This book was on my most-anticipated list for 2024; Camp Damascus was one of my favorites in 2023. Thank you, Tor Nightfire, for the advance copy.

Creepy, fun, and insightful! There are a lot of themes examined in Bury Your Gays: queerness and horror, AI and algorithms, corporate co-opting of Pride, showbiz...

To be honest, the journey was slightly rocky at first. There's a strong start, then occasional confusing passages and some slow parts. It really kicks into gear about a third of the way in, leading up to an ending where things come together in a satisfying but not "neat" way. Queer joy doesn't necessarily mean there is no conflict, trauma, and/or struggle!

There's a passage in the first third that explains the purpose of horror in such a beautiful way that I had to share it with a friend and I'm saving it for the next time I talk with someone who dismisses horror as a genre. And Tara, the aro-ace character in the end--no spoiler, just wish I could high-five the physical manifestation of that particular section.

(Since this is an ARC it may be fixed in the final version) My very minor complaint is that the phrase "my boyfriend" repeats, often awkwardly, when the character's name or pronoun would fit better. It almost seems like it was intended to be fixed later with find-and-replace.

When this book releases in July trot on over to your local bookstore and pick up a copy!

Content Warnings: Homophobia, Graphic violence, Child neglect

Like Camp Damascus, which I enjoyed tremendously, this book has some great horror moments. Tingle balances several forms of horror throughout this book (existential, psychological, physical, comedic), but what stood out to me was that all of them were, ultimately, examinations of queer horror. The novel illustrated beautifully how varied queer horror can be, how it can illustrate and help process different forms of trauma, and why it’s powerful as one type of queer storytelling. At the same time, Tingle does an excellent job showing that it’s only one type of queer storytelling. Without giving away spoilers, the fact that main character Misha navigates and champions multiple types of queer narratives situates that all are worthy. Showing the dangers of going too far to one type of narrative or the other without being polarizing can be difficult to do, and I think Tingle succeeded with it.

The characters also hooked me. I was invested throughout the book in Misha’s life, both personal and professional. Misha was a protagonist that I wanted to see succeed through all the tribulations in his way. As an aroace person, I also have to give a shoutout to Tara, Misha’s friend, who I immediately fell in love with and was glad to see throughout the book.

For me, there were two down sides to the book. First, at times the book shifts perspectives to be written like scripts. I eventually figured out what was happening by the end of the book and the purpose of these shifts – but during my time reading, the meta-narrative nature was lost on me and pulled me out of the book rather than hooking me further. Second, I found the book dragged in some places. Most of the book had a good pace and rhythm, but certain scenes lasted too long or felt unnecessary. This book covers A LOT of ground, so anything that made it lag really stood out to me. That said, others may like the meta-nature of the work and have no problem with the pacing.

I think those who enjoy Tingle’s work will like this book, and I think for the examination of queer horror, characters, and commentary, it was well worth the read.

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.