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.

Chuck Tingle knows how to create good art. Art requires feeling and is something that can only be created by a human being. It should make you feel something. Sometimes that is a good feeling, and sometimes it isn't. Both are equally important in art.
Chuck Tingle writes an excellent story, but more importantly he knows how to write and invoke emotion.
Bury Your Gays is a story about art, representation, authenticity, lifting up your community, and overcoming trauma. I think most members of the queer community and artists of all kinds will find something to love in this book.

I’m fully convinced Chuck Tingle is a genius, y’all. And for me to say that about a MAN is… rare.

I really wanted to savor this book and I did. While completely blowing my ARC deadline. But wow, was it worth it. To fully immerse myself into BURY YOUR GAYS was a sublime experience that I’ll never forget.

First and foremost, I am completely enamored with Tingle’s writing. It’s so layered, nuanced, intentional, and highly profound. It’s also funny as all hell, devastatingly heartbreaking, and beyond intelligent. The way Tingle crafts a story, the way he tells it, his characters, all of it. A beautiful amalgamation of Tingle’s beautiful brain.

Tingle posted on Instagram, “yes, there are layers of metaphor and changes of name, but if you want to know MY personal story then read BURY YOUR GAYS. i feel it is most revealing thing i have written because it is about my life as chuck…” And that completely comes through in his writing. BURY YOUR GAYS feels incredibly personal and I believe that it will feel incredibly personal to any queer person who decides to pick it up.

I’m still in awe of all of the events that happened. Knowing how personal it is to Tingle’s own story, it adds to the intensity of everything that goes down. And trust me, a lot goes down. My mind is reeling with how on the pulse Tingle is about so many things in today’s society. (Sorry, I know this is incredibly vague but I don’t want to spoil anything). Just know that Chuck Tingle has something to say! And you’re going to want to listen.

The entire cast of characters is fantastic. Misha is an incredibly layered and fully realized MC. I genuinely feel like I know Tingle a little better, through Misha. Through all of the characters, really. Again, you can feel Tingle in every single word. I loooved Tara and adored Zeke. Thank you queer joy!

BURY YOUR GAYS is just absolute phenomenal work. Tingle is incredible. I’m so happy I read this book.

After the surprise success of last Summer’s Camp Damascus, author Chuck Tingle returns with the Hollywood-set horror Bury Your Gays, and with it solidifies himself as a major force in the genre. Mixing scenes of highly imaginative terror with commentary on the risks of runaway technology, runaway capitalism, and the value of representation in media, he has crafted a tale that will resonate strongly with those who need it most.

Screenwriter Misha has been working in Hollywood for years, toiling away writing low budget fright flicks that earned him a small following but weren’t known for making massive amounts at the box office. Now though, he has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film and is the showrunner for a hit TV series in the vein of The X-Files. While he is out of the closet in Los Angeles, his friends and family back home don’t know that he’s gay and he struggles with the idea of telling them, having dealt with some fairly serious prejudice growing up.

Wishing that he had seen more characters like him in movies and TV when he was a teenager, he has been working towards having the 2 female leads of his show fall in love, but the studio informs him that they are only okay with that if they then die tragically. He refuses, only to find himself suddenly being haunted by some of the characters he brought to the screen over the years, all of whom seem intent on killing him and anyone else who gets in their way, including his best friend Tara and doting boyfriend Zeke. Unable to let them suffer, he races to figure out what is going on and how he can stop it.

While it does tackle several serious issues, and does so surprisingly well, this is a fun read and a love letter to horror. During a visit to his class reunion, Misha gives a speech to his friends about the ways that the genre is in fact “a celebration of life” that in it itself could be used to convince detractors of the value in being scared. That being said, the monsters in the book, while highly imaginative, could have been a bit scarier themselves, with much of the book’s most tense moments occurring in the flashbacks to Misha’s youth as he struggles with intolerance among his friends and family. Very few will have dealt with some of the more extreme situations he finds himself in, but most who have struggled to come to terms with their sexuality will find the core ideas very relatable and nerve-wracking.

Misha is a very likable character who Tingle does a good job of making feel real. Most of those in his periphery don’t get filled in as well, though they are all quirky or interesting enough to be memorable regardless. The central premise may wind up being one of the year’s more out-there ideas, but it does a good job of making the recent stand that Hollywood creatives took against AI feel tangible and real. Likewise, Tingle makes a very convincing argument for the value that comes with allowing LGBTQIA+ people to see themselves represented in media. Dealing with those feelings as a young person in an often-cruel world can be a very isolating experience, and to know that you are not alone in your struggle, and that one day things will get better can be lifesaving.

This isn’t a perfect book, but it is fun, thoughtful, and unexpectedly moving. Tingle has included enough thrills to keep the pages flying by and enough poignant moments to keep the book on readers’ minds after they’ve finished reading. His usual messaging about the importance of love and kindness rings true throughout, making the morbidly titled Bury Your Gays one of the year’s most optimistic and hopeful reads. Who knew horror could be so sweet?

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for early review.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

3.5/5 stars. This is my first horror novel from Tingle, though I am a big fan of his romance and fantasy works. While I can definitely attest that this is a great novel and well-written, I unfortunately didn't have as much fun with it as I was hoping.

First thing's first, this is definitely one for the Supernatural girlies who lived through Destiel Is Canon But Only In Spanish and The Car Went to Heaven but Castiel Went to Super Hell for Being Gay. The main character's name is even Misha, how's that for coincidence. This is very clearly a critique of the common trope of "bury your gays," wherein a studio, a publisher, or any kind of media company puts out a canonically queer bombshell, only to immediately turn around and kill those queer characters. It is a "having your cake and eating it too" situation, where companies get to claim they are diverse and supportive while also not having to deal with the fallout of featuring or continuing to feature queer characters in a positive light. And as a former fan of Supernatural, I'm very familiar with the Bury Your Gays trope, as well as queerbaiting to attract or keep an audience.

Other than being a critique of the industries who utilize queerness to suit their own goals, this is a somewhat goofy, somewhat lighthearted horror novel where shit gets serious really fast at certain points. There's a strong level of gore, some triggering scenes, and an endless feeling of sliminess that comes from the execs and higher ups of the company. I think everyone who is queer knows what it's like to be utilized to serve some kind of message or goal by others.

The characters themselves aren't super appealing to me, but Misha, Zeke, and Tara work fine as horror protagonists, especially Tara, who has been preparing for the technology apocalypse since birth. The antagonists are a bit flimsy, in my opinion, but they're serving one big overarching goal, so it works out in the end.

I think my main issue and where I fell off on this one is that the heart of the conflict and the big reveal came at basically halfway through the story, and I was a bit bored for the second half because of that. The concept itself is very sci-fi or anti-sci-fi, however you'd like to look at it.

A really well done book, that just didn't quite hit the spot for me, but I appreciate this as a mainstream work of fiction and the big "fuck you" and middle finger towards commodifying queerness and queer tragedy.

This was wonderful! A fantastic Hollywood horror novel and a quality follow-up to Camp Damascus. A writer is being haunted by the creations he has written into his projects because he won't toe the line and kill his gay characters as demanded by the studio.

What a wild ride!

Having only heard about Chuck Tingle's books, I wasn't sure what to expect going into Bury Your Gays. Let me just say, I am SO glad I had no idea what I had in store for me. Bury Your Gays is a fun and thrilling story about Misha, a screenwriter who is asked to kill two lesbian characters off, and when he refuses, is haunted by the monsters he's created. Tingle has created such a rich story with a wonderful cast of characters, a delightful plot, and some of the best representation I've ever read.

If you love horror, monsters, and queer commentary, this is the book for you!

I remember people raving about Camp Damascus when it came out. The plot sounded interesting and I even managed to add it to my TBR list, but I never actually got around to purchasing or reading it. Boy howdy do I regret that mistake now! Bury Your Gays was phenomenal! The plot, the narration, the dialogue, the cast of characters, and even the message it spells out are absolutely on point. Yes, I will be raving about this book for some time. I will also be adding Chuck Tingle to my list of auto-buy authors. And, of course, rectifying my Camp Damascus mistake as soon as physically possible.

Bury Your Gays takes place in Hollywood. Misha is a screenwriter for Harold Brothers making shows such as Devil's Due which is about a demonic librarian (as a librarian this made me laugh). He's been nominated for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film. Misha visits the lot to meet with his boss Jack Hays who tells him that he needs to rewrite the ending because - according to the algorithm - people don't want to see queer characters have a happy ending. Misha tells Jack he's homophobic and Jack claims it's out of his hands. According to him "the money" says they need a conservative character added to the story and he can let the gay characters come out, but then they have to die. Bury Your Gays. Misha refuses to make the changes, so Jack gives him an ultimatum. He's got four weeks to rewrite the script or they'll be taking him to court for breach of contract. Misha is then stalked by some of the Eldritch monsters he's created for horror movies:
* The Smoker: he asks you for a light if you say no then you have five days and he'll cut your bones out, grind them into powder and smoke them.
* Mrs. Why: an unearthly being who looks human and is obsessed with order. By touching you she opens your mind to see the end of everything but it's overwhelming and you'll go into a trance and eventually starve to death.
* The Black Lamb: it looks cute, but don't get too close or its body will split open right down the middle and tendrils emerge sucking you in.
› The story is mainly told in first-person from Misha's perspective, however, we also get flashbacks to his abusive childhood and scenes that are written like a screenplay. He turns to his best friend Tara and his boyfriend Zeke for help to figure out why these characters from his movies are following him. Zeke is openly bisexual, Tara is asexual and aromantic, and Misha is out to a few people (not his family).

› Zeke is the kind of person you want on your side. Misha says, "There's some uncanny spark that always pushes them to make the right choice, because they're not even aware a choice exists. It's just what they do." He is the mascot for Love Is Real. I want to be Zeke when I grow up.

› I loved the commentary about horror stories and how they help us "explore dark places in a safe way". Horror stories get a bad rap - they are about much more than the violence and the gore.

› The characters are so interesting and unique! Especially the monsters that Misha created. They truly come to life on the page. Tingle's world-building is next level. I loved the atmosphere and the writing style is top-notch. I highlighted many lines because they were so well-written. I read and re-read them aloud so I could hear the cadence. Bury Your Gays has some of the best dialogue I've ever read. There is no fluff. The plot is moving in every scene and we have real conflict. I didn't want to put it down! I laughed, I cried. I had such a good time reading this and can't wait to read more from Tingle.

APPEAL FACTORS
Storyline: action-packed, character-driven, issue-oriented, plot-driven
Pace: fast, engrossing
Tone: angsty, heartwrenching, high-drama, romantic, suspenseful, thought-provoking, dark, mysterious
humour - dark humour
sinister - bleak, creepy, disturbing, gruesome, haunting, menacing
Writing Style: well-crafted dialogue, compelling, descriptive, engaging, gritty, witty
Character: authentic, awkward, flawed, likeable, relatable, well-developed, diverse
LGBTQIA+: asexual, aromantic, bisexual, gay
› Final Thoughts
• Bury Your Gays is an engrossing horror about the price of success, the complicated relationship between capitalism and trauma, the struggle to be authentic, and the power of love. I highly recommend this to fans of The X-Files and Fringe.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

After 'Camp Damascus', I was hugely interested in what Chuck Tingle would come up with next. Turns out he'd been brewing this gem, with easter eggs for each tale in each book! Little gestures like that really enforce what a skilled writer he is, and I am 100% here for all of it.

I went in mostly blind, having preferred to stay away from any blurbs or details - and from the first, the subtle weirdness of the story grabbed me and did not let go. There's no way anyone could predict what happens in this book. The fantastically scary and original villains who stepped straight out of fiction, the dilemma of what to do in an impossible situation, the razor-sharp satire on the Hollywood machine and the idea of what audiences want clashing horribly with reality... it's all genius.

A brilliant book. And for the record, I LOVED that the most unexpected character saved the day.

Thankyou so much to Chuck for another absolute gem.

Ahh a superb look into the social horrors and experiences many queer folks face. Bury Your Gays is a wonderfully written commentary with such grace and nuance pinpointing relevant topics such as Queer erasure, art as experiential expression, AI in art, intellectual property, piercing the veil of corporate greed, and the Hollywood fantasy backdropped with gore and horror. Poingnient and thought-provoking, Tingle gave an age-old trope a fresh and engaging twist with an exceptionally endearing MC!

Thank you to Tor NIghtfire & NetGalley for providing a complimentary ARC

(4.5 stars)

Well, this was a hell of a ride.

I’m not sure what I expected out of my first reading experience with one of Chuck Tingle’s books. Looking at their backlog left me both amused and curious. I ended up really liking this story and what it had to say.

The story doesn't really waste any time getting started. We're almost immediately thrown into a meeting in which the main character, Misha is told he has to kill off two lesbian characters. He refuses and strange things start happening to him.

The reader is taken along for the ride as Misha tries to survive the creatures coming after him while also fighting to keep his characters alive. The narrative goes from the present day to a younger Misha during his childhood and teenage years. So many of the flashback scenes were heartbreaking. I really felt for Misha. There are also some scenes that play out like a movie script.

Bury Your Gays slightly reminded me of Scream 3 (which I love). It was very meta (like Scream). It's clearly made for fans of horror.

The name of the book plus the name of the main character, Misha, brought to mind a specific show that ended it’s long running series by burying their gay character (I won’t mention the name of the show but I’m sure it won’t be difficult to figure it out). I believe the author did this intentionally. I appreciate that the premise of the book called out Hollywood's practice of burying their gays.

This book kept me guessing until the end. The reveal of the villain had me smiling because it made for an interesting story with so many possibilities. I don't want to reveal too much but I love how the author handled the villain/villains. There are so many quotes that I loved. The one below was one of my favorites.

“You know who the real villain is? Unchecked capitalism and the desire for capitalist systems to monetize other people’s trauma.”

Without spoilers, I'll just say that I love that the author also criticized another aspect of Hollywood. (Readers will know what I mean at the end). There's also fun little Easter eggs hidden for the readers.

Overall, I had a good time reading this book and I loved what it had to say.
I loved the ending. It was perfect, in my opinion. The audiobook had little guest spots from a handful of other horror authors, so that was fun too.

I'm currently enjoying my read of Camp Damascus. I'm looking forward to reading the next horror book from this author.

I'd recommend this to fans of meta horror like Scream and Cabin in the Woods.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and the author for providing me with an ARC copy for providing me with an ARC copy for review.

Chuck Tingle is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. This was a terrific follow-up to Camp Damascus. I loved the Hollywood setting and exploration of gay representation in television. The horror elements also delivered with a surprising science fiction twist! The villains were like something right out of The X-Files! The novel is also a satire of the algorithm-crunching machine that is Hollywood. I recommend this to those looking for quality LQBTQIA+ representation. The story explores queer themes through horror/science fiction metaphors that will resonate with fans of shows like the X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Writers and anyone living or working in Hollywood might get a kick out of the satirical elements.