In Bury Your Gays, Misha is a successful screenwriter in Hollywood who has been hit with an ultimatum from the producers for the studio he works under regarding his current show. The two characters who have been circling one another for seasons can either end this season’s finale gay and dead or straight and alive. Misha balks at this order, and quickly finds out the consequences of that refusal might go beyond future issues with his contract.

Bury Your Gays is split between a profound frustration and anger at the state of representation and a deep tenderness for the lived experiences and desires of queer people. It strikes a well-executed balance of being thrilling, clever, and deeply unsettling.

You get maybe ten minutes to settle into Misha’s life before Tingle throws the narrative into full throttle. I felt like I couldn’t keep up fast enough while reading it, but that feeling also is appropriate with what the characters are through. It is a genuine treat to have characters trying so hard to be good horror movie protagonists (once they understand the danger is present and real, of course) and to still want to reach into the pages and shake them because horror novels and horror movies are still different and they’re so close if they could just be an inch more aware of the medium.

The meta nature of this book is the most lighthearted and serves as an appropriate breath of levity for how dark parts of this can get. The sections of the narrative written in screenplay are really well done, and the running commentary about the pacing of the story between the characters was entertaining. I had way more fun than I had any right to playing “name the buried gay/queerbait character” anytime someone new popped up in Misha’s story.

Misha is also a really interesting protagonist. He’s far more messy than his first impression might reveal, tied up with internal contradictions and several version of himself he’s willing to be depending on the crowd. Despite all of Misha’s success, he is still very much a tortured artist and that comes with a handful of traits that I personally find incredibly abrasive. His best friend, Tara, isn’t the easiest person to like either but the two of them are so patient and devoted to one another you end up loving them both, flaws and all.

It toes the line of being a touch too cheesy for me, but it’s hard to knock the book for it because it is so god damn earnest you can’t be mad at it. Tingle’s mantra of love is real bleeds from this book. I might have a quibble with some pacing, found some moments a little soapboxy and wanted more from a certain character, but that doesn’t change the way this book made me feel. It completely swept me away and this is commendable work.

This is an easy recommendation to people who love horror, especially horror that is interested in talking about horror. If you’re at all interested in queer stories, conversations of representation and AI impacts on art I think there’s something worth your time here. Also, if you’re looking for something interesting happening at a thrilling pace! I think this is the most fun I’ve had with a book in a really long time.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced, plot-driven novel, which was my first foray into reading the Tingleverse. It was a thoughtful exploration of what it means to be in the closet, as well as a slipstream horror/sci-fi romp. I will absolutely be reading more by Chuck Tingle—great summer/beach read!

Just like Camp Damascus I went from 20% into the book to 60% in and I hadn't realized how immersed and absorbed into the story I had been. Tingle has a way of pulling me in and down and pulling every emotion and cheering on the MC. I'll be talking about this one a lot.

A fast-paced, biting social commentary that manages to be equal parts funny and horrifying, and highly original. Some disturbing scenes will creep out even hardened horror fans, though these pale in comparison to the terrors of the film industry and broader societal treatment of the LGBTQ community. Narrator & protagonist Misha is witty and observant, though not always the most likeable character. This wasn't quite a 5-star read for me as I do think there were some issues with the pacing, and secondary characters felt a bit one-dimensional. Still a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Chuck Tingle is a gem.

𝐕𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬:
➤ Queer Representation
➤ Anti AI
➤ Hollywood
➤ Film Industry.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
Bury Your Gays is a satirical horror novel where our main character, Misha (a horror screenwriter) receives pressure to kill off his gay characters “for the algorithm.” This had a lot of moving pieces that kept the story engaging and kept me wondering what was happening and where things were headed. While I loved the thematic element of this, and the ironic conclusion we come to with the algorithm, I had an incredibly hard time connecting to the writing style - things felt disjointed and my investment in the characters and plot remained minimal.

𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
➤ So much incredible queer rep
➤ “Doing it for the algorithm” anti AI themes
➤ Tingle jumps back and forth between essentially 3 POVs who are all the same person, and the way this comes together by the end was really well thought out.

LOVED this book. Tingle has a way of writing cross-genre that is truly refreshing. This book was funny, dark, tense, and just all around loveable. Definitely good for horror fans or queer-lit fans (or any combination) - plus, it feels like an accurate satire of Hollywood's current age. Read this book.

Bury Your Gays by @chucktingle

I laughed, I cried, I gasped “oh NO” repeatedly…

Synopsis:
“Misha knows that chasing success in Hollywood can be hell.

But finally, after years of trying to make it, his big moment is here: an Oscar nomination. And the executives at the studio for his long-running streaming series know just the thing to kick his career to the next level: kill off the gay characters, “for the algorithm,” in the upcoming season finale.

Misha refuses, but he soon realizes that he’s just put a target on his back. And what’s worse, monsters from his horror movie days are stalking him and his friends through the hills above Los Angeles.

Haunted by his past, Misha must risk his entire future—before the horrors from the silver screen find a way to bury him for good.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a horror book, but this is not a scary book, and that’s perfectly fine by me 😎

Our lord and savior, Chuck Tingle, has written a Hollywood horror dream novel, it’s hilarious, it’s sassy, it’s got commentary out the ass. I spent so much time trying to puzzle together what could possibly be happening to Misha, only to watch as it kept spiraling into worse and worse.

The tropes were so much fun to follow along, to join Misha in acknowledging them and thriving in the meta and the beats that got hit so perfectly.

Guys, it’s just a fjucking great book. If you haven’t pre-orderèd, you absolutely should. It’s a fast sit down, it’s a two sittings kinda book, and I can’t wait for my own pre-0rder to get here so I can hand it to my wife so we can talk about it. Because there’s so much to talk about.

I think the one weakness is that the side characters aren’t as strongly developed as I wanted, but they’re never the point of the book, so it makes sense. We’re on Misha’s journey, focusing on a gay writer in Hollywood who wants to see all kinds of queer stories.

That’s why the second pic in this carousel is for a ton of different queer stories: queer joy, queer horror, queer comedy, queer thriller, queer tragedy. The whole spectrum. (Yeah, there’s a lot of horror in there, I love it, I can’t help it!)

Thanks to @netgalley & @tornightfire for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I could not put this book down and absolutely devoured it! (Given I have TBI, it was pretty impressive I finished this in 2 days!) Misha is a screenwriter, and he is told he has to kill off one of his gay characters. He refuses and is stalked by his own monsters from his films. This was intense, suspenseful, fun, terrifying, and creative. I loved the message and would absolutely recommend this book!!! the pace was just right (OK, Goldilocks), and it is detail oriented! A quote from early in the book: “Horror is a celebration of life.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an advanced copy of Bury Your Gays, in exchange for an honest review.

I've been interested in Chuck Tingle's work before, as I have had Camp Damascus sitting on my TBR shelf for a hot minute, and I was very surprised and grateful for the opportunity to read and review the newest novel.

Misha is a writer in Hollywood, who has written tons of horror movies and TV shows and has just been nominated for his first Oscar. When producers want him to kill off his main characters because of an algorithm that suggests killing them off would bring in more money and viewership, Misha decides to fight back. However, it's not as easy as he expected it would be...

This book was pleasantly surprising. It was very well-rounded; Bury Your Gays had fantastic character development for the main character, had moments of intense body horror that had me squirming in disgust, and it also had a lot of heart with a fantastic message for the masses. I found myself in full agreement with every point being made, rolled my eyes at the Hollywood stereotypes, and was cheering for Misha the entire time. The flashbacks into Misha's childhood were very heartbreaking, but it really helped show his growth through the course of the story. I loved all of the different horror characters from Misha's previous works as well - they were fun and terrifying. The nod to Camp Damascus made me wish I read it first, so I'll definitely be checking that one out in the near future. I do wish there was a bit more development of Zeke and Tara, because they were also very likable, but I felt they kind of blended into the background and would have loved to see more about their backstories.

Camp Damascus will definitely be up soon on my TBR, because Chuck Tingle definitely has a knack for storytelling and character development! I look forward to seeing what else this author comes up with in the future.

This was such a pleasant surprise. Chuck Tingle is as famous as they come online, and I had not had the pleasure of reading his work until this one. Will definitely be checking out Camp Damascus in the near future (which was cleverly referenced in Bury Your Gays!). I truly believe this author is a genius. This novel has the perfect combination and balance of everything - from cheesy horror tropes to brutal gore descriptions and over the top queer cliches to extremely important messages about queerness in media. All of this was strung together with one of the most unique, futuristic and culturally relevant horror vessels I have ever heard of. I'm king of at a loss for words with this one. I cannot wait to recommend the hell out of it!

I'm biased, since I love Chuck's work in general, but this was superb. I took my time reading it, and really enjoyed the ride. I'm really looking forward to recommending this at the next book club meeting, and in general at my library.

Wow, this book is amazing. I don't even know how to start my review because there are so many important topics covered in Bury Your Gays. This book is jam packed with horror and action and queerness. I didn't want it to end. What a perfect thriller.

The author did an incredible job handling queer trauma and I literally had to stop and breathe a few times because it all hit so close to home. Growing up queer is hard and while the author didn't shy away from that, the author made sure we knew that there's joy in queerness, too. I also greatly enjoyed the discourse surrounding capitalism and AI and how queer identities are discussed.

Bury Your Gays is incredibly well written and a breath of fresh air amongst horror books (and this is coming from a huge horror fan). I'm already thinking about rereading it in the near future because so much happened. Truly, the queer horror book of my dreams. I wish I could thank the author for writing it. I have never preordered a physical copy so quickly.

One of my fave reads of the year! Bury Your Gays takes the bury your gays trope and subverts it. There are genuinely horrific moments both Eldritch as well as the more tangible horrors of unchecked capitalism yet it also manages to be deeply emotional, moving and hopeful. I loved our protagonists, seeing our main character Misha’s inner conflict and growth, the ever supportive and kind Zeke, and Tara who is just everything! I loved the moments of dark humor, the mysteriousness and the twists. This is also honestly one of the most original books I‘ve read this year, delivering a really fresh premise.

If you are looking for something uniquely dark and terrifying with emotional depth I can’t recommend this enough.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher. I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

(I will be writing more of a deep-dive review on my blog, but this review is shared on my GoodReads and will be appearing on Amazon as well.)
 
This is instantly one of my favorite reads, not just this year, but for about five years, and I'm sure for years to come.

If you like campy horror movies, if you've already seen all the tropes, if you enjoy predicting the end of a horror movie after 10 minutes into the film, if you watch horror movies the way other people watch comedies, you're going to love this book.

If you like horror novels with depth, if you like not knowing what's going to happen when you turn the page, if you like turning stereotypes on their heads, if you like seeing queer representation in media, you're going to love this book.

Bury Your Gays made me laugh out loud. It made me sit on the edge of my sit and mutter "oh s***" repeatedly (so suddenly and for so long that my SO asked if I was okay). I couldn't stop turning pages! It makes me want to grab every horror reader I know by the hand or the shirt collar and tell them they need to read this book! It made me want to reach out to lit/writing professors from when I was in school and recommend this for class. It's cinematic, smart, darkly hilarious, and surprising. And it still manages to convey that little kick of hope/inspiration/fire.

Disclaimer: While I've been meaning to read Chuck Tingle for years, this is the first book I've read by him. It jumped up on my TBR list about a year ago. I read this copy for free via NetGalley, and I am so incredibly thankful for having it sent my way. It's highly likely I'll be buying my own copy to reread in years to come.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Tor, and the author - Chuck Tingle. As it usually goes… I received a free ARC from NetGalley, and this review is voluntary


Bury Your Gays, defined:

“Bury Your Gays is a literary trope that has appeared in media across genre since the end of the 19th century. Works using the trope will feature a same-gender couple and with one of the lovers dying and the other realizing they were never actually gay, often running into the arms of a heterosexual partner. This trope was originally used as a way for gay authors to write about gay characters without coming under fire for breaking laws and social mandates against the “endorsement” of homosexuality. However, Bury Your Gays persists today in a time and social context in which it is no longer necessary to give gay characters and stories bad endings in order to be published.”

Hulan, H. (2017). Bury Your Gays: History, Usage and Context


We find ourselves following the life of Misha Byrne, another cog in the machine of Hollywood. Although one of his creations has received an Oscar Nomination, his boss has issued a new mandate concerning his existing work: write-off the gay characters in the story. A business decision, from those that scribble out the checks. The direction of Misha’s work, now only what will generate revenue; nothing more, nothing less. Refusing this edict, Misha takes a stand for his work, and his creative freedom. His convictions are not met with praise - rather, he is now noticing familiar faces in the crowd following him around. Creations from his own mind and imagination, from the pen to the screen, now right in front of him; stalking, waiting. With what feels like the walls closing in, Misha is now in a survival for his life, against the very things he created. Will he survive, or will he become another one of his characters that never saw the happy ending they deserved?

As the literature demonstrates, capitalism is not concerned with feelings, or emotions. Artistic expression is only valid if that pathway generates more revenue. It’s devoid of heart, and it lacks soul. The only concern is maximizing revenue, or capital, even at the expense of the labor that is allowing for that additional capital to be created. Those that control the money control what happens, and as Misha found out in the story, his own voice was taken from him when he was ordered to write-off the gay characters in his one show. Even if the viewers connect with the characters, the forecasting or the algorithm determines the course of the show, and those viewers may find themselves soon disappointed. When there is already a lack of representation in the media, or in these forms of entertainment, it only further shows how the gears of capitalism grind this identity down to the bone. Sticking to what they think will sell, or what they think the audience wants, while those who have been trying to break that glass ceiling are left behind. The best example of this is when a lot of businesses “show up” for the month of June, or Gay Pride Month. Where are they the other 11 months out of the year? These businesses only support the community, or the movement, when it’s monetarily opportunistic to do so. For many artists, or creators, this work is their life. It’s not just their voice, but their identity. There should never be compromise in that, but the world we live in has different rules, and money is one hell of a determining factor. Books like this exist to break the wheel, and I’m all for it.

According to my Kindle, I read 81% the first day, so I guess you can say I enjoyed it. Whether you’re reading this to learn something from the symbolism, or looking for a well written horror novel that will probably be on the top ten list by the end of the year, this is definitely worth the read.

This book may have taken a bit longer than Camp Damascus to really catch my attention, but once it did, I was super impressed!

I love it that Tingle is building a world that connects his horror stories. It’s also worth noting that it’s not our reality. After all, his world never had Agents Scully and Mulder. Instead, there was a similar show with a different name that starred two male agents. There were repeated instances of things like that happening, too.

Bury Your Gays feels extremely timely. It mentions the writer’s strike, along with the aftermath of their new deal. There’s also a huge AI component to the book, which cautions humanity about where AI could go next.

Trying to use AI for entertainment will always be a bad idea, but what happens in the pages of this book showcase exactly how awful it could become. What do you get when you cross AI with greed? Evil algorithms that sap every bit of joy and creativity out of cinema.

Lest you think I’m one-sided about this, the world becomes just as awful after the first twist. I’m gay, and I don’t want to live in a world where being LGBTQIA+ becomes nothing more than a commodity of wealthy organizations, pumping out money but no heart.

Excellent work, and an equally excellent commentary on society… and how we are so screwed if we don’t stop things now.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

I ABSOLUTELY loved this book so much! Chuck Tingle did it again!! I loved this mix of horror and sci-fi elements, and how they flowed together! And the easter egg to Camp Damascus was the cherry on top! I hope everyone gets to pick this one up this summer!


Thank you NetGalley! For this arc!

Buckle up, buckaroos. This book had me on the edge of my seat, close to vomiting from the sheer anxiety of it all. I felt sick for the majority of this book. The flashback chapters were too close to home for my own queer trauma, and the horror elements had me leaving the lights on at night. Maybe that's not an intriguing review for some, but it hit me right in the chest in the best way possible. Bury Your Gays isn't subtle, it's a huge middle finger to rainbow capitalism, queer baiting, the Closet©, and AI generated "art". Tingle is able to balance a fantastical element of horror with classic sci-fi fears and present day looming threats. Beyond the monsters and the mystery, the heart of this book is the story of self acceptance and a rejection of fatalism. It's as poetic and heart warming as it is terrifying and gory. It's a timely tale that I very sincerely hope ages poorly, but given the current state of Everything, I think will hold true for much longer than I'm comfortable with.

_Bury Your Gays_ by Chuck Tingle is an engrossing, heartwarming, romp of a horror read! It follows Hollywood scriptwriter Misha as he deals with inner turmoil, unwavering producers, and murderous characters of his own making. It is original and creepy, and leaves the reader with a feeling of triumph for Misha.

Misha is a semi-closeted, Oscar-nominated screenwriter being strong-armed by his studio into killing off the lesbian protagonists of his tv show to fulfill the dictates of the algorithm. Even more problematically, he is being hunted by monsters from horror movies he wrote. At first he blames overzealous fans, but soon he's forced to accept that the peril to himself and his loved ones (preternaturally understanding boyfriend Zeke and spunky asexual bestie Tara) is all too real. A gruesome, genre-savvy, fast-paced horror novel about corporate greed and the trauma of homophobia.