Dark, unsettling and wickedly funny, Acquired Taste by Clay McLeod Chapman is a wild ride. I love a good short story collection that I can really sink my teeth into and this one definitely delivered!
For a bit of a more in depth, spoiler free review please check out my YouTube review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiAAuRtFl2o

Acquired Taste by Clay McLeod Chapman is a sharp, unsettling little gem that blends body horror with biting social commentary. Chapman takes the familiar and makes it grotesque, weaving in themes of consumption, vanity, and the ways we literally and figuratively devour one another. The pacing is tight, the imagery is vivid in a way that sticks under your skin, and the ending lands with a punch. It’s weird, queasy, and addictive—the kind of story that makes you both squirm and keep turning the page.

Acquired Taste collects a plethora of Clay McLeod Chapman's short fiction. While some of them contain the more subdued or subtle horror of his first three novels, many of the others are not for the squeamish. They'll make you squirm with the myriad grotesqueries and uncomfortable situations Chapman seems to relish in spilling forth on the page. His excellent prose and story telling prowess keep you reading no matter how much discomfort you feel (well, except for one story I just couldn't bring myself to finish). While I had read a few of the tales before, the majority were new to me, though my favorites remain "Stay on the Line" and "Knockoffs," both of which I already owned.

I love Chapman's stuff. He is amazing at novella length, great at novel length, and good at short story length.

There were a few standout stories in here, but I think I'd recommend all of his other work over this one

Dark, weird, and razor-sharp, Acquired Taste is one of those collections that lingers long after you’ve finished it. Clay McLeod Chapman balances horror with heart in a way that’s unsettling and strangely beautiful. These stories dig into modern anxieties—parenthood, media, isolation—and twist them into something grotesque but familiar. Some will make you laugh nervously, others will just make you squirm. If you like your horror smart, socially aware, and deeply unnerving, this is for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing an eARC of Acquired Taste prior to publication.

Great set of short stories from Clay McLeod Chapman, most of which are five-ten minute reads - a short sharp and typically unpleasant shock. Lots of body horror and a wee bit of psychological horror thrown in for good measure. There’s some repetition of theme which could perhaps have been sequenced differently but this is a minor point.
Highlights - pump and dump which feels properly nasty, all ears which is both nasty and carries a bit of psychological truth and the nocturnal gardener which was quietly touching.

A collection of short stories that, with a few exceptions, hit the mark.

As with all compilations, there are the good and the not so good, but there is something in this bundle that should please most tastes. For me, it was Pick of the Litter - short, sharp but oh so evil! The last story, Nathan Ballingrud’s Haunting Horror Recs, was the perfect ending. What horror fan wouldn’t follow their dark hero, no matter where they led?

Horror stories that are bizarre, unpredictable and downright barking mad (yes, Pump and Dump I’m talking about you!), this offering will thrill and delight, leaving the reader with perhaps more questions than answers. Read them with the spirit in which they are offered, you won’t be disappointed!

A well paced book that reads quickly, and with the tales so short it never gets boring!

Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books.

Well… this was definitely entertaining. My emotions ranged from being creeped out to asking myself what the heck is going on? This collection has 25 short stories, and like with any anthology, some stood out more than others, but a few have been rattling around in my brain ever since I finished.

“Baby Carrots” had me laughing way too hard. “Knockoffs” is one of those stories that’s both entertaining and unsettling—especially if you’re a parent. And then there’s “Pump and Dump”… seriously, what the heck, Clay? The final piece, “Nathan Ballingrud’s Haunting Horror Recs,” was the perfect ending to this bizarre, creepy, and darkly funny ride.

This was my first time reading Chapman, and I had such a blast. Acquired Taste feels like the kind of collection where everyone will find at least one story that sticks with them. It’s a perfect pick for horror newcomers who want something accessible but eerie and for seasoned horror fans who just love stories that balance creepy with entertaining chaos.

Overall vibe: Creepy, a litte funny, and unhinged in the best way.

Acquired Taste is a collection of short stories by horror author Clay McLeod Chapman, with a huge range of premises across 25 stories. The stories in the collection are mostly pretty short, never outstaying their welcome, and I liked how much they could differ, meaning that the stories don't end up getting too repetitive. There's also a mix of horror styles, from darker, more extreme horror to more bittersweet moments and satirical stories.

There were a lot of fun concepts in the stories (there's one that involves plushies similar to Labubus which is a great romp) and creepy moments (like someone hearing a crying baby in the cinema, only to realise they're alone). The only stories I found less engaging were one about civil war psychic sisters (as I'm not really a historical fiction person) and another that was presumably the precursor to CMC's recent novel Wake Up and Open Your Eyes as it felt like a slightly watered down version of part of that book, and as I've read that novel, it wasn't very exciting to read that.

The collection is great if you like punchy horror short stories, and would work as a good introduction to Clay McLeod Chapman as well. Short stories aren't always my favourite format, but this kind of well-paced, varied, doesn't-shy-away-from-being-nasty collection is what I do like.

Acquired Taste is a great collection of short weird, creepy and sometimes terrifying short stories. I think there's something for everyone is this collection. This was fast paced and I flew through it and loved every story bar one. I highly recommend.