The world of Farmers and Cannibals exists both in the future and in a universe parallel to our own. It contains neither the gore, nor the reverence for senseless violence that the title suggests. The purpose is not to shock; it is not to indulge the perversions of desensitized minds. In writing Farmers and Cannibals, James-Olson sets out to do just the opposite, to explore the consequences of desensitization on society and on the individual.
Two basic questions, never stated but always present, reside in the background of Farmers and Cannibals: What is murder? When is murder justified?
These questions are interwoven seamlessly into a plot driven story that features a cast of memorable characters.
Cain, the protagonist, named after the first murderer from the book of Genesis, is the new Assistant Director for Security on Farm-Colony 984. The colony is located within a valley surrounded by dispossessed natives who have had no choice but to resort to cannibalism. Attacks from the surrounding population have been few and far between until just recently. Something has caused the Cannibals to renew their efforts; something has caused the Cannibals to attack the farms with renewed purpose.
But why? That is the question that Cain must answer.