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A review by screamdogreads
Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle
4.0
"It's fitting, really. Los Angeles is a beautiful place, and for the lucky few who can make it work here that splendor can last. But most of the hopefuls who leap from their Greyhound buses with fresh-faced excitement are not as fortunate. When the cold black waves of disappointment come crashing over them, the beauty fades quick."
Bury Your Gays is a trope based book which leans, funnily enough, into examining the "Bury your gays" trope. On the surface of it, it sounds like it would be a rather bleak and grim book, but, in reality, it's a whole barrel of fun. Chuck Tingle who is known for his less than serious books, delivers something striking, masterful and full of heart with this novel. As a piece of horror literature, Bury Your Gays is fantastic - it refuses to shy away from its scares, but it's also able to be so much more than that. It shines an intense light on queer representation in media, examines corporate greed and the race for ratings, and even delves into discussions of AI ethics, all without ever overshadowing the horror part of the novel.
Everything in this novel is so perfectly blended together, which results in a thought-provoking, smart yet intensely creepy and actually scary story. Not only is Bury Your Gays an absolute blast, soaked in a glorious, neon glow L.A. ambiance, it's also a heartfelt and soul shattering story of queer erasure. Chuck Tingle is, clearly, a seriously talented writer. The horror of the entire thing is absolutely brutal, at times grotesque and always frightening. It's just such an immersive and entertaining thrill-ride, and makes for an ultra engaging read. What a wild juxtaposition it is, to be thrust amongst heart-racing moments of terror, murder and plenty of gore, while also being forced to reckon with the cutthroat nature of online media.
Bury Your Gays is a trope based book which leans, funnily enough, into examining the "Bury your gays" trope. On the surface of it, it sounds like it would be a rather bleak and grim book, but, in reality, it's a whole barrel of fun. Chuck Tingle who is known for his less than serious books, delivers something striking, masterful and full of heart with this novel. As a piece of horror literature, Bury Your Gays is fantastic - it refuses to shy away from its scares, but it's also able to be so much more than that. It shines an intense light on queer representation in media, examines corporate greed and the race for ratings, and even delves into discussions of AI ethics, all without ever overshadowing the horror part of the novel.
Everything in this novel is so perfectly blended together, which results in a thought-provoking, smart yet intensely creepy and actually scary story. Not only is Bury Your Gays an absolute blast, soaked in a glorious, neon glow L.A. ambiance, it's also a heartfelt and soul shattering story of queer erasure. Chuck Tingle is, clearly, a seriously talented writer. The horror of the entire thing is absolutely brutal, at times grotesque and always frightening. It's just such an immersive and entertaining thrill-ride, and makes for an ultra engaging read. What a wild juxtaposition it is, to be thrust amongst heart-racing moments of terror, murder and plenty of gore, while also being forced to reckon with the cutthroat nature of online media.
"Raymond's body was obliterated by the falling piano, but in the blended pulp of his meat, fat, and bones a few notable pieces remained. The man's lower jaw was right there sitting in the mess, tongue still attached but torn awkwardly to the side like some silly cartoon expression. His forearm and hand were visible, too, highlighted in the sea of red by some strange yellowish liquid that slowly pooled across the pavement."
This is a true horror readers' novel - it's almost, a love letter to the genre. Despite the strong social commentary, Chuck Tingle delivers the scares and shows off everything that's so brilliant about the genre. The sheer quality of this novel is an absolute delight, this is the new age of Queer Horror. Bury Your Gays is simply one of those novels that deserves to be read, it deserves to be experienced. While it is an entertaining read it also feels like a deeply personal sort of novel, at times, feeling almost self reflective. It's a book that does, and delivers a lot, it's a deeply moving, incredible, absolutely brilliant piece of horror literature.
"The most unusual thing about The Smoker, however, are his eyes. He has no eyebrows, nor eyelids, and therefore his expression is hauntingly difficult to read. He can't blink - because there's nothing to blink with - and his gaze feels like it cuts right through you, directly into your soul. "