This book offers thought-provoking social commentary and genuine scares, making it a standout favorite of the year. From the very first page, I couldn’t put it down. It skillfully blends horror and humor, delivering a mix of psychological terror, queer erasure and representation, and queer love. All these elements come together in a single, fantastic read.

"Horror stories aren't just things we want to see, they're the things we need to see."

Boy Howdy!!! BURY YOUR GAYS by @chucktingle is the queer, anti-capitalist greed horror story that my heart needed right now! Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher @tornightfire and @macmillanaudio for the e-ARC and audio-ARC.

First of all, if you have the chance to listen to this one, you should definitely go that route! This story features an all-star cast of author narrators including Charlie Jane Anders, T Kingfisher, Stephen Graham Jones, Sarah Gailey and more which leads to an incredible audio experience!

There is so much social commentary in this book and I am sure I cannot hit all the hot spots but here goes:

💲Modern Hollywood's cult of greed
🍭Late stage capitalism sucking the life and art from us all
🤖The dangers of AI and nano-tech
👨‍💻Our lack of concern about tech insecurity (data mining)
🏳️‍🌈The importance of representation and being an active participant in your own representation
💚Always being proud of who you are
⚠️The dangers of straightwashing queer stories or gay erasure

But my favorite concept of all that Tingle discusses in this one is the idea that fear is a muscle that needs to be exercised -

"There are scary things in the world, that's just a fact. And if you pretend they're not all around us, you are in for a rude awakening. Horror offers a chance to recognize this truth; to explore dark places in a safe way." -

I feel this one to my soul and it is the reason I have had such an explosion of horror in my life in the last few years. Gotta keep this muscle pumping!!

Read this one if:

🏳️‍🌈You think we need more queer stories in the world
🏳️‍🌈You love tired tropes being smashed to pieces
🏳️‍🌈You want to read a new spin on slashers
🏳️‍🌈You wanna buckle up for a wild ride
🏳️‍🌈You have ever been haunted by your own actions or stories

All the stars! As your queer auntie I recommend you get this one IMMEDIATELY and devour it in all its glory!!

💚SMASHBOT💚

#buryyourgays #chucktingle #tornightfire #macmillanaudio #queerhorrorbooks #horrorbooks #queer #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #booknerd #bibliophile #bookis

Thanks to NetGalley & Tor Publishing Group for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

A very fun, fast-paced meta-Hollywood romp. I really loved all the digs at Hollywood and how it treats LGBTQ+ media through a monetary lens.

I feel like this book is best enjoyed when having followed Hollywood vs LGBTQ+ drama for decades--especially in the fandom-sphere. You know which shows and films the author hints at thanks to the useless knowledge, ha. Well, it's not useless for this book!

The only negative is how focused it is on Misha that it ignores the 2 side characters that are said to be important to the character but we rarely see them interact in the book. I also truthfully skipped the script/screen-writing mini sections, they didn't interest me as much as the story itself did.

Right off the bat I'll say that while I did enjoy this book, I personally found his previous horror novel (Camp Damascus) to be more up my alley, but that's not to say that this one was bad (it wasn't!). I think this one actually has a higher goodreads rating, so go figure. Now, I enjoyed this book, I really did, and I can honestly say I was never 100% sure where things were going (as in they kept me guessing), so kudos to Tingle for that. There were also so many things about it that were important. Elements of AI, intellectual property, and talks of art and artists, elements of queer erasure and tragedy. All of it was great. And there were honestly some gross/terrifying scenes here. I think my main issue was that it just seemed slightly disconnected and the ending was a little too...easily resolved I guess. I feel like we got this whole big bad thing happening and the climax was just slightly anti-climactic. Again, these are just my thoughts, and I do think there are so many things in this book that are great. I'll probably re-read it at some point too, just to see if knowing where it's all going will change how I look at it. Either way though, I will be very happy to recommend this book to just about any horror fan out there, and I am so glad to see another Tingle horror book on the market. I've also read there will be at least three more coming in the future, and I can't tell you how pleased I am about this. Tingle not only proves that love is real, but that weird horror stories can say important things, and all of his work should be taken seriously.

This is in my top 5 of the year. Absolutely phenomenal. The horror novel that everyone should read. Witty. Humorous. And full of nuance, it's a breath of fresh air. I hope Chuck Tingle keeps writing these for the buckaroos

Thank you for the arc Tor

The amazing Chuck Tingle does it again!! I love his previous tinglers, but this is just a whole different level.

An absolute masterpiece that proves love is real and the validity of the queer experience. This was some of the most unnerving violence I have read to date and I couldn’t stop reading any of it. (The broken don stuff was just INSANE). I also thought the AI angle was incredibly well thought out and clever. (As well as horrifying). Now, the Asexual representation, Tara was probably hands down my FAVORITE thing about this entire novel. (I mean, there was an awful lot I loved) but EVERYTHING about Tara just felt like a warm hug and someone I fiercely love, look up to and admire. I hope everyone has a Tara in their life. Once again, Bless Chuck for giving us another novel so authentic and unabashedly queer and full of queer authenticity, struggles and joy.

I liked this very much - the satire is sharp, the horror plot really works, etc. I did like Camp Damascus more, I have to say - this seems just a bit less polished. I still enjoyed it and will absolutely recommend it, though.

I love Chuck Tingle and hes an amazing writer who tells important stories. The setting of this particular book just wasn't for me. I'm not really interested in Hollywood and/or screenwriting.

This will be a great story for some people, just not for me.

Very readable, creepy but not too scary. And an unexpectedly interesting storyline around AI and film.

Are you looking for a queer, campy horror novel about queer, campy 1990's horror films?

Boy, oh, boy- do I have a book for you!

While Camp Damascus was much more in line with my typical genres (i.e. my recent journey into science fiction/magical realism exploring religious trauma), this book was a joyous romp through Hollywood and the film industry's allergies to non-performative allyship.

Now, don't get me wrong. This is a horror novel. There is gore and violence and tragic, bloody deaths for many, many characters. But there is also a kernel of hope in this novel that only Chuck Tingle knows how to plant in these sort of stories. Despite everything, there's a lot of hope in this book.

If you love outlandish but soulful horror novels, look no further. I've got a rec for you.

I enjoyed Chuck Tingle's Camp Damascus last year, and was eager to give Bury Your Gays a read. To my pleasant surprise, I enjoyed it even more than I did Camp Damascus. Tingle does an excellent job building the glamorously superficial Hollywood our screenwriter protagonist Misha inhabits. The underlying threat of the movie monsters Misha created coming to life dovetails beautifully with flashback vignettes to his younger years, showing how the traumas of navigating adolescence as a queer youth contributed directly to the horror cinema he creates as an adult. These elements add depth to what's already a compelling sci-fi horror romp, as the sinister machinations of the Hollywood establishment set the stage for a battle between creativity and profit, setting up one of the core themes of the story: is art something worthwhile for its own sake, or is it merely another product to be commodified and exploited?

Chuck Tingle absolutely has surprised me in his venture into horror novels. I loved Camp Damascus and I loved Bury Your Gays as well. I appreciate that they aren't overly gory and still keep you guessing. I enjoy the "easter eggs" that he puts in his stories. I also love that there is so much in each story that people can easily relate to. I'll be pushing for all my patrons to be reading his novels going forward. Even the spicy ones!

Misha’s Hollywood dreams take a dark turn when he's nominated for an Oscar, only to face a studio demand to kill off gay characters in his series to boost ratings. When he refuses, he becomes a target, both from industry retaliation and nightmarish creatures reminiscent of his horror film past. Now, he must navigate these dangers and confront his own haunted past to save himself and his future.

What a book! I LOVED Camp Damascus, and so I was extremely excited for Bury Your Gays, and I was not disappointed. Chuck Tingle is one to watch!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced review copy.

I’ve been interested in Chuck Tingle’s other traditionally published book, Camp Damascus, but ended up reading this one first based on the intriguing summary. This was a fun and campy queer horror story. It comments a lot on this like coming out stories, trauma, the film industry, queer characters in media, and more. I thought Misha’s story was quite interesting, although the side characters like his boyfriend and best friend felt kind of flat to me. I also felt like some of the commentary was a little on the nose at times. I also had a hard time staying invested towards the end. This book had a really interesting premise but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I think others who enjoy horror stories or queer stories should still give it a try though.

Chuck Tingle follows up his horror debut CAMP DAMASCUS with BURY YOUR GAYS, a clever, funny, and hopeful queer horror centered around a closeted Hollywood screenwriter. The horror elements of this were really excellent, and I also loved the meta element of the main character being a horror screenwriter. The plot was propulsive and pacy, and I didn’t want to put it down once I picked it up (I think I read the whole thing over the course of two days).

I did wish that the side characters had felt a little more fully fleshed out, especially the main character’s significant other – he was present throughout the book and important to the plot, but never felt like a totally realized character.

Overall, a great read, and I look very much forward to Tingle’s continued forays into horror!

Chuck Tingle delivers a delightful and thought-provoking tale in "Bury Your Gays." With his unique blend of humor and heartfelt moments, Tingle tackles important themes while keeping readers thoroughly entertained. The characters are vibrant and the story is both engaging and meaningful. A must-read for fans of Tingle’s work and anyone looking for a fresh take on LGBTQ+ themes in fiction.

Queer horror about media? I’m obsessed!

Misha has finally “made it” in Hollywood—his short film is nominated for an Oscar, and the season finale of his show is gearing up to finally deliver the queer love story he always longed to see on television. At least, that’s the plan, until the studio executives for his show call him in and tell him that he needs to “bury your gays"—i.e. kill off his gay characters after they come out in the show, because their algorithms say that’s what will do best in the ratings. When Misha refuses, he starts being followed, then hunted by familiar characters—characters straight out of his own horror creations. As Misha tries to figure out what’s happening, he has to confront his own past horrors in the process, or risk being buried too.

❤️ What I loved: Conceptually, this is such a cool book about queer media and queer identity wrapped up in a classic horror story. The writing is excellent, the plot is great, and the story keeps you hooked until the very end. Misha, our main character, resonated so much with me in how he was trying to navigate his identity personally and publicly. What I might love most is how hopeful this horror novel is—you aren’t just caught up in the mystery, but you’re really pulling for the characters and want the best for them.

I would recommend this book to so many people. It’s a must-read for lovers of horror, especially queer horror, and really for anyone queer in general. I’ve been following Chuck Tingle’s work for a while now, and I cannot wait to see what he does next.

**Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4.5-5)**

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Chuck Tingle, and Tor Publishing, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

While Chuck Tingle has a very prolific bibliography, Bury Your Gays is his second (relatively) mainstream novel. Its queer horror plot follows semi-closeted Hollywood screenwriter Misha Byrne as he struggles against studio executive orders: kill the lesbian romance arc he has been writing for his leads or enact the titular trope--bury his gays. Misha's refusal to do so sets off a drastic, terrifying chain reaction that only he can fight, which forces him to face his own demons along the way.

One of the strengths of this book is its social commentary. Like many spec fic genres, horror is often more than meets the eye. In this case, Tingle explores themes of AI in the film/TV industry, recent strikes (especially related to streaming rights), queerbaiting, and corporate greed. He also discusses the limitations and failures of corporate "representation" initiatives, and the nebulous boundaries between art, artist, IP, and copyright legalities. In these areas, Tingle does well, his message clear and the meta references entertaining without detracting from the main story.

Misha, the protagonist, is by necessity also the most fleshed-out character in the book. By exploring his creations, the reader better understands him, via pivotal moments in his life. However, the balance of his closeted childhood and successful queer passion of adulthood doesn't quite work for me--there doesn't seem to be much left in his hometown to return to, so who cares what they think about his sexual orientation? If he's out in LA, where he currently lives, can't he just embrace his present, rather than linger on the past? (The stakes here might make more sense if his mother had more than a passing role in the story.) In addition, while the prominent side characters--loyal boyfriend Zeke and aro ace tech genius Tara--have distinguishing characteristics, their personalities fall a bit flat and their roles diminish in such a way that it feels like such a shame not to explore them further, especially in contrast to Misha's circular struggles.

As for the major plot twist of the book, while the social commentary was effective, I'm not sure my disbelief was fully suspended for the execution. While the terror and uncertainty of real-life parallels is certainly there, the form this question takes in the book feels a little far-fetched with current technology. Then again, all this may be more meaningful to a reader who is more familiar than I am with the intricacies and transactional politics of Hollywood. There is enough context to bring in an introductory-level reader, but more background knowledge of recent events would probably improve the experience. That said, especially given the screenwriting aspect and the visual description of the monsters, this would be very fun to see adapted for film/TV/streaming.

I am so ready for the continuation of the Chuck Tingle Horror Universe. If you’re not a horror gay like me, then you need to give Bury Your Gays and Camp Damascus a try. Bury Your Gays is a horror story, but it's also a queer empowerment story, and in the current state of the world, this story is good medicine.

The story begins with a Hollywood screenwriter tasked with killing off the queer leads in his TV show by faceless network execs. When he refuses, he finds himself being stalked by the monsters he created in his past horror films. When the fictional monsters start to draw real blood, it becomes a race against the clock to find out where they came from and how to stop them.

This is a feel-good horror story, and it will expand the boundaries of what you think a horror story can be. I hope that Chuck Tingle will inspire other writers to take the queer undertones in horror and turn them into overtones.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.