbing and skillfully written, the plots thought-provoking and extreme. A real horror gem that's well worth a read
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews