Human Cuisine - Ken Albala

There's something about the idea of munching on a nice leg o' man that makes everyone want to be a comedian. We use jokes to hide anxiety about touchy subjects, of course, but it's more than nervous laughter. People like to discuss eating people--once someone else brings up the subject. William Bueller Seabrook, a man who acquired more firsthand knowledge about the fundamental facts of cannibalism than most of the civilized people who talk about it, wrote about cannibals in 1931, 'Even aside from their delightful humorous aspect they are a highly interesting and wholly legitimate subject, whether for the adventurer or the learned anthropologist.'" There's no doubt about it--cannibalism is fascinating. The stories, essays, poetry and drama in this anthology reveal that cannibalism can also be disgusting, sometimes frightening, sometimes hysterically funny, sometimes touching--but always interesting (at least once you get past the gag reflex). Includes (untested) recipes.