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.

Camp Damascus is arguably one of my favorite books of all time, so Bury Your Gays did have a lot to live up to in my eyes. Chuck Tingle’s messaging and characters mean so much to me that no matter the plot of his horror books I will be picking them up always and forever. I love his descriptions of gore and horror and how well he balances them with such relatable emotions and struggles his characters face. With all that being said I just didn’t love the plot of this one as much as Camp Damascus purely because I have never really enjoyed a ‘Hollywood’ story (this is the only time I’ve remotely enjoyed it again because of the messaging) and I also am not a huge fan of dual timelines (but I can’t fault the book because it wraps up so nicely you need the multi timelines). But that’s okay this wasn’t my ‘perfect’ book but they can’t all be I still greatly enjoyed it and will be clawing my way to reading whatever Chuck Tingle publishes next! Would HIGHLY recommend especially if the plot sounds interesting to you.

High-impact Queer Horror with heart • Spoiler-free review.
Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group / Tor Nightfire for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

An exuberant triumph that cuts close to the bone.
Bury Your Gays transported me back to Hollywood. It pinballed me through encounters with monsters, betrayals, and awakenings. The novel’s gut-punch real moments and outright fun captivated me.

Half-closeted screenwriter Misha Byrne is on the rise. Until he's ordered to kill off his lead characters.

An odd sighting at the beginning creates a creeping uneasiness. It heightened my sense of unsettling instances beyond the book. Tingle creates fresh, harrowing scenes. Deftly cartoonish splatter, gritty violence, and nightmare-worthy monsters hit perfect notes.

The book reaches a thriller pace with escalating attacks and lives at stake. I stayed up late, unable to stop reading until I finished it.

A few of my favorite things:
• Misha’s point of view. He’s unassuming, natural, has heart, insecurities, and relatable troubles.

• Kindness, empathy, and courage.
Death matters and Misha is loyal. His journey goes deeper than I expected.

• The diverse and memorable cast of characters.
Misha's supportive bonds with his savvy ace friend Tara and calm boyfriend Zeke make me long for a series.

• The script and Inspirations sections.
The cinematicquality and raw emotions yanked me into the roots of fear. Memories and monsters became so vivid I could see and hear them.

Tingle's exquisite novel made my month. I’m more excited about gay fiction than I’ve been in years.

Bury Your Gays stands apart as glorious literary and speculative fiction. Chuck Tingle has given us a true and enduring love letter.

With his sophomore horror novel, Bury Your Gays, the follow-up to his smash mainstream debut Camp Damascus, Chuck Tingle has hit another home run.Tingle has been an internet sensation for around a decade for self-publishing his weird, queer homoerotic stories with titles like Pounded In The Butt By My Own Butt and Bisexually Banged By These Sentient Plastic Easter Eggs Who Eat Me Out From Both Sides While I’m In a Standing Position Which Is a Pretty Cool Move. In 2022, he made his mainstream debut with Camp Damascus, a horror novel about a gay conversion therapy camp. It blew my hair back when I read it. And I’m bald. So when I got the opportunity to review his latest work, Bury Your Gays, I was thrilled.The novel tells the story of Misha, a jaded Hollywood scriptwriter who is at a high point in his career. A short film he made is nominated for an Oscar, and his TV show, Travelers, is a hit. But when Misha is about to out the two main characters of his show as gay, he’s told he has to kill them “for the algorithm”. Faced with a choice, Misha suddenly becomes stalked/haunted by characters he created, and he, his boyfriend, and his best friend are all in a lot of danger.

Bury Your Gays is gripping from the very first chapter. Tingle creates not only some genuinely scary moments, but a mystery readers will absolutely want to know the answer to. Along the way, he also weaves in Misha’s backstory, emotionally explaining why our protagonist lives his life semi-closeted, and why it means so much to him to out his characters and keep them alive. I do my reading at night, before I go to sleep, and I found myself having trouble putting the book down to be a responsible adult and get enough sleep. It’s been a bit since I read a book I was mad to put down to do other things. I just wanted to burn through it. I had to know what happened next.

The thing I loved the most about the writing in this novel is that Tingle manages to address so many societal issues in one tale so deftly. He addresses not only the way that Hollywood stories treat the LGBTQ+ community but AI, corporate greed, data privacy, creating art for “the algorithm”, and even the phenomenon of people having freakouts on airplanes. Seems like a lot when written out like that, but it never seems anything less than natural and part of the story. A truly remarkable feat.

Bury Your Gays is a shining example of horror holding a mirror up to society and showing the ugly parts. It’s tense, gripping, scary, emotional, and, in the end, triumphant. Definitely put this one on your summer reading list.

The perfect queer horror book for the summer if you love gore and psychological horror in tandem with your queer love, confusion and success. People die, Pride survives.

This book had a somewhat slow start to it, but after reading the last book ' Camp Damascus' I knew that once events started I would get really into it. Of course, I was right. The slowness at the beginning of the book perfectly sets the scene for the sudden and horrific escalations, and the slow moments in between strike just the right tension for what could possibly be waiting around the corner.

I loved the way the way the Hollywood setting allowed Tingle to address so many things regarding the film industry and queer stories.

Misha is a protagonist that I at times rooted for, and at times just wondered what the fuck was going on. I feel there was a fun and necessary subversion of some of the stories that I expected Misha to tell, while others felt true to form. It felt like it nailed the idea that everyone's story is different, even if you share similarities. I loved figuring out Misha's story throughout the book, though I at times found the transitions between flashbacks and present jarring. All the characters are interesting and real throughout, and there are moments that you feel will be more consequential that just kind of fade away afterwards, as Misha moves on, because Misha built those moments up to be more than they actually were.

Being really into queer horror I enjoyed Misha's profession and view on his work, and thought it was very fun that Misha was in essence being haunted by himself, and the stories that he chose to tell. When everything comes to a head so many things make so much sense and yet, as always it is the working of the outside factors that is 10 times as terrifying, even if they're on your side. Read it, enjoy it, this one's definitely gay.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I've been a fan of chuck tingle since his Space Raptor Butt Invasion days and have been immensely enjoying his journey into horror novels. I enjoyed Camp Damascus, but I loved this one so much more. The premise was such fun and the things the book had to say about the only queer tragedy or queer joy stories being allowed was so on point and cutting. The last few lines were absolutely pitch perfect.. I ascended. I've already recommended this one (and I've been hyped about it since it was announced, but wow!). Super excited to add a physical copy to my shelf when it comes out. As always, Chuck Tingle out here proving love is real.

I didnt actually finish it because it was too scary, but I think liked the beginning. Horror fans will probably enjoy it.

I loved this book. It has some meta horror elements, a touch of cosmic horror, and so much Hollywood. While navigating the bad guys he created, Misha explores being gay in today's society and how Hollywood magnifies it. He also deals with his past in hopes to save his future and his friends. There were so many times while reading that I had to stop and audibly say "awesome." Lots of fun, but perfectly serious where it needs to be.

Full body shudder! This one is extra super creepy but it is also full of love...it's relentless but also heartwarming...

A fun, engaging romp of a horror novel! Chuck Tingle never ceases to intrigue me. He gets better with each horror, so even when I have minor problems with things, I feel like I'm seeing tangible growth. You can tell he writes comedy first, in that way that Jordan Peele's horror understands comedic relief and timing. I think comic writers should always transition into horror– they always know how to make things terrifying, absurd while building up the right suspense to lead to that epic moment of release.

OH MY GOD! Seriously, this was incredible. Tingle is such a stellar author and I can't imagine that any other could pull off this story so successfully. This is a must-buy for our library and will be promoting it during reader's advisory for sure.

This was such an AMAZING book. The opening premise of a writer who is being pushed to kill off his queer characters quickly turns into a creepy adventure into the difficulties of small town life and the dark sides of the film industry. We watch as a character is truly haunted by homophobia of his upbringing as well as the true haunts that were inspired by his upbringing.

This book solidified Chuck Tingle as an auto-buy author for me!