The Unworthy

Agustina Bazterrica is an Argentinian writer known for exploring dark, speculative topics in her novels and short stories. Born in Buenos Aires in 1974, Bazterrica is part of the “nueva narrativa argentina,” a new wave of Argentinian literature produced by writers who grew up during and after Argentina’s violent military dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s. Contemporary Argentinian writers of this generation, like Samanta Schweblin and Mariana Enríquez, use elements of horror to critique contemporary social issues like poverty, classism, gender-based violence, and the climate crisis.

Bazterrica’s second novel, Cadáver exquisito, was published in English under the title Tender is the Flesh in 2017. The novel, which explores a dystopian world where cannibalism has been legalized after a mysterious illness made animal flesh inedible, won several prizes and was translated into many languages, establishing Bazterrica as one of Argentina’s most widely read and celebrated contemporary writers. Her collection of short stories, Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird, was published in English in 2023, followed by The Unworthy in 2025. Like Tender is the Flesh, The Unworthy explores a dystopian reality and shows humanity at its cruelest and most violent. Although the novels differ stylistically—with the cold, detached writing of Tender is the Flesh contrasting sharply with the more lyrical, poetic style of The Unworthy—the novels have many thematic similarities. Both examine how beliefs are constructed and explore the power of language in building and maintaining certain realities. These works consider how easily violence and dehumanization can be normalized.