The Materialist

by Eric Garcia

Free online. Dr. Albrecht, cancer researcher, can make money -- by exuding it from his body. "Dr. Albrecht woke from his afternoon nap to find himself on fire. At least, that’s how it felt: like someone had taken an acetylene torch and given his body a good talking-to."

4 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Eric Garcia grew up in Miami, Florida, and attended Cornell University and the University of Southern California, where he majored in creative writing and film. He lives outside Los Angeles with his wife, daughter, and dachshund. He is also developing a series for the Sci Fi channel based on the Rex novels.

Reviews

[Anne Patkau · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://www.flashfictiononline.com/f20...
Concisely creepy. "Like" is more "admire" for horror. Dr Albrecht, cancer researcher, means well, but pays assistant only minimum wage for six years to strain his stool, among other bodily excretions. Is un-named assistant "Materialist" in title? or Doctor? Why bother naming Doctor? I'd prefer title from last paragraph -- "Blood Money".

Excretions are precious metals. How can limbs "sliced open from tip to top" wounds that drain Albrecht's blood be "self-inflicted"? Does that mean assistant bribes police or coroner? Some words "tech", "campus", hint at university city, but no location given except when assistant, killer, flies to Costa Rica, "lives like a king".

[Joe Ohlenbusch · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a different kind of story that had me laughing when my college professor was lecturing about something... It's hard to write a review on something that short. It was worth reading. I'll leave it at that. Go find it and read it.

[Matt Piechocinski · Rating 2 out of 5]

It put the short in short story. I think if the story was expanded just a bit, it has the potential to be really awesome.

[MB Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and quick read.