Eye of the Beholder

The faces of the world in 2196 have changed to absolute physical perfection, so much so that some argue the name Homo sapiens sapiens no longer applies. It's been over 120 years since Nu products were first introduced by Swiss-based PAX Pharma and the fallout has touched every life. The global changes have fueled protests, begun wars and toppled economies.

Kang Daesung is a young man from South Korea with the dream to sing hope and joy into people's lives. But he is a throwback, a Nuject, someone for whom the drugs, the treatments and even the genetic modifications simply didn't work. Now Daesung is in the hospital again and it's his last chance to claim the life of his dreams.

The Inspiration: Kang Daesung, singer for the K-Pop group BigBang, is often teased for his looks, called the 'ugly one' and too-often the subject of backhanded compliments on Korean TV. I find this preposterous because seeing him just walk down the street would make me look twice. The Twilight Zone episode Eye of the Beholder originally aired in November 1960. It tells a tale of physical imperfection that has an unexpected twist (duh! It's TZ). This tragic tale is what happens when the absurdity of the former meets the latter in this writer's mind.

Author's Note: I want to give a thank you to BlueEyePhantom for the cover. And another great big thank you to my mom & BlueEyePhantom for their oh-so-helpful feedback on this project. Also, go read BlueEyePhantom's California Girls!