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Bury Your Gays
From Chuck Tingle, author of the USA Today bestselling Camp Damascus, comes a new heart-pounding story about what it takes to succeed in a world that wants you dead.
Misha is a jaded scriptwriter who has been working in Hollywood for years, and has just been nominated for his first Oscar. But when he's pressured by his producers to kill off a gay character in the upcoming season finale―"for the algorithm"―Misha discovers that it's not that simple.
As he is haunted by his past, and past mistakes, Misha must risk everything to find a way to do what's right―before it's too late.
Misha is a jaded scriptwriter who has been working in Hollywood for years, and has just been nominated for his first Oscar. But when he's pressured by his producers to kill off a gay character in the upcoming season finale―"for the algorithm"―Misha discovers that it's not that simple.
As he is haunted by his past, and past mistakes, Misha must risk everything to find a way to do what's right―before it's too late.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 9, 2024
About the author
Chuck Tingle
464 books2,698 followersChuck Tingle is a mysterious force of energy behind sunglasses and a pink mask. He is also an anonymous author of romance, horror, and fantasy. Chuck was born in Home of Truth, Utah, and now splits time between Billings, Montana and Los Angeles, California. Chuck writes to prove love is real, because love is the most important tool we have when resisting the endless cosmic void. Not everything people say about Chuck is true, but the important parts are.
Management and general inquiry: infotingleverse@gmail.com
Literary agent: DongWon at dongwonsong.com
Management and general inquiry: infotingleverse@gmail.com
Literary agent: DongWon at dongwonsong.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 675 reviews
June 28, 2024
I loved it!
Not only is this a fantastic horror story in its own right, with great elements of psychological terror and body horror, but it's also a layered tale of corporate greed and queer erasure.
It takes a lot of talent to write seriously about such heavy matters while still being entertaining.
The few flashbacks of Misha, the main character, growing up and coming to terms with its sexuality were so perfectly written and so deeply touching.
The pacing was perfect and the story so engaging I had trouble putting it down. It has a lot of meta references but I found it adds to the point without being distracting. And the ending was so satisfying!
I listened to the audiobook version and the narrators were great, adding a lot to the emotion and terror of the characters.
I highly recommend this book.
Not only is this a fantastic horror story in its own right, with great elements of psychological terror and body horror, but it's also a layered tale of corporate greed and queer erasure.
It takes a lot of talent to write seriously about such heavy matters while still being entertaining.
The few flashbacks of Misha, the main character, growing up and coming to terms with its sexuality were so perfectly written and so deeply touching.
The pacing was perfect and the story so engaging I had trouble putting it down. It has a lot of meta references but I found it adds to the point without being distracting. And the ending was so satisfying!
I listened to the audiobook version and the narrators were great, adding a lot to the emotion and terror of the characters.
I highly recommend this book.
July 5, 2024
Riveting, creepy and clever but nobody got pounded in the butt once.
This was an immersive horror, cleverly juxtaposing elements of terror and gore with many societal injustices, holding up a mirror to issues like lgbtqia erasure, corporate greed and AI ethics. In a similar vein to the show ‘The Boys’ Tingle takes the reader on a journey to the extremes of these hot topics, pulling our emotions while terrorizing us with the ‘what if’s’. This was very well done, and the character development was on point. The supporting characters were well represented and the final culmination so satisfying and funny.
Doesn’t get full five stars because the middle could have been tighter and I needed better resolution on some of the MCs past trauma. But that’s a personal preference as I love a nice, tightly tied up ending.
Notes on the audiobook: this was very well narrated but 90% of it was single narrator so the huge cast of voice actors credited is a bit misleading. There are two short scenes featuring cinematic narration with multiple actors and sound effects but the remainder of the book did not include that. I think my expectations were set too high, but André Santana did a great job.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of this audiobook.
***************
Got the arc for this audiobook you could say I’m tingling with excitement. 😂
This was an immersive horror, cleverly juxtaposing elements of terror and gore with many societal injustices, holding up a mirror to issues like lgbtqia erasure, corporate greed and AI ethics. In a similar vein to the show ‘The Boys’ Tingle takes the reader on a journey to the extremes of these hot topics, pulling our emotions while terrorizing us with the ‘what if’s’. This was very well done, and the character development was on point. The supporting characters were well represented and the final culmination so satisfying and funny.
Doesn’t get full five stars because the middle could have been tighter and I needed better resolution on some of the MCs past trauma. But that’s a personal preference as I love a nice, tightly tied up ending.
Notes on the audiobook: this was very well narrated but 90% of it was single narrator so the huge cast of voice actors credited is a bit misleading. There are two short scenes featuring cinematic narration with multiple actors and sound effects but the remainder of the book did not include that. I think my expectations were set too high, but André Santana did a great job.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of this audiobook.
***************
Got the arc for this audiobook you could say I’m tingling with excitement. 😂
Want to read
November 13, 2023so Misha huh
July 24, 2024
**4.5-stars**
Bury Your Gays is a novel that's perfectly-aligned with a new trend in my reading for 2024, and that is reading books set in, or revolving around, the television and movie industry.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first picked this up. I've heard great things about this author's 2023-release, Camp Damascus, but I've never actually read their work before. My final judgement = I need more Tingle!!!
In this story we are following Misha, a long-time Hollywood script writer who has just been nominated for his first Oscar.
It's as he is on the precipice of this great event that he gets called into a meeting with a studio executive and told that he needs to kill off two popular gay characters from his Travelers series. Misha is alarmed. He doesn't want to do that; not at all, but he's told if he doesn't he may be let go.
Thus, the highest of highs and the lowest of lows hit our MC pretty much simultaneously. His back is to the wall and he is struggling to make a decision. What is he going to do?
The synopsis doesn't really go into too much of the action here, therefore, I don't want to either. All I will say is that I was pleasantly surprised to discover this involves one of my favorite Horror tropes, and that's dark fictional characters coming to life and interacting with their creators.
I loved how Tingle decided to tell Misha's story. In the current timeline, we get to know a bit about his work and personal life, but we also get glimpses into Misha's past through sections aptly referred to as, Inspiration.
These Inspiration sections were among my favorites. It's there we learn the pivotal moments and people from Misha's life that helped to shape his writing. These sections felt intimate and had a lovely Coming of Age quality to them that I found incredibly captivating.
In addition to the fantastic character work and strong writing, I thoroughly enjoyed the social commentary and reflective exploration of issues within this novel.
In particular, I found it to be thought-provoking in the area of intellectual property rights, the power of creators and their rights to their work. I also enjoyed how Tingle touched upon the greed within the system, and the development and use of AI in writing and the arts.
You'll never think of the algorithm the same again...
I did listen to the audiobook and cannot recommend that format highly enough. It's a full cast audio with sound effects that truly help bring this crazy story to life!
I would recommend this to every Horror Reader, but particularly to Social Horror lovers, or those looking for strong Queer stories. Also, if you were a fan of The X-Files, something about this one just brought that to mind for me; maybe the light Sci-Fi concepts, or the villains...
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. The audio production was chef's kiss!
This book is smart, original, engaging and eerie. I walk away with a full heart, looking forward to more from Tingle!
Bury Your Gays is a novel that's perfectly-aligned with a new trend in my reading for 2024, and that is reading books set in, or revolving around, the television and movie industry.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first picked this up. I've heard great things about this author's 2023-release, Camp Damascus, but I've never actually read their work before. My final judgement = I need more Tingle!!!
In this story we are following Misha, a long-time Hollywood script writer who has just been nominated for his first Oscar.
It's as he is on the precipice of this great event that he gets called into a meeting with a studio executive and told that he needs to kill off two popular gay characters from his Travelers series. Misha is alarmed. He doesn't want to do that; not at all, but he's told if he doesn't he may be let go.
Thus, the highest of highs and the lowest of lows hit our MC pretty much simultaneously. His back is to the wall and he is struggling to make a decision. What is he going to do?
The synopsis doesn't really go into too much of the action here, therefore, I don't want to either. All I will say is that I was pleasantly surprised to discover this involves one of my favorite Horror tropes, and that's dark fictional characters coming to life and interacting with their creators.
I loved how Tingle decided to tell Misha's story. In the current timeline, we get to know a bit about his work and personal life, but we also get glimpses into Misha's past through sections aptly referred to as, Inspiration.
These Inspiration sections were among my favorites. It's there we learn the pivotal moments and people from Misha's life that helped to shape his writing. These sections felt intimate and had a lovely Coming of Age quality to them that I found incredibly captivating.
In addition to the fantastic character work and strong writing, I thoroughly enjoyed the social commentary and reflective exploration of issues within this novel.
In particular, I found it to be thought-provoking in the area of intellectual property rights, the power of creators and their rights to their work. I also enjoyed how Tingle touched upon the greed within the system, and the development and use of AI in writing and the arts.
You'll never think of the algorithm the same again...
I did listen to the audiobook and cannot recommend that format highly enough. It's a full cast audio with sound effects that truly help bring this crazy story to life!
I would recommend this to every Horror Reader, but particularly to Social Horror lovers, or those looking for strong Queer stories. Also, if you were a fan of The X-Files, something about this one just brought that to mind for me; maybe the light Sci-Fi concepts, or the villains...
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. The audio production was chef's kiss!
This book is smart, original, engaging and eerie. I walk away with a full heart, looking forward to more from Tingle!
July 6, 2024
A book based on the media trope known as "bury your gays" sounds bleak and fatalistic but when it's written by an author who truly believes love can conquer all, we get a horror book that doesn't skimp on the terror and doubles down on hope.
who is this book for?
Readers who love...
-QUEER AF HORROR STORIES
-The importance of art and creation as authentic human expression
-The power of creators
-The power of love and friendship
-Books set in Hollywood and cracking the veneer--that fake glossy shine
-Fighting against corporate greed, capitalism, and AI
-Dual narratives/past and present
-A main character to fall in love with, Misha is so REAL
-Some genuinely creepy super villains--gave me X-Files vibes
who is this book for?
Readers who love...
-QUEER AF HORROR STORIES
-The importance of art and creation as authentic human expression
-The power of creators
-The power of love and friendship
-Books set in Hollywood and cracking the veneer--that fake glossy shine
-Fighting against corporate greed, capitalism, and AI
-Dual narratives/past and present
-A main character to fall in love with, Misha is so REAL
-Some genuinely creepy super villains--gave me X-Files vibes
July 19, 2024
This is book is so much fun, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.
Content warnings first:
If you don't know what Bury Your Gays is referring to, here's the TVTropes page about it. The book itself does well to explain the trope that is at the heart of it all, but I think having a background idea of just how prevalent the trope has been is good for going into this.
This story focuses on Misha Byrne, a Hollywood writer who came up writing horror movies and is currently wrapping up a season of a TV show where he's ready for his two main female leads to profess their love for each other. However, The Studio wants him to kill them off in the name of Ratings. Thus kicks off a weird, meta-filled, horrifying, gory odyssey as Misha grapples with his own identity in the face of absolute, all-encompassing, all-powerful capitalism. Oh, and it tackles the struggle of AI "art" as well. No big deal.
As a book that is full of meta-textual references to gay culture, there are references galore that are fun to pick out if you get them. There were also a few things I didn't totally get, and some sections of the story itself that I think were a little too meta for me and lost me for short periods of time. I feel like my husband, who loves horror films and writes screenplays, will probably get a lot more out of some parts of the meta horror & screenwriter elements when he finally reads this.
The character work of Misha was pretty great. We get flashbacks to some big parts of his past that inform the decisions he makes in the present, and he has two important relationships - a best friend and his boyfriend - that also ground him. I could have used a little bit more development of Tara and Zeke, though; I didn't feel deeply for them despite Misha's relationships and how those drive some of his actions later on.
I wish I could talk about more elements, but anything else I say would fall into the spoiler zone - or, at least, into the ruining some fun surprises zone. Misha is a compelling character to follow, and the journey he takes is fun and funny and horrifying all at once. The book satirizes so much about Hollywood while also exposing just how insanely awful it is at the same time.
Chuck Tingle has always had a lot to say about society through his work (YES, that includes his erotica). Camp Damascus explored one aspect of queer life in our world, and Bury Your Gays explores another. It feels like he's doing a lot of self-reflecting and expunging of his thoughts and feelings onto the page, and honestly I'm all here for it.
LOVE IS REAL, FRIENDS! HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!
(Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing an ARC for review. Bury Your Gays will be available on July 9, 2024.)
Content warnings first:
If you don't know what Bury Your Gays is referring to, here's the TVTropes page about it. The book itself does well to explain the trope that is at the heart of it all, but I think having a background idea of just how prevalent the trope has been is good for going into this.
This story focuses on Misha Byrne, a Hollywood writer who came up writing horror movies and is currently wrapping up a season of a TV show where he's ready for his two main female leads to profess their love for each other. However, The Studio wants him to kill them off in the name of Ratings. Thus kicks off a weird, meta-filled, horrifying, gory odyssey as Misha grapples with his own identity in the face of absolute, all-encompassing, all-powerful capitalism. Oh, and it tackles the struggle of AI "art" as well. No big deal.
As a book that is full of meta-textual references to gay culture, there are references galore that are fun to pick out if you get them. There were also a few things I didn't totally get, and some sections of the story itself that I think were a little too meta for me and lost me for short periods of time. I feel like my husband, who loves horror films and writes screenplays, will probably get a lot more out of some parts of the meta horror & screenwriter elements when he finally reads this.
The character work of Misha was pretty great. We get flashbacks to some big parts of his past that inform the decisions he makes in the present, and he has two important relationships - a best friend and his boyfriend - that also ground him. I could have used a little bit more development of Tara and Zeke, though; I didn't feel deeply for them despite Misha's relationships and how those drive some of his actions later on.
I wish I could talk about more elements, but anything else I say would fall into the spoiler zone - or, at least, into the ruining some fun surprises zone. Misha is a compelling character to follow, and the journey he takes is fun and funny and horrifying all at once. The book satirizes so much about Hollywood while also exposing just how insanely awful it is at the same time.
Chuck Tingle has always had a lot to say about society through his work (YES, that includes his erotica). Camp Damascus explored one aspect of queer life in our world, and Bury Your Gays explores another. It feels like he's doing a lot of self-reflecting and expunging of his thoughts and feelings onto the page, and honestly I'm all here for it.
LOVE IS REAL, FRIENDS! HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!
(Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing an ARC for review. Bury Your Gays will be available on July 9, 2024.)
June 23, 2024
4.0 Stars
This was a good novel that explored the role of queer representation in horror media. I found the discussions surrounding this topic to nauced and well thought out.
As a horror novel, I did not find it conventionally scary but instead more of an important piece of social commentary.
If you are still looking for a queer horror book to pick up in Pride Month, this would be a good one to read.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was a good novel that explored the role of queer representation in horror media. I found the discussions surrounding this topic to nauced and well thought out.
As a horror novel, I did not find it conventionally scary but instead more of an important piece of social commentary.
If you are still looking for a queer horror book to pick up in Pride Month, this would be a good one to read.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
January 29, 2024
I was thrilled to get an early copy of this newest Chuck Tingle novel, I finished this gem of a book in a little less than 24 hours, though I could have burned through it in half the time had life not gotten in the way, pesky things like needing to eat and sleep. I cannot stress enough how delightful, moving, and readable this book was. From the very first scene I was firmly hooked and could hardly rest or put it down until I read the whole thing.
The basic premise of Bury Your Gays is that a successful screenwriter, Misha, is told by studio executives to kill off the stars of his show right after they finally express their long simmering love for each other. He refuses and afterwards is stalked and attacked by movie monsters from his own filmography. The story builds tension and parcels out context and clues carefully, making for an increasingly tense, frightening tale where the stakes so much higher than just one man’s life.
This book is doing a lot, not only is it by turns genuinely funny, utterly horrific, and deeply moving, it also grapples with issues as varied as AI in art, trauma and representation in media, and corporate pride ™ in a refreshingly acute and lucid way. All of these elements are perfectly balanced, working in concert to push the whole narrative forward, rather than drowning out the other themes or hampering the flow of the novel. Believe me when I tell you that, Bury Your Gays does not miss a beat, not once.
This novel was a triumph, I can hardly think of many books that try to do so much and succeed so adeptly. In addition to being a compulsive joy to read, Bury Your Gays represents the creative apotheosis of a genuinely talented and authentic queer voice in fiction. If Chuck Tingle’s previous, “mainstream” titles like Straight and Camp Damascus, weren’t enough to clue people in that the man behind the pink mask is a powerful and talented writer with a unique and arresting vision of queer horror, Bury Your Gays should be a shot across the bow and a wakeup call.
Do yourself a favor and see what all the hype is about, Bury Your Gays is a memorable, thrilling read, quite unlike anything else you’re likely to pick up this year.
The basic premise of Bury Your Gays is that a successful screenwriter, Misha, is told by studio executives to kill off the stars of his show right after they finally express their long simmering love for each other. He refuses and afterwards is stalked and attacked by movie monsters from his own filmography. The story builds tension and parcels out context and clues carefully, making for an increasingly tense, frightening tale where the stakes so much higher than just one man’s life.
This book is doing a lot, not only is it by turns genuinely funny, utterly horrific, and deeply moving, it also grapples with issues as varied as AI in art, trauma and representation in media, and corporate pride ™ in a refreshingly acute and lucid way. All of these elements are perfectly balanced, working in concert to push the whole narrative forward, rather than drowning out the other themes or hampering the flow of the novel. Believe me when I tell you that, Bury Your Gays does not miss a beat, not once.
This novel was a triumph, I can hardly think of many books that try to do so much and succeed so adeptly. In addition to being a compulsive joy to read, Bury Your Gays represents the creative apotheosis of a genuinely talented and authentic queer voice in fiction. If Chuck Tingle’s previous, “mainstream” titles like Straight and Camp Damascus, weren’t enough to clue people in that the man behind the pink mask is a powerful and talented writer with a unique and arresting vision of queer horror, Bury Your Gays should be a shot across the bow and a wakeup call.
Do yourself a favor and see what all the hype is about, Bury Your Gays is a memorable, thrilling read, quite unlike anything else you’re likely to pick up this year.
Want to read
January 29, 2024i love lexa from the 100!
July 9, 2024
Wow this audiobook is so fun!! It’s full cast narration but it’s not just any full cast narration… It’s primarily narrated by André Santana (who does a phenomenal job) and features many others, including some well known names if you’re a horror lover. Features by: Charlie Jane Anders, CJ Leede, Georgia Bird, Liz Kerin, Mara Wilson, Mark Oshiro, Sarah Gailey, Stephen Graham Jones, T.Kingfisher, and TJ Klune. CHEFS KISS! How could I not recommend that?
Ok, the story. Hollywood screenwriter Misha Burn has just been nominated for his first Oscar but his producer suggests that, well… he bury the gays, kill them off. He is told to rewrite the script or someone else will do it for him. If he doesn't obey, he will be blacklisted from Hollywood. Misha grows defiant, seething, and is reeling over what to do when his work begins to—literally—haunt him.
Let’s talk about Misha. I found his character to be incredibly captivating and compelling. As I listened through this novel, I found myself questioning his motives at times but because Tingle chose to include flashbacks to Misha’s childhood, I wasn’t left questioning for long. Instead I grew to understand Misha in a much deeper way and felt that he was justified in his actions and I could appreciate why he felt so passionately about the projects that he worked on.
This is my first Chuck Tingle experience and this made me an instant fan of his horror. As the title suggests, this novel focuses on queer erasure and shines the light on the ruthless and greedy nature of Hollywood’s biggest and brightest industry—the film industry. The plot was incredibly engaging, unique, and refreshing and I loved following Misha’s character arc. This book is entertaining as hell, laugh out loud funny while staying true to horror roots, and intensely stimulating. And, of course, as a Los Angeles resident I particularly enjoyed the setting. Plus the cover is just so pretty.
Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Available 07/09/2024!
Ok, the story. Hollywood screenwriter Misha Burn has just been nominated for his first Oscar but his producer suggests that, well… he bury the gays, kill them off. He is told to rewrite the script or someone else will do it for him. If he doesn't obey, he will be blacklisted from Hollywood. Misha grows defiant, seething, and is reeling over what to do when his work begins to—literally—haunt him.
Let’s talk about Misha. I found his character to be incredibly captivating and compelling. As I listened through this novel, I found myself questioning his motives at times but because Tingle chose to include flashbacks to Misha’s childhood, I wasn’t left questioning for long. Instead I grew to understand Misha in a much deeper way and felt that he was justified in his actions and I could appreciate why he felt so passionately about the projects that he worked on.
This is my first Chuck Tingle experience and this made me an instant fan of his horror. As the title suggests, this novel focuses on queer erasure and shines the light on the ruthless and greedy nature of Hollywood’s biggest and brightest industry—the film industry. The plot was incredibly engaging, unique, and refreshing and I loved following Misha’s character arc. This book is entertaining as hell, laugh out loud funny while staying true to horror roots, and intensely stimulating. And, of course, as a Los Angeles resident I particularly enjoyed the setting. Plus the cover is just so pretty.
Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Available 07/09/2024!
June 23, 2024
Chuck Tingle is back with another horror novel! And while it's a tonal shift from Camp Damascus, it definitely did not disappoint. Bury Your Gays is incredibly entertaining and campy. But it also has something to say about relevant issues in Hollywood, including (but not limited to) the treatment of gay character in film and television, and the controversial rise of AI.
I feel like it's best to go into this without knowing too much, but it follows a semi-closeted screen writer who has seen some success with queer horror and other films. But now, the studio wants him to change a script and kill off queer characters. Then things start to get weird...
I did not expect where this book ended up going, but I thought it was both smart and entertaining. And a good place to dip your toes into the genre if horror makes you nervous, because most of it isn't TOO scary. Except maybe in an existential sort of way. I definitely didn't find it as emotionally intense as Camp Damascus. It is quite a ride though and I enjoyed the genre blending. Give it a try! The audio narration is really great, produced with some sound effects and fun cameos from queer authors. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
I feel like it's best to go into this without knowing too much, but it follows a semi-closeted screen writer who has seen some success with queer horror and other films. But now, the studio wants him to change a script and kill off queer characters. Then things start to get weird...
I did not expect where this book ended up going, but I thought it was both smart and entertaining. And a good place to dip your toes into the genre if horror makes you nervous, because most of it isn't TOO scary. Except maybe in an existential sort of way. I definitely didn't find it as emotionally intense as Camp Damascus. It is quite a ride though and I enjoyed the genre blending. Give it a try! The audio narration is really great, produced with some sound effects and fun cameos from queer authors. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
June 17, 2024
3.5 stars - If "Camp Damascus" left me with an impression of earnestness blended with body horror, "Bury Your Gays" is pure camp. I honestly think this would be an amazing book to screen adaptation (perhaps ironically given the setting?) and the writing felt very cinematic in a positive way. I think the pacing was off for me - I can always do without a flashback - so I'm not sure I liked this quite as much as the last one. But this definitely shows that His Royal Chuckness has plenty of ideas left in this genre. I look forward to more!
July 11, 2024
4.5/5
On a long enough timeline, endings are inevitable.
Tragedy is inevitable.
Fortunately, so is joy.
This was amazing! I enjoyed literally every moment, even the ones where I could feel my heart in my mouth. This was just so good, I don't even know where to start.
I loved the bordering-satirical, terrifying-in-its-absurdity tone of this book. I adored how meta it was, it's a book about horror and the tropes and themes of that genre, and it does an expert job of exploring them with nuance and fascination.
Our main character, Misha, is the writer of a show that instantly brings to mind X-Files and Supernatural and Buffy, and I loved seeing those influences in this depiction. Misha is given an ultimatum by the suits who run the studio; either don't make the two lead characters of his show gay, or make them gay and kill them off because 'queer tragedy sells'. Misha doesn't want to do either of these things, he's actually pretty pissed at being forced to choose between these two options. But what if fighting for a happy ending will cost him everything?
I don't want to give anything away because part of the excitement is slowly discovering what the hell is going on, it makes the book unputdownable, but I am dying to talk to someone about how absolutely genius this book is! It's the perfect story for me that I didn't even know I wanted!
I adored seeing the battle Misha had to fight to find his way out of a horror story of his own creation, I adored how meta and insightful it was. It's blatantly clear how well-versed Tingle is in horror tropes and themes, I adored all the in-world horror movies and villains he constructed, the villains of Misha's stories were full of so much intrigue and—for all their horror—vibrant life. They were so creative and so essential to the story Tingle wanted to tell.
And while tragedies are important stories to tell, our appetite can be satiated with more than just suffering.
I loved how crucial queerness was in so many aspects of this story. I adore queer horror, I think it is so necessary and speaks to such nuanced pain and forced concealment and painted-upon villainy, but I love the fact that queerness was able to play an important part in many other subsequent themes. It introduced a lot of complexity to Misha as a character that not only delved into his shame but also his acceptance, without demanding from him trauma. We were also able to explore queer joy and queer friendship and the importance stories like these hold. Queer people deserve more than just one type of story. I adored how intelligently Tingle handled this, in his skilled writing we were able to see the capitalistic greed of corporations above all else. Whether homophobic or pinkwashed, corporations prioritised money above everything.
This takes me neatly to the crux of the story: corporations are not your friends and they do not care about your art or your joy or your lives! So true, Chuck Tingle (he says it in a much more eloquent and slightly more subtle way), so true! There is theme after theme after theme packed into this rather short novel and I adored that about it because it handles each one with cleverness and wit and rage. It's a book that has so much to say and never fumbles the point. There is so much to discover in this story and I know it's one that will stay with me for a very long time, I don't imagine I'll ever stop thinking about it or that it'll ever not be relevant.
"Your stories aren't worth your life."
My stories are my life.
Do yourself a favour and pick up this book! I am so excited to read Camp Damascus and any other horror novels Chuck Tingle bestows upon us! I have been converted, I am a true Tingler (I have no idea if I just made that up or if that is potentially what Chuck Tingle fans already call themselves, but if they don't they absolutely should)!
I will not be able to look at any worm-shaped creature for a very long time! (Tingle writes incredible gore and body horror, I'm as in awe of it as I am disgusted by it! But, oh my goodness, check the trigger warnings if either of those things affect you!) Also, point zero zero three one six two will haunt me just as badly as the worm, now that is horror!
What a fun, terrifying, powerful and phenomenal book!
Thank you so much Titan Books for an arc in exchange for an honest review. If you couldn't tell, I loved it!
On a long enough timeline, endings are inevitable.
Tragedy is inevitable.
Fortunately, so is joy.
This was amazing! I enjoyed literally every moment, even the ones where I could feel my heart in my mouth. This was just so good, I don't even know where to start.
I loved the bordering-satirical, terrifying-in-its-absurdity tone of this book. I adored how meta it was, it's a book about horror and the tropes and themes of that genre, and it does an expert job of exploring them with nuance and fascination.
Our main character, Misha, is the writer of a show that instantly brings to mind X-Files and Supernatural and Buffy, and I loved seeing those influences in this depiction. Misha is given an ultimatum by the suits who run the studio; either don't make the two lead characters of his show gay, or make them gay and kill them off because 'queer tragedy sells'. Misha doesn't want to do either of these things, he's actually pretty pissed at being forced to choose between these two options. But what if fighting for a happy ending will cost him everything?
I don't want to give anything away because part of the excitement is slowly discovering what the hell is going on, it makes the book unputdownable, but I am dying to talk to someone about how absolutely genius this book is! It's the perfect story for me that I didn't even know I wanted!
I adored seeing the battle Misha had to fight to find his way out of a horror story of his own creation, I adored how meta and insightful it was. It's blatantly clear how well-versed Tingle is in horror tropes and themes, I adored all the in-world horror movies and villains he constructed, the villains of Misha's stories were full of so much intrigue and—for all their horror—vibrant life. They were so creative and so essential to the story Tingle wanted to tell.
And while tragedies are important stories to tell, our appetite can be satiated with more than just suffering.
I loved how crucial queerness was in so many aspects of this story. I adore queer horror, I think it is so necessary and speaks to such nuanced pain and forced concealment and painted-upon villainy, but I love the fact that queerness was able to play an important part in many other subsequent themes. It introduced a lot of complexity to Misha as a character that not only delved into his shame but also his acceptance, without demanding from him trauma. We were also able to explore queer joy and queer friendship and the importance stories like these hold. Queer people deserve more than just one type of story. I adored how intelligently Tingle handled this, in his skilled writing we were able to see the capitalistic greed of corporations above all else. Whether homophobic or pinkwashed, corporations prioritised money above everything.
This takes me neatly to the crux of the story: corporations are not your friends and they do not care about your art or your joy or your lives! So true, Chuck Tingle (he says it in a much more eloquent and slightly more subtle way), so true! There is theme after theme after theme packed into this rather short novel and I adored that about it because it handles each one with cleverness and wit and rage. It's a book that has so much to say and never fumbles the point. There is so much to discover in this story and I know it's one that will stay with me for a very long time, I don't imagine I'll ever stop thinking about it or that it'll ever not be relevant.
"Your stories aren't worth your life."
My stories are my life.
Do yourself a favour and pick up this book! I am so excited to read Camp Damascus and any other horror novels Chuck Tingle bestows upon us! I have been converted, I am a true Tingler (I have no idea if I just made that up or if that is potentially what Chuck Tingle fans already call themselves, but if they don't they absolutely should)!
I will not be able to look at any worm-shaped creature for a very long time! (Tingle writes incredible gore and body horror, I'm as in awe of it as I am disgusted by it! But, oh my goodness, check the trigger warnings if either of those things affect you!) Also, point zero zero three one six two will haunt me just as badly as the worm, now that is horror!
What a fun, terrifying, powerful and phenomenal book!
Thank you so much Titan Books for an arc in exchange for an honest review. If you couldn't tell, I loved it!
July 20, 2024
Smart, funny, creepy and enormously satisfying. Chuck Tingle’s second horror novel is a definite improvement on his first (which I liked but didn’t love). All the pieces of the story come together beautifully at the end, the characters are great, the horror is sufficiently horrible and the pacing is spot on.
July 24, 2024
Genius.
Read
July 6, 2024Chuck Tingle's follow-up to the savvy, moving, and wildly successful Camp Damascus takes us to the messy and unethical world of modern Hollywood, and it's a novel which once again showcases Tingle's unique vision of humanity: as something bleak, corrupt, cynical, but ultimately redeemable. Misha is a closeted screenwriter of queer-coded horror movies and TV shows, and he will soon play victim to his own creations.
When the novel begins, Misha's boss breaks the news to him that the two female protagonists of his hit TV show Travelers can either have their queerness abandoned by the narrative or they can declare their love and die in a blaze of glory. Misha calls this what it is: burying the gays, and he is sick of it. He fights back. And as soon as he does, the various monsters and villains from his stories appear in his life to threaten and attack him and his loved ones.
Bury Your Gays works as a wonderful critique on the ethics of intellectual property, artificial intelligence, and turning lives and cultures into storytelling tropes. It's also a novel about authenticity and truth, both in fiction and in real life. Funny, heartwarming, and also often terrifying.
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/terrifying-qu...
When the novel begins, Misha's boss breaks the news to him that the two female protagonists of his hit TV show Travelers can either have their queerness abandoned by the narrative or they can declare their love and die in a blaze of glory. Misha calls this what it is: burying the gays, and he is sick of it. He fights back. And as soon as he does, the various monsters and villains from his stories appear in his life to threaten and attack him and his loved ones.
Bury Your Gays works as a wonderful critique on the ethics of intellectual property, artificial intelligence, and turning lives and cultures into storytelling tropes. It's also a novel about authenticity and truth, both in fiction and in real life. Funny, heartwarming, and also often terrifying.
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/terrifying-qu...
July 10, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC. It hasn't affected the contents of my review.
The ending pushed this one over the edge for me. But so much about this book is five-star worthy: great characters, horror concepts that genuinely made me uncomfortable, a slew of subtle references to things that I love, amazing queer representation, smart dialogue, and a killer understanding of story. I knew Chuck Tingle had a five-star book in him, it just wasn't Camp Damascus for me, it was this.
Summerween 2024
The ending pushed this one over the edge for me. But so much about this book is five-star worthy: great characters, horror concepts that genuinely made me uncomfortable, a slew of subtle references to things that I love, amazing queer representation, smart dialogue, and a killer understanding of story. I knew Chuck Tingle had a five-star book in him, it just wasn't Camp Damascus for me, it was this.
Summerween 2024
April 29, 2024
Star in the May 1, 2024 issue of Booklist and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2024/04...
Three Words That Describe this Book: perfectly paced, creepy becomes terrifying, a celebration of life
From draft review: Tingle’s effortless narrative flow is awe-inspiring. He begins with an uneasy tone that steadily builds to full on existential terror, along the way taking readers on a highly entertaining fast paced ride, filled with thought-provoking satire, original monsters, and some of the most realistic characters they will encounter on any page, all to prove that love is real and Horror itself is at its core, a celebration of life. A book for anyone who likes the immersive, high-stakes Thrillers of Blake Crouch or Horror novels like Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay or A Light Most Hateful by HaileyPiper.
I also saw a reviewer who was confused by the screenplay excerpts included. I thought they were perfect, Helped to introduce more unease and disorientation-- ratchet it up. And it worked because the entire novel is about storytelling and writing screenplays. The pay off is PERFECT for it as well. It is there to knock you off a bit as a reader on purpose.
Some notes:
This book is perfectly paced, perfectly built– every detail matters– fun, creepy, existentially terrifying, but also ultimately a celebration of life.
I know Tingle's motto is-- Love is real-- and it is here but it expands to be a celebration of life itself. No one does relationships better in print than Tingle. From love to friendship to mentorship-- he is able to capture on the page the real feelings of true interactions between people and what they mean to each other with depth, care, and truth.
AI issues. Post strike.
I am struggling to figure out how much to share. I know reviewers here will give spoilers.
Readalikes: Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay and A Light Most Hateful by Hailey Piper smooshed together. A story about creating stories– especially screenplays, but also with a Werid, SF element and also relationships. It really is those two books smooshed together in terms of tone, theme, storytelling and over all message.
Clive Barker vibes– Cold Heart Canyon. LA setting is important.
Meta like Looking Glass Sound, but with like 5 fewer layers and a faster pace. This is not a judgment on either book. I gave both stars. The similarity here is in the focus on the fact that the power of the story is held by the writer and how what the writer includes or excludes matters. One is more methodically paced on purpose and the other is fast paced.
½ way exactly, the twist. He is an expert at crafting a story and I was not surprised to look up at the page count when the whole story changed and see it was the middle.
Speaking of, prepare to read this in 2 sittings. If you have time for 1, but I did two.
“Horror is a celebration of life.” quote early in the book.
Three Words That Describe this Book: perfectly paced, creepy becomes terrifying, a celebration of life
From draft review: Tingle’s effortless narrative flow is awe-inspiring. He begins with an uneasy tone that steadily builds to full on existential terror, along the way taking readers on a highly entertaining fast paced ride, filled with thought-provoking satire, original monsters, and some of the most realistic characters they will encounter on any page, all to prove that love is real and Horror itself is at its core, a celebration of life. A book for anyone who likes the immersive, high-stakes Thrillers of Blake Crouch or Horror novels like Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay or A Light Most Hateful by HaileyPiper.
I also saw a reviewer who was confused by the screenplay excerpts included. I thought they were perfect, Helped to introduce more unease and disorientation-- ratchet it up. And it worked because the entire novel is about storytelling and writing screenplays. The pay off is PERFECT for it as well. It is there to knock you off a bit as a reader on purpose.
Some notes:
This book is perfectly paced, perfectly built– every detail matters– fun, creepy, existentially terrifying, but also ultimately a celebration of life.
I know Tingle's motto is-- Love is real-- and it is here but it expands to be a celebration of life itself. No one does relationships better in print than Tingle. From love to friendship to mentorship-- he is able to capture on the page the real feelings of true interactions between people and what they mean to each other with depth, care, and truth.
AI issues. Post strike.
I am struggling to figure out how much to share. I know reviewers here will give spoilers.
Readalikes: Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay and A Light Most Hateful by Hailey Piper smooshed together. A story about creating stories– especially screenplays, but also with a Werid, SF element and also relationships. It really is those two books smooshed together in terms of tone, theme, storytelling and over all message.
Clive Barker vibes– Cold Heart Canyon. LA setting is important.
Meta like Looking Glass Sound, but with like 5 fewer layers and a faster pace. This is not a judgment on either book. I gave both stars. The similarity here is in the focus on the fact that the power of the story is held by the writer and how what the writer includes or excludes matters. One is more methodically paced on purpose and the other is fast paced.
½ way exactly, the twist. He is an expert at crafting a story and I was not surprised to look up at the page count when the whole story changed and see it was the middle.
Speaking of, prepare to read this in 2 sittings. If you have time for 1, but I did two.
“Horror is a celebration of life.” quote early in the book.
July 24, 2024
It’s been a long time since I went into a book with relatively moderate expectations and came out blown away!! I just read the last 70% of this book within 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down. After flipping the last page I feel out of breath!!
Chuck Tingle has taken a (mostly) closeted gay man’s story in Hollywood and turned it into a Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Blake Crouch sci-fi, horror, contemporary thriller!
What’s more, this book has a clear message, stop killing off all the gays! This resonates for me as a bi-sexual woman who first saw Willow and Tara kiss on screen, and then was horrified by the storyline being crushed only ONE episode later. ONE! They couldn’t let us have happiness for our lesbian ladies for more than a week or two (between airing shows) and for less time than it takes to watch the average rom-com. These types of stories are STILL being told 25 years later. We STILL see token gay characters written out in media (of all kinds) relatively frequently. Tingle has written the perfect aesthetic of horror, love, the question of existence (AI anyone?), and technology together to take the reader on the ride of their life AND give us a message worth shouting from the heights of the Hollywood sign; queer is here!
I want to say everything and yet nothing about the major plot points of Bury Your Gays! I went in fairly blind and I recommend that for everyone. Be aware it’s horror, there are some very squeamish, gory moments (I did have to stop listening to the audio and go to my ebook as I couldn’t stand the descriptions and ‘noises’ of the narrator, done so well but too much for my sensibilities), actual gays (who may or may not die), and a King/Crichton plot to ensnare you in for the duration. Seriously, be ready to read this all the way through from 30% on. You’ve been warned!
I know I NEED to see a movie adaptation of this; and yet it might be too scary for me to do so, lol. I’m so glad my horror buff husband has gotten me into horror since COVID started. Knowing horror’s many tropes helped me understand some of the dark humour, and nods to the past that are here. It is not necessary to pick-up on them, but it does add to the surrealism of the story.
I really didn’t think anyone would rival Blake Crouch and be worthy of the Crichton, King banner this decade. Let me tell you I was wrong! I feel the same, yet different, but equally blown away by Bury Your Gays as I did after reading Dark Matter (Crouch), Prey (Crichton), any of King’s older works, and all of Mira Grant’s (love her!) worthy contributions to horror. There’s the perfect amount of everything in this novel; just as I believe those authors have done before. Watch out for some possible Easter eggs to those who came before within these pages.
I suspect Tingle has more in store for us of this nature, and I’ve already put Camp Damascus on my TBR to see if it started there. All I know is this is a mystery man that can write! It may be worth noting that a key message in Bury Your Gays is about coming out and being your true self; an irony I can’t help but chuckle at given Tingle is a pseudonym and we don’t really know anything much about the writer himself.
Hey Chuck! My message to you, after you’ve given me so many great messages in this book, is Practice what you Preach! (Lol).
Okay stop reading this blabbering review and go get Bury your Gays! Be ready for twists, turns, horrors, coming outs (in so many unique ways, heh), and a dash of love that helps keep some of our characters just stable enough to crawl away stunned, like I am after finishing this novel.
On a personal note: this will be adds to my physical bookshelf in the near future and I will be forcing my husband to read it. Just like I did after reading Dark Matter. It’s that damn good!
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Chuck Tingle has taken a (mostly) closeted gay man’s story in Hollywood and turned it into a Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Blake Crouch sci-fi, horror, contemporary thriller!
What’s more, this book has a clear message, stop killing off all the gays! This resonates for me as a bi-sexual woman who first saw Willow and Tara kiss on screen, and then was horrified by the storyline being crushed only ONE episode later. ONE! They couldn’t let us have happiness for our lesbian ladies for more than a week or two (between airing shows) and for less time than it takes to watch the average rom-com. These types of stories are STILL being told 25 years later. We STILL see token gay characters written out in media (of all kinds) relatively frequently. Tingle has written the perfect aesthetic of horror, love, the question of existence (AI anyone?), and technology together to take the reader on the ride of their life AND give us a message worth shouting from the heights of the Hollywood sign; queer is here!
I want to say everything and yet nothing about the major plot points of Bury Your Gays! I went in fairly blind and I recommend that for everyone. Be aware it’s horror, there are some very squeamish, gory moments (I did have to stop listening to the audio and go to my ebook as I couldn’t stand the descriptions and ‘noises’ of the narrator, done so well but too much for my sensibilities), actual gays (who may or may not die), and a King/Crichton plot to ensnare you in for the duration. Seriously, be ready to read this all the way through from 30% on. You’ve been warned!
I know I NEED to see a movie adaptation of this; and yet it might be too scary for me to do so, lol. I’m so glad my horror buff husband has gotten me into horror since COVID started. Knowing horror’s many tropes helped me understand some of the dark humour, and nods to the past that are here. It is not necessary to pick-up on them, but it does add to the surrealism of the story.
I really didn’t think anyone would rival Blake Crouch and be worthy of the Crichton, King banner this decade. Let me tell you I was wrong! I feel the same, yet different, but equally blown away by Bury Your Gays as I did after reading Dark Matter (Crouch), Prey (Crichton), any of King’s older works, and all of Mira Grant’s (love her!) worthy contributions to horror. There’s the perfect amount of everything in this novel; just as I believe those authors have done before. Watch out for some possible Easter eggs to those who came before within these pages.
I suspect Tingle has more in store for us of this nature, and I’ve already put Camp Damascus on my TBR to see if it started there. All I know is this is a mystery man that can write! It may be worth noting that a key message in Bury Your Gays is about coming out and being your true self; an irony I can’t help but chuckle at given Tingle is a pseudonym and we don’t really know anything much about the writer himself.
Hey Chuck! My message to you, after you’ve given me so many great messages in this book, is Practice what you Preach! (Lol).
Okay stop reading this blabbering review and go get Bury your Gays! Be ready for twists, turns, horrors, coming outs (in so many unique ways, heh), and a dash of love that helps keep some of our characters just stable enough to crawl away stunned, like I am after finishing this novel.
On a personal note: this will be adds to my physical bookshelf in the near future and I will be forcing my husband to read it. Just like I did after reading Dark Matter. It’s that damn good!
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
June 26, 2024
A huge thank you to NetGalley for an early audio to Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle.
Confession, I found an ARC for sale and snagged it (because this was highly anticipated for me and I knew it would be love), but when I saw the audio was possibly available and who was narrating...I couldn't NOT try. The cast of well known authors help narrate this amazing story with wonderful feeling and voices for the different characters. There were even sound effects that really placed you in the pages, which I happily read along to.
You have to follow the rules if you are to survive. But the system is rigged and the algorithm is always a step ahead. Do you have the courage and strength to change them? Misha is a great writer with great ideas. His past experiences are his muses, and so far they've worked in his favor. When the hammer falls on his latest creation, demanding his gay characters essentially be buried, Misha now must face his personal demons in order to save what he cares for most.
Chuck writes his creations with the encouragement that the readers read between the lines. I hope to the literary gods that I did it right.
We look at the ever corrupt Hollywood system, with it's drive to produce things that are supposedly trending/targeted marketing, while taking much to give so little in return. We get a quick nod to the sleazy actors that get away with disgusting sexual advances because of their standing fame.
The guy was caught red-handed being a creep, yet his legendary status renders anything I could possibly say utterly meaningless. -p. 19
"In case you didn't notice, I rented out this whole floor," Jack continues. "I write it off as a health expense, can you believe that?... -p. 79
"You know who the real villain is?"...."Unchecked capitalism and the desire for capitalist systems to monetize other people's trauma" -p.242
A quick side note of dorkiness love: Magic the Gathering, Peter Gabriel and Meryl Streep. Also, be ready to have Sledgehammer playing as the soundtrack of this book. I digress.
This book obviously discusses a very important topic: normalizing LGBTQA and any I forgot to add. Chuck tackles elements flawlessly as we venture through this novel alongside Misha and those closest to him.
"It's not just about real queer suicide, though", She explains. "It's also about the romanticization of gay trauma in media. It's dark stuff." -p. 37
"I'm Los Angeles out," I finally admit. "I'm not... Montana out." -p.43
Fuck that show and their mid-nineties fake-progressive don't ask-don't-tell queer-bating bullshit. -p. 102
There's a wonderful exchange between Misha and a driver, Lily, on page 239 that was done beautifully and the message was so eloquent.
Lastly on this note, there's a very honest nod to reality in respect to certain reveals discussed in the chapter Killjoy. Thank you for discussing something that should truly be more evident, but then again, we are in dire need of books like this.
Now I know there's a lot of big discussion points highlighted above and you may be wondering if there is in fact any truth to this being a horror novel..... holy shit, yes it is!!! Every encounter with a horror element was so in the moment and intense. I've almost convinced myself to never leave the house without a match book or BIC ever again! Or dare to pet a lamb...oooohhhh (shudders). No, no. Your skin is going to crawl and you are going to squirm. There's also real life horror instances in here too that will definitely hit you in the heart feels.
I loved this experience, everything about it. I had fun with the horror and felt the ride through the pressing points. The writing is absolutely amazing and moving. Definitely going on my auto buy list.
On a long enough timeline, endings are inevitable. Tragedy is inevitable. Fortunately, so is joy. -p. 294
Confession, I found an ARC for sale and snagged it (because this was highly anticipated for me and I knew it would be love), but when I saw the audio was possibly available and who was narrating...I couldn't NOT try. The cast of well known authors help narrate this amazing story with wonderful feeling and voices for the different characters. There were even sound effects that really placed you in the pages, which I happily read along to.
You have to follow the rules if you are to survive. But the system is rigged and the algorithm is always a step ahead. Do you have the courage and strength to change them? Misha is a great writer with great ideas. His past experiences are his muses, and so far they've worked in his favor. When the hammer falls on his latest creation, demanding his gay characters essentially be buried, Misha now must face his personal demons in order to save what he cares for most.
Chuck writes his creations with the encouragement that the readers read between the lines. I hope to the literary gods that I did it right.
We look at the ever corrupt Hollywood system, with it's drive to produce things that are supposedly trending/targeted marketing, while taking much to give so little in return. We get a quick nod to the sleazy actors that get away with disgusting sexual advances because of their standing fame.
The guy was caught red-handed being a creep, yet his legendary status renders anything I could possibly say utterly meaningless. -p. 19
"In case you didn't notice, I rented out this whole floor," Jack continues. "I write it off as a health expense, can you believe that?... -p. 79
"You know who the real villain is?"...."Unchecked capitalism and the desire for capitalist systems to monetize other people's trauma" -p.242
A quick side note of dorkiness love: Magic the Gathering, Peter Gabriel and Meryl Streep. Also, be ready to have Sledgehammer playing as the soundtrack of this book. I digress.
This book obviously discusses a very important topic: normalizing LGBTQA and any I forgot to add. Chuck tackles elements flawlessly as we venture through this novel alongside Misha and those closest to him.
"It's not just about real queer suicide, though", She explains. "It's also about the romanticization of gay trauma in media. It's dark stuff." -p. 37
"I'm Los Angeles out," I finally admit. "I'm not... Montana out." -p.43
Fuck that show and their mid-nineties fake-progressive don't ask-don't-tell queer-bating bullshit. -p. 102
There's a wonderful exchange between Misha and a driver, Lily, on page 239 that was done beautifully and the message was so eloquent.
Lastly on this note, there's a very honest nod to reality in respect to certain reveals discussed in the chapter Killjoy. Thank you for discussing something that should truly be more evident, but then again, we are in dire need of books like this.
Now I know there's a lot of big discussion points highlighted above and you may be wondering if there is in fact any truth to this being a horror novel..... holy shit, yes it is!!! Every encounter with a horror element was so in the moment and intense. I've almost convinced myself to never leave the house without a match book or BIC ever again! Or dare to pet a lamb...oooohhhh (shudders). No, no. Your skin is going to crawl and you are going to squirm. There's also real life horror instances in here too that will definitely hit you in the heart feels.
I loved this experience, everything about it. I had fun with the horror and felt the ride through the pressing points. The writing is absolutely amazing and moving. Definitely going on my auto buy list.
On a long enough timeline, endings are inevitable. Tragedy is inevitable. Fortunately, so is joy. -p. 294
June 23, 2024
Campy horror about a closeted gay screenwriter being hunted by characters from his horror pieces. I think I had more fun with what this book was saying thematically than the actual execution. It talks about the pain of growing up queer and starving for representation, about having to settle for queerbaiting and bury your gays tropes, the horrors of AI outpacing our ability to control it, and the insincerity of rainbow capitalism. The actual “scary characters” on page were a weak point for me though, they were more goofy than frightening and I never felt like I could take them seriously. The flashbacks to Misha’s childhood were the most impactful part of the story for me and they really showcased Tingle’s ability to capture the fear and vulnerability so many queer kids experience. Tingle’s books are always full of heart and earnestness, I’ll certainly pick up future works by him!
CWs: death, gore, homophobia, bullying, some bug-based body horror, child neglect
CWs: death, gore, homophobia, bullying, some bug-based body horror, child neglect
June 30, 2024
I love a horror book with something important to say and I love even more when it is written in a way that’s still fun to experience. This book is proof that stories with a message DO NOT need to be emotionally draining and super serious to be impactful! Don’t get me wrong, there was definitely a sad scene or two and the core messages are serious & important, but I had an absolute blast reading this!
In this book we are following a filmmaker whose life is quickly turned upside down after refusing his studio execs request to kill off his lead gay characters. Great kills, gore, and creepy horror all throughout!! The pacing was perfect. Continuous jaw dropping, horrifying moments from start to finish. There is also a lot of relevant & much needed discussions around queer storytelling, art for arts sake vs. art for money, AI, algorithms, technology, and Hollywood. I was so surprised with where this story went and I loved EVERY SINGLE SECOND. One of my favorite books I’ve read this year!
Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle releases on July 9th 2024
Thanks so much to Macmillan audio, Netgalley, and the author for the advance listening copy 🖤
In this book we are following a filmmaker whose life is quickly turned upside down after refusing his studio execs request to kill off his lead gay characters. Great kills, gore, and creepy horror all throughout!! The pacing was perfect. Continuous jaw dropping, horrifying moments from start to finish. There is also a lot of relevant & much needed discussions around queer storytelling, art for arts sake vs. art for money, AI, algorithms, technology, and Hollywood. I was so surprised with where this story went and I loved EVERY SINGLE SECOND. One of my favorite books I’ve read this year!
Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle releases on July 9th 2024
Thanks so much to Macmillan audio, Netgalley, and the author for the advance listening copy 🖤
July 16, 2024
Chuck marries a heart racing psychological and gloriously gory body horror in his latest novel BURY YOUR GAYS, set against a backdrop of hellish Hollywood, full of hypocrisy, corporate greed and queer repression Tingle has crafted an evocative and relevent read in the current climate with sensitivity (and dark humour), despite the heavy themes Chuck holds our hand throughout and has us laughing despite the darkness, proving that love truly is real!
June 18, 2024
So I think this was a masterpiece of a book.
I gave Camp Damascus a good review, but (as I said in the review) that was in no small part out of affection for the author as a person. It wasn’t bad, by any stretch, but I didn’t think it was all that great either. It had a bit too much of the classic Tingler in it to make it work as a serious book, in my opinion.
None of those complaints apply to Bury Your Gays. This was, I say again, a masterpiece.
The protagonist, Misha, is a Hollywood screenwriter who mostly does queer horror. He’s doing well enough to make a living; the stuff he writes is broadly well-reviewed and modestly commercially successful, but with a hard core of dedicated fans who love it. And he’s on the rise; he just got an Oscar nomination. But then he’s in a meeting with a studio exec to talk about an X Files-esque series he writes. He’s been building towards the two (female) agent leads getting together as the season finale, but the studio exec says that’s not going to work. He has a choice: abandon them finally confessing their feelings for each other … or have them do it, but they need to die at the end of the episode, as per the long-standing Hollywood trope of killing off gay characters. It’s not that the studio exec is a homophobe or anything, Misha is assured; it’s just what the algorithms say will sell the best.
As he wrestles with the decision of what to do - give the studio what they want, or stay true to himself and burn down his career - things get more interesting when monsters from various movies he’s written start showing up threatening his life and those he loves.
The story is very well crafted - it’s a master class of tension-building. Misha has to deal with his career choices, his own personal demons (he’s “Los Angeles out,” not “Montana out”), and more literal demons. His past is addressed as well; there are flashbacks to what it was like growing up in Montana knowing he was gay, and all the trauma he had to deal with. There were a few emotional stomach-punches along the way, and an excellent reversal of a climax that I should have seen coming but am kind of glad I didn’t.
Beyond the obvious, it touches on a bunch of other themes, both timeless and topical. AI in Hollywood; MeToo; the tension between movies as art and movies as business; corporations happy to celebrate Pride as long as it’s profitable; a recognition of conflicting pressure on gay people to come out against their own desire for privacy.
Putting on my /r/Fantasy Moderator hat for a moment: we frequently get threads where someone asks for a book featuring someone like them themselves. This could be a queer person, a person of color, a disabled person, or anything else. About the only version of this we don’t see is “I’m looking for a book with a cishet white male protagonist,” for obvious reasons. And almost without fail, someone will ask why it matters. Why can’t people just enjoy a book and not worry about the color or orientation or whatever of the protagonist?
The answer is that representation matters. Reading a book where you can see yourself in the protagonist matters. It matters for everyone, but I would say it’s especially important for kids growing up in not the most welcoming of homes, who might see no one like them in the movies and books they love and reach the conclusion that they are wrong in some way. I want everyone who doesn’t understand why representation matters to read this book. I’ve been a reddit mod too long to not be cynical about how much good it would actually do, but (as Chuck Tingle would be the first to say) it’s always important to try and make the world I want to live in.
My blog
I gave Camp Damascus a good review, but (as I said in the review) that was in no small part out of affection for the author as a person. It wasn’t bad, by any stretch, but I didn’t think it was all that great either. It had a bit too much of the classic Tingler in it to make it work as a serious book, in my opinion.
None of those complaints apply to Bury Your Gays. This was, I say again, a masterpiece.
The protagonist, Misha, is a Hollywood screenwriter who mostly does queer horror. He’s doing well enough to make a living; the stuff he writes is broadly well-reviewed and modestly commercially successful, but with a hard core of dedicated fans who love it. And he’s on the rise; he just got an Oscar nomination. But then he’s in a meeting with a studio exec to talk about an X Files-esque series he writes. He’s been building towards the two (female) agent leads getting together as the season finale, but the studio exec says that’s not going to work. He has a choice: abandon them finally confessing their feelings for each other … or have them do it, but they need to die at the end of the episode, as per the long-standing Hollywood trope of killing off gay characters. It’s not that the studio exec is a homophobe or anything, Misha is assured; it’s just what the algorithms say will sell the best.
As he wrestles with the decision of what to do - give the studio what they want, or stay true to himself and burn down his career - things get more interesting when monsters from various movies he’s written start showing up threatening his life and those he loves.
The story is very well crafted - it’s a master class of tension-building. Misha has to deal with his career choices, his own personal demons (he’s “Los Angeles out,” not “Montana out”), and more literal demons. His past is addressed as well; there are flashbacks to what it was like growing up in Montana knowing he was gay, and all the trauma he had to deal with. There were a few emotional stomach-punches along the way, and an excellent reversal of a climax that I should have seen coming but am kind of glad I didn’t.
Beyond the obvious, it touches on a bunch of other themes, both timeless and topical. AI in Hollywood; MeToo; the tension between movies as art and movies as business; corporations happy to celebrate Pride as long as it’s profitable; a recognition of conflicting pressure on gay people to come out against their own desire for privacy.
Putting on my /r/Fantasy Moderator hat for a moment: we frequently get threads where someone asks for a book featuring someone like them themselves. This could be a queer person, a person of color, a disabled person, or anything else. About the only version of this we don’t see is “I’m looking for a book with a cishet white male protagonist,” for obvious reasons. And almost without fail, someone will ask why it matters. Why can’t people just enjoy a book and not worry about the color or orientation or whatever of the protagonist?
The answer is that representation matters. Reading a book where you can see yourself in the protagonist matters. It matters for everyone, but I would say it’s especially important for kids growing up in not the most welcoming of homes, who might see no one like them in the movies and books they love and reach the conclusion that they are wrong in some way. I want everyone who doesn’t understand why representation matters to read this book. I’ve been a reddit mod too long to not be cynical about how much good it would actually do, but (as Chuck Tingle would be the first to say) it’s always important to try and make the world I want to live in.
My blog
July 15, 2024
Is there anything better than picking up a book by an author that you’ve never read before and falling absolutely head-over-heels for their writing? That is my exact experience with Bury Your Gays. I cannot express how glad I am that I picked up this book.
To start, Bury Your Gays follows a character named Misha who works in film/tv production and has been asked to suddenly kill off his two gay lead characters. He’s struggling with whether or not to follow this request when he begins to be attacked by characters from some of his previous movies.
Now where to start with the actual review?
Thematically, this book is extremely rich. It touches on such a wide variety of topics. It discusses why representation matters, queer-baiting, theft with AI, corporatization of Pride, post-METOO Hollywood, and more. The thing is it doesn’t just touch briefly on these topics, but instead incorporates them in meaningful ways into the storyline.
Misha, our MC is also fantastic. It’s weird to say because this book is brutal and dark, but he was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed being inside of his head.
One other really important thing for me is that this book kept me on the edge of my seat. I did not want to put it down. It is satire and horror blended together, but it reads like a thriller. It just takes the best of each of those genres to make something that is a compulsive read.
All in all, I really enjoyed my time with Bury Your Gays. I’ve already checked out a copy of his previous book Camp Damascus to see if I love it just as much. I would recommend this book for fans of horror and thrillers who want a thematically complex read that sharply critiques the film industry.
Thank you to Netgalley, Chuck Tingle, and Tor Nightfire for the Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
To start, Bury Your Gays follows a character named Misha who works in film/tv production and has been asked to suddenly kill off his two gay lead characters. He’s struggling with whether or not to follow this request when he begins to be attacked by characters from some of his previous movies.
Now where to start with the actual review?
Thematically, this book is extremely rich. It touches on such a wide variety of topics. It discusses why representation matters, queer-baiting, theft with AI, corporatization of Pride, post-METOO Hollywood, and more. The thing is it doesn’t just touch briefly on these topics, but instead incorporates them in meaningful ways into the storyline.
Misha, our MC is also fantastic. It’s weird to say because this book is brutal and dark, but he was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed being inside of his head.
One other really important thing for me is that this book kept me on the edge of my seat. I did not want to put it down. It is satire and horror blended together, but it reads like a thriller. It just takes the best of each of those genres to make something that is a compulsive read.
All in all, I really enjoyed my time with Bury Your Gays. I’ve already checked out a copy of his previous book Camp Damascus to see if I love it just as much. I would recommend this book for fans of horror and thrillers who want a thematically complex read that sharply critiques the film industry.
Thank you to Netgalley, Chuck Tingle, and Tor Nightfire for the Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 5, 2024
I’m going to be honest. This was my first Chuck Tingle novel and it was not what I expected. It was amazing, I expected it to be amazing but I expected…. Weirder?. I loved the horror, sci-fi of it. All the unexpected characters. I could not put it down! Can’t wait to get more into this catalogue and see what the especially weird ones are all about. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review!
March 24, 2024
This is a fantastic queer horror novel about what it takes to make it in Hollywood seen through the eyes of a gay screenwriter. And what it takes is much more than just talent or artistic abilities. Sometimes it takes blood.
Misha is a screenwriter who is nominated for an Oscar for a short animated film. His success has come from queer horror and he has a fairly successful television series.
But when a studio executive informs him that he has to kill his gay characters or make them straight, he refuses. Although he's outed in Las Angeles, he's not so much out in his hometown in Montana. He's struggled with being partially closeted and he feels his characters allow him to express himself.
But pretty soon, terrifying things start to happen to him and to his boyfriend and his best female friend. At first it appears that some of his most horrific creations are coming to life and trying to kill him. But there's something much more dark going on. Something you won't see coming at first, and this could affect more than just his world.
This is a great read with some twists that examines the lengths greedy corporations will go to make the most amount of money. And as Misha struggles with trauma from his past while trying to protect himself and loved ones from monstrosities come to life it's going to take very drastic measures to stop the unstoppable. And maybe at a cost he can't see coming.
Wildly inventive and brimming with subject matter that feels like it's ripped from headlines, this frightening and action packed novel will have you rethinking everything you think you know about what it means to be an artist and achieve success. I highly recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Misha is a screenwriter who is nominated for an Oscar for a short animated film. His success has come from queer horror and he has a fairly successful television series.
But when a studio executive informs him that he has to kill his gay characters or make them straight, he refuses. Although he's outed in Las Angeles, he's not so much out in his hometown in Montana. He's struggled with being partially closeted and he feels his characters allow him to express himself.
But pretty soon, terrifying things start to happen to him and to his boyfriend and his best female friend. At first it appears that some of his most horrific creations are coming to life and trying to kill him. But there's something much more dark going on. Something you won't see coming at first, and this could affect more than just his world.
This is a great read with some twists that examines the lengths greedy corporations will go to make the most amount of money. And as Misha struggles with trauma from his past while trying to protect himself and loved ones from monstrosities come to life it's going to take very drastic measures to stop the unstoppable. And maybe at a cost he can't see coming.
Wildly inventive and brimming with subject matter that feels like it's ripped from headlines, this frightening and action packed novel will have you rethinking everything you think you know about what it means to be an artist and achieve success. I highly recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
July 18, 2024
oh this was funnnn
March 18, 2024
So…Chuck Tingle is legit.
This was a really good book! It manages to be sad, funny, hopeful, kind of hopeless at times (opposite day!), and legitimately creepy. I was shocked to find out what was really going on, but even more horrified to know that there are folks out there in a certain industry that would absolutely do this if they had the power.
The book is a rollercoaster ride of both emotion and action and I simply loved it.
I am completely on board with whatever thrills and chills Tingle decides to bring us next!
• ARC via Publisher
This was a really good book! It manages to be sad, funny, hopeful, kind of hopeless at times (opposite day!), and legitimately creepy. I was shocked to find out what was really going on, but even more horrified to know that there are folks out there in a certain industry that would absolutely do this if they had the power.
The book is a rollercoaster ride of both emotion and action and I simply loved it.
I am completely on board with whatever thrills and chills Tingle decides to bring us next!
• ARC via Publisher
Want to read
October 20, 2023Wow, loving the title for a horror book, so many layers!
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