Make Mine Homogenized

Description

Rick Raphael’s chapbook, Make Mine Homogenized, is a great and entertaining story, a what-if story full of unexpected twists and populated by charming characters – small wonder it is considered to be one of the author’s best works, even though its popularity cannot be compared to Raphael’s other work such as Code Three.

The story revolves around Circle T Ranch, a dairy farm successfully run by a widow, Hetty Thompson. She manages the farm with the help of Barney Hatfield, a somewhat simple, but very loyal farm hand and Johnny Culpepper, her assistant, and they are doing well, until, one day, the government decides to delimit a part of the area for nuclear testing. Locals, including Hetty, protest vehemently, but to no avail. Then strange happenings start: Hetty’s hens start laying golden eggs and the milk that comes from her cattle proves to have become explosive.

Published in 1969, the short story is among the author’s lesser known works, but one that provides the reader insight into how nuclear science was regardedat the time and what the general view of the government’s nuclear policy was like in rural areas. However, the story is by no means serious – the events are described in a funny and satiric manner and the characters are well-rounded, rational country folks trying to protect their interests and to adjust to changing circumstances.

The scientific background that informs the story is not very well-founded either, with explanations given by scientists who don’t understand the phenomena they are talking about, but the author intended that part exactly as it is, using scientific descriptions as just one more way to add fun to the story. The transformations that the roosters, hens and cows undergo as they become mutants are also described in a fun and satiric style, making this short and quick-paced story really entertaining for readers of all ages.
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