"The Meat Eaters" is set in the years 1968 and 1969 during a period of civil turmoil in the United States. The Vietnam War was in progress and the Cold War continued. A social revolution over civil rights developed, and widespread public disillusionment was surfacing in the form of violence. The main character is a divorced white assistant district attorney who becomes involved with a black woman working in his office building. As their relationship grows his work responsibilities become more demanding, And as racial and social unrest become more violent his personal life in conflict with his professional life. The question then becomes "What next?'
Another scenario in the story is the desperate actions of the Black Panthers as they seek to further their cause. Are they right or are they wrong?