External links
- Michael Fedo's blog
- The Carnival title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
 | This article about a short story (or stories) published in the 1980s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
| "The Carnival" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Michael W. Fedo | |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genres | Short story, science fiction, horror |
| Publication | |
"The Carnival" is an American short story written by Michael Fedo.
It was published among other short stories, in the book Marjorie L. Burns (1980). How to Read a Short Story (Scholastic language skills). Scholastic Book Services. ISBN 978-0-590-30611-9. OCLC 8000874. OL 10699186M.
The story concerns a nation that constructs a deadly amusement park to remedy its overpopulation problems. In charge of this operation is the Populace Control. People who win a ticket are sent to the carnival on a bus; cars would become a problem as many visitors do not return. Passengers who die are placed in black plastic bags and thrown into a mass burial pit. It focuses on a young boy (Jerry) who wins a ticket to the titular Carnival, much to his mother's grievance. It is revealed that Jerry is obnoxious and has a sense of invulnerability knowing that the possibility of living that day was one in eight. After he arrives, he realizes the park's true nature while on a ride called the "Thunder Clapper" that electrocutes some of its passengers, including the person next to him. The story ends as the protagonist is being thrown off a ride called the "Whirl-Away" to his death and the body is caught in one of the black bags.
Main theme: The odds are not always in your favor.
Sub-themes:
| | This article about a short story (or stories) published in the 1980s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |