Spoiler Space: "Long Pig"

Yes, I ate this

This story started as a pretty simple technical challenge: I had always wanted to write a story in the form of a restaurant review. As is typical with these things, that idea floated around in my head for a few years beforemy wife and I ate at a restaurant where the service was so solicitous that it led me to wonder, in that way SF writers do, just how far it could go. Like a lot of stories in this book, it started out as a joke and turned into something rather more serious -- in this case through exploring the reasons behind the main character's actions -- which, if it works, pulls off a double-fakeout and goes from humour to horror to something... else, I guess. I was never really sure how well it worked, but several people I know told me that I had to include it in the book, so for once there's something here I don't have to take the blame for.

The Canadian reference in this one is to Spadina Avenue, a street in Toronto that is, indeed, famous for its Chinese restaurants (though many locals will tell you all the good ones have moved out to the suburbs, I remain devoted to New Sky and Mother's Dumplings.) On a somewhat more obscure level, the story was written in my best imitation of Joanne Kates, who was for many years the restaurant reviewer for the Toronto Globe and Mail.



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