Damn, this was so sick and twisted! Truly horrifying and weirdly addictive. I read this in one sitting!
Even the two other stories were AMAZING and left me speechless by the end of the book.

Dark and twisted stories. I rather enjoy all of them even when the took a weird turn. Not sure if it’s one I’m likely to say you have to read it but it was a good short read.

First of all I usually hate short stories but these are more like novellas. I devoured this book in one sitting and I really did not want this book to end. Yes it is that good!!!!
My favourite is What have you done to deserve your eyes, and it all started with an apple peeler. I have cringed many times while reading this book and have even felt physically sick. Gross, disturbing and seriously not for the squeamish. I have found a new author author and I can't wait to read more from this sick, twisted, devious mind of this very talented author.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

I love this book. I really want him to come out with more like this. Finished it in one day. Couldn't stop reading!!

The original novella release of Eric LaRocca’s “Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke,” was my first experience of the author. I listened to the audiobook edition, and, despite the odd formatting, a story told through private messages and chat room conversations, that performance was, at first odd and casual, and then spiraled into a very unexpected, very dark place. On the surface, it’s a story of manipulation and desperation, but as is the case with most fiction based on deeper themes, it’s a microcosm of the human desire to be recognized, and loved, to please another and have them reciprocate. It’s also a mirror of the darker truth that this sort of shared devotion is rare, and often fleeting. LaRocca, of course, takes it to its extreme, and just far enough beyond that extreme to be certain you will never forget to be certain you have done all that you can to earn your eyes.

This new collection adds two vastly different tales to that novella, “The Enchantment,” a story of yearning for an empty faith, isolation, and again, desperation, as a lonely woman fights the world, her husband, and other powers for something she can’t quite understand, but craves with all her soul… if she has one? This story is dark in different way from the first, much more sedate in its delivery, which makes the darkness insidiously sneaky.

The final story of the three, “You’ll Find it’s Like that all Over,” has a similar theme, but again, from a new angle. People want to be part of a bigger whole, to ‘get along,’ and be accepted. The protagonist of this story is caught in an unhealthy relationship – his husband is a racist, and his neighbor is foreign, and stand-offish. His attempt to befriend that neighbor politely (if not all that sincerely) lands him in a very strange place, and an even stranger state of mind. This one is full of twists and turns, but again, not the swan dive into emotional discomfort you get from “Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke,” or the author’s other novella, “You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood.” It is filled with clever tests and conversation with underlying meaning.

The sense one gets from reading all three is of a strong literary voice with range. It would have been easy to try and mirror the style of the first novella, but instead the author has provided two deeply thoughtful, memorable, and intriguing stories that will take readers by surprise and leave them thinking. Highly recommended.

This story collection is unique and made me think. I like that the author went to some strange places and think as a whole it was interesting. I would be interested in more by this author.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke was a favorite novella of mine last year. It's weird, and disturbing which are both right up my alley.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes is the same novella but with two extra stories making this little anthology a strange little book. As always, Eric LaRocca has some of the best covers ever and his stories always get me thinking. For this one in particular, all three came down to the same point, we all want to be loved and feel something and it can drive you mad, make you do crazy things, be a huge POS, etc. I think for me, the last one was my favorite.

Go into it blind, let it make you reflect. It's strange and sad, so don't expect a happily ever after, but maybe take a bit of insight with you. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy. Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes will be published next month.

This body horror wrecked me from beginning to end in the best way. The first (and titular) story is the one that has stayed with me the most and despite knowing that it was a queer body horror short story and even a couple plot points from colleagues who had already read it, it still rocked my bones. I found the following two stories good, but as impactful as the titular one

I really like the first story (although I wish we had gotten a bit more at the end. The second story was also good until the twist and then I really didn't like it. I wish it had just stuck to something more psychological. The third story was just bad and I don't know why it was included. I didn't get anything out of it.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca @hystericteeth

I received an advance eARC through @netgalley for an honest review.

Wow, what a treat these horrific short stories were! This was my first time reading LaRocca and I was not disappointed. This collections contains 3 short stories: Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, The Enchantment and You'll Find It's Like That All Over are all bite-sized #horrorstories that deal with themes such as: how far someone will go for someone they love and how people use religion in order to hold on to the past.

One thing I loved about these stories was the #queerrepresentation and issues facing queer couples today. I particularly enjoyed Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, which is about a lesbian online couple and the story is told through correspondence between instant messenger and email. The story unravels as you slowly see what one woman will do for the other, and the sadistic side of the other.

Overall, this was a delight and a must read for spooky season. Thank you @netgalley and @titanbooks for giving me an advance copy to review, I really enjoyed it!

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Available 9/6/2022

#booksta #instabook #thingshavegottenworsesincewelastspokeandothermisfortunes #netgalley #arc #bookreview #bookrecs #horrorbookstagram #ericlarocca #reader #readersofinstagram #igreads #horrorcommunity #horrorstories #horrorbook #horroraddict #horrorlover #scarystories #scary #scarybooks #halloweenseason #spookystories #spookyseason

I heard a lot about the title story 'Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke' and was very interested to check it out. 'Things...' has a pressing and irritating tone, which evokes a sense of dread. From the very beginning it has a very eerie tone to it and I enjoyed how only through mails and chats the story explores a downward spiral of characers and a relationship in ways that are truly disturbing. The story left me disgusted and horrified, which is something I definitely want from horror.
In comparison I didn't appreciate 'Enchantment', the second story, to be more blunt. I think it would've worked better for me, if it were a longer story or a novella.
'You'll Find It's Like that All Over' was also great, just too short for my taste.
All the stories carry a certain uneasiness, that made the reading experience great from the start. The title story really was the most intriguing one and almost overshadows the others, but they're still worth reading.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca, a collection of three short horror stories is a quick read that evokes many different emotions while you make your way through them. While the stories vary in their degree of unsettling horror, all three work well together to make your skin crawl.
Please find attached a full review posted on my YouTube channel.

Wow, is the first thing that comes to mind after reading this collection of stories. Despite each of the stories being rather different, they still all felt as though they belonged in the same anthology.

LaRocca certainly isn't scared to go to places most horror authors would only dream of, especially within the titular story Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, the way things devolved into madness between Agnes and Zoe was so clever with one major twist I didn't expect. Their whole relationship was done so well too; I think it could be argued that if they were two normal people, Agnes' devotion to Zoe would be unnatural, but given the obvious lack of mental wellbeing with the pair, LaRocca instead makes it the obvious path they should take - it would have had less impact of their relationship developed more slowly in my opinion.

Finally, I'm sure this particular line will feature in many reviews, but I've got to say it myself that "what have you done today to deserve your eyes?" could really become one of the iconic lines of 21st century horror. It's just so creepy I've not been able to get that line out of my head since I read it.

The only thing that fell short for me was I felt as though the story ended just a little bit abruptly; not in a way that was wholly dissatisfying, but in a way where it felt like maybe 5-10 more pages at the end could have just made the end feel a bit more solid.

As for the other two stories, I preferred The Enchantment; it was a terrifying read that really dug deep into some universal fears humanity has within them in regard to unanswerable questions. You'll Find It's Like That All Over was still a good read, but the weakest of the stories, possibly due to its short length. I feel like had the order of the stories been reversed, the book would have felt a bit less like it fizzled out at the end.

Overall though, I thoroughly enjoyed this trio of stories -- Eric LaRocca is an author I think we should all be keeping an eye on in the future, and I can't wait to read more of their work.

Review to be published on various platforms in September, per publisher request.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes is a set of three short stories. All three stories, the titular THGWSWLS, The Enchantment and You’ll Find It’s Like That All Over contain strong themes worth discussing such as insecurity, human interaction, misfortune, acceptance, and as stated in the afterword, the need to believe in something. LaRocca’s style of horror is serious. Their work is drowning with the disdain for human life, and yet, supercharged with characters that long to be accepted.

Although this collection fell to a neutral place for me, LaRocca’s work is intriguing nonetheless. I am consistently on their radar, but find myself falling short of 5 stars. Regardless of rating, I will continue to pick up their work for things I do not find in other’s writing, such as queer character representation, nihilistic and disturbing concepts and for a story that possesses a chilling bleakness. (and for the longest book titles!)


Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, review originally published in 2021. 3.75/5.
THGWSWLS is centered around two women meeting on an internet chat board in the early 2000s, from the sale of an apple peeler, to a disturbing sadomasochist relationship.

This story is told in an epistolary style, which personally worked for me. I found the dialogue to be easily readable, engaging …and like a car accident. I couldn’t peel my eyes away. (lol) This is powerfully disturbing for those who enjoy body horror.

I found the characters to be flat and unnaturally serious. Unnaturally serious would be a perfect way for me to describe this novella as a whole. Through the dialogue of chatrooms, dms and emails it’s obvious that the communication SHOULD be succinct, transactional, brief and dry, but I think that it transcended not only the format, but the characters themselves. The story was shocking, but the characters didn’t act like people behind their screens.

The Enchantment 2/5.
A couple finds themselves on a remote island during the furious oceanic winter of the Midatlantic in an attempt to find peace after their son’s death. A young man knocks on their door looking for salvation from the impending storm, causing the parents to question everything.

This story starts with stigmata, trails into a gorgeous, blustering setting and ends at a place of spiritual desperation. I found The Enchantment to be interesting, specifically highlighting the power of the opening scenes… but there were too many elements in this story taking us from point A to point B. I wish the elements of spirituality were the focal point, as opposed to The Shining style caretaking pieces.


You’ll Find It’s Like That All Over 3.25/5.
Do you like to gamble? A man confronts his neighbor after finding a bone in his backyard, only to be coerced into a game of chance.

This story is the shortest of the collection, with arguably the strongest concept. I would like more built into this story’s universe.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am glad to see that this is getting a release through traditional publishing means, as it has been a highly requested title in my shop. The POD initial release of Things Have Gotten Worse was something of a viral gross-out sensation, and should be understood as horror before wading in. Not my cup of tea, literarily, I think it is a collection that will move among edgier teens with reverance.

I read the first story and, admittedly, was so grossed out I couldn't continue. So, that's kind of a compliment.

This was a collection of three short horror stories. I’ve been chasing the high of reading Scary Stories to Read in the Dark as a kid for my entire adult life, so I’ve always been really excited when I get my hands on a horror anthology. Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me with all three of the stories. The level of body horror and animal abuse in the first story was just kind of brutality-porn - it didn’t actually serve the plot at all and instead just made me skip big chunks of it. The second and third stories were better on those fronts, but they were both pretty rushed and not very cohesively written. None of these stories were actually scary, they were just disturbing for the sake of being disturbing.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes is a collection of three horror novellas including the virally famous titular story. In the first story, set on the internet in the early 2000s, two women are caught in a strange interplay despite never meeting. In the second, a couple end up on a remote island after the death of their son, where they are plagued by a strange young man, and in the final, shorter story, a man ends up in a confrontation with his reclusive neighbour.

I've been wanting to read 'Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke' for a long time as a horror fan who loves fiction set over the internet and thinking about the internet of the past, and it didn't disappoint. The format of telling the story through posts, emails, and instant messages, with a few mysterious redacted comments, worked well to show the actual relationship between the two women and leave you guessing what each of them actually wanted. The horror in the story is more underlying and uncertain (though there is a couple of gory bits too), and I liked how it had the vibe of an internet urban legend.

The two "other misfortunes", aka the two shorter stories that follow, are quite different, though in the afterward LaRocca does explain the logic behind bringing them together in their representations of humans needing connections. The middle story has slightly The Shining vibes in terms of setup, and had an interesting engagement with religion and belief (and felt like you could adapt it into a film quite well). The final story is shortest and is quite straightforward, though with some intriguing undercurrents like the protagonist's never seen racist husband he doesn't think he'll stay with. Overall, I enjoyed these less than the title story, though I think a lot of that is because I'm just particularly interested in the internet angle of that one.

This is well worth reading given the hype around the title story, particularly if you're interested in how people connect over the internet and some of the horror potential for that, and I do like the novella format for horror that isn't a full length thing. Also, it is just a great title.

[2.5]

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes was a collection that I was highly anticipating. I'm fairly new to the horror genre, and while this was a pacey read that I inhaled within a mere couple of days, there were a few things that just missed the mark for me and what I expected.

This is a collection of 3 short stories, each interlaced with themes about intense desire for connection. My general notes is that I enjoyed the pace and that this book was a fast, easy read, but wasn't a fan of the writing style - each written differently, but none of it felt fluid and I wish it was written with a bit more 'show don't tell'. Understanding that this is a work of fiction, there were still so many events that were just unbelievable to the point I took the rest of the story with a grain of salt.

- Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke -
Most engaging, most grotesque. This left me squeamish and at loss for words. The relationship between Agnes and Zoe went from 0 to 100 super quick and I found it tricky to feel anything towards the characters themselves. I found the email/IM storytelling device super interesting and I enjoyed it, however, the language between the two formats differ so greatly it was hard to hear the voice of each character.

The twist towards the end was definitely great and unexpected.

- The Enchantment -
You know when something is just so unbelievable it's almost laughable? Yeah that's where I went with this one when the story had its first major arc. I feel like context is missing, and the whole story felt rushed. Chemistry between the characters didn't feel genuine. This was my least favourite of the three.

- You'll Find It's Like That All Over -
Short, snappy, to the point. Got the message really clearly! Again with the believability, it didn't seem like a normal thing for Mr Fowler to go through with all of what he did with such a high concern to be polite? Maybe more backstory and context could've helped here.

Overall, not a terrible read if you're looking for something pacey, but don't think it was anything super memorable.

Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for an ARC of this book!!

Julia Lloyd’s cover art might have been what brought me here in the first place but I was sucked in by each of the three stories included in this collection.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke

Over the course of three months, Agnes and Zoe exchanged a series of emails and instant messages. This redacted communication give you unprecedented access to their relationship, which continually ups the ante in its toxicity. It’s compelling and cringey and unsettling, and I couldn’t look away. And to think, this all happened because of an apple peeler.

“What have you done today to deserve your eyes?”

The Enchantment

Parents grieving the loss of their son become winter caretakers on an island. A knock at the door changes everything.

“I’m here to share a message”

You’ll Find It’s Like That All Over

Mr. Fowler finds something in his backyard that shouldn’t be there. His discovery leads him to his neighbour’s home, where the stakes are raised.

“But I bet you’d fancy another bet.”

I flew through this book. While I wish there were more stories included, I enjoyed all three. There’s a common theme of connection and some very memorable scenes of body horror.

The son’s manner of death in The Enchantment didn’t seem physically possible but, because it fit with one of the themes of the story, I wasn’t overly concerned about the question marks that popped up over my head when I read about it.

The story that’s going to stay with me the longest is Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, especially the scene describing Agnes’ dinner. I definitely want to read more books by this author.

Content warnings include mention of child abuse, death by suicide, death of animals, homophobia, miscarriage, racism and suicidal ideation. Readers with emetophobia may have trouble with some scenes.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this collection. I’m rounding up from 4.5 stars.