Despite the grinning skull on the book’s cover, “Rage of the Maggots” is not a collection of epic horror, but rather an in-depth look at the darkness of the human ego. Like a highly-skilled literary spider, Dr. Sweety Shinde weaves thought-provoking and captivating tales, pinning readers to the page.
The first story, “Blood,” is not penned in the standard beginning-middle-end fashion. Indeed, the degree to which it springs back and forth in time is a manner of writing which not all authors are capable of pulling off. Shinde makes the changes of scene and time seem effortless though, and her twist ending is truly one that the audience will not likely see coming.
The penultimate story, “Emperor Dhondhu,” is a sad piece regarding a man whose only real achievement in life is his status as a genetic anomaly. While in the grip of debt and poverty, his daughter-in-law manages to restore financial balance to the family. Her unorthodox decisions wind up eclipsing even this meager moment of his in the sun. The piece explores a controversial and shamed profession, elaborating from a medical perspective whether there is any justification in shaming it at all.
In the last story, “Nude,” Shinde’s status as a real life doctor truly shines. Unlike other authors describing an autopsy, Shinde is neither gory nor gratuitous. Her detached and matter-of-fact play-by-play of the body’s reaction to being cut open presents an informative “ew” factor, which both shocks and educates. The combative relationship between Vic and Jui, the lead characters, has an unusual degree of depth, particularly given the political backdrop and sexual harassment theme that it is set against.
On a negative note, I did find the very end of “Nude” somewhat inappropriate to the tone of the rest of the story. If it had not been so abrupt, perhaps this would not be the case, but I felt it would’ve done well to be either extended a few pages or foreshadowed at the story’s beginning. Regardless, “Nude” cemented my intention to follow Dr. Shinde’s literary progress and buy “Arjun without a Doubt,” her other novel.
