Member Reviews
I finally finished it! I've been a fan of Chuck Tingle since "Camp Damascus". I do not purchase books unless I have already read and love them, but in two books Tingle has become one of those reliably great authors that I trust enough to buy a copy as soon as the book comes out.
"Camp Damascus" and "Bury Your Gays" both are very personal stories, but "Bury Your Gays" has a righteous anger to it about not just disappointing queer representation in media but also last year's writers and actors strikes that just felt so cathartic. I loved the way that he tied in each of the monsters to the moments that inspired them was great to see and I love the way that having that variety of monsters made so much room for different kinds of horror. There were multiple scenes that were just so visually striking that I know they are going to be stuck in my head for years to come they were so well done. No spoilers, but the scene with a thematically appropriate 80s needle drop has me both cackling and shuddering.
I read this both as a book and an audio book and I have to applaud the audio book for not just great narration but also for the segments that featured a full cast. The production value using sound effects and background audio was great enough, but the cast list of horror authors as voice actors was an insane choice. My only regret was that I have not heard enough of them speak to be able to identify who played what part.
Overall, great book that I will definitely recommend not just to people looking for queer horror but also the "cursed movie" sub-genre.
Thank you netgalley for the free eaudiobook in exchange for a honest review.
I really loved this! I think on a normal day, this would be a 4 star read but I’ve had a lot going on and it really put me in the anxiety of this book! The threats were big and inescapable, but the heroes were bigger!
The audiobook was produced with so much care and energy, it really elevated the story.
Who knew that Hollywood could be so freaking horrific? Tingle obviously does and he takes that horror, creates an enormous monster of a tale, sears it into your brain, then leaves you feeling like you just watched the best horror flick you've ever fucking seen. Scary AF, raw and unhinged, and one of the best books this Summer.
Our main character, is a not quite out of the closet, horror screenwriter who is told to kill off his gay characters in this major hit show. After refusing, his creepypasta, cosmic horror characters start showing up in real life and folks start dying. He's fumbling in his relationship with his boyfriend because nobody at home knows the real Misha, and apart from trying not to die or let his friends die, he's up for a huge award. Like the fucking award, the biggest award! I'm not going to give it all away but just know, you won't see this shit coming! The ending is an impeccable finale that will make you want to recommend this read to everyone you know!
A whip-smart satire of the entertainment industry with a unique voice and incredibly dynamic and loveable characters. Tingle deposits somewhat dystopian Hollywood landscape with a Lynchian flair and earnestness. This creepy plot feels like an X-Files episode in the very best way.
It’s been a long time since I went into a book with relatively moderate expectations and came out blown away!! I just read the last 70% of this book within 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down. After flipping the last page I feel out of breath!!
Chuck Tingle has taken a (mostly) closeted gay man’s story in Hollywood and turned it into a Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Blake Crouch sci-fi, horror, contemporary thriller!
What’s more, this book has a clear message, stop killing off all the gays! This resonates for me as a bi-sexual woman who first saw Willow and Tara kiss on screen, and then was horrified by the storyline being crushed only ONE episode later. ONE! They couldn’t let us have happiness for our lesbian ladies for more than a week or two (between airing shows) and for less time than it takes to watch the average rom-com. These types of stories are STILL being told 25 years later. We STILL see token gay characters written out in media (of all kinds) relatively frequently. Tingle has written the perfect aesthetic of horror, love, the question of existence (AI anyone?), and technology together to take the reader on the ride of their life AND give us a message worth shouting from the heights of the Hollywood sign; queer is here!
I want to say everything and yet nothing about the major plot points of Bury Your Gays! I went in fairly blind and I recommend that for everyone. Be aware it’s horror, there are some very squeamish, gory moments (I did have to stop listening to the audio and go to my ebook as I couldn’t stand the descriptions and ‘noises’ of the narrator, done so well but too much for my sensibilities), actual gays (who may or may not die), and a King/Crichton plot to ensnare you in for the duration. Seriously, be ready to read this all the way through from 30% on. You’ve been warned!
I know I NEED to see a movie adaptation of this; and yet it might be too scary for me to do so, lol. I’m so glad my horror buff husband has gotten me into horror since COVID started. Knowing horror’s many tropes helped me understand some of the dark humour, and nods to the past that are here. It is not necessary to pick-up on them, but it does add to the surrealism of the story.
I really didn’t think anyone would rival Blake Crouch and be worthy of the Crichton, King banner this decade. Let me tell you I was wrong! I feel the same, yet different, but equally blown away by Bury Your Gays as I did after reading Dark Matter (Crouch), Prey (Crichton), any of King’s older works, and all of Mira Grant’s (love her!) worthy contributions to horror. There’s the perfect amount of everything in this novel; just as I believe those authors have done before. Watch out for some possible Easter eggs to those who came before within these pages.
I suspect Tingle has more in store for us of this nature, and I’ve already put Camp Damascus on my TBR to see if it started there. All I know is this is a mystery man that can write! It may be worth noting that a key message in Bury Your Gays is about coming out and being your true self; an irony I can’t help but chuckle at given Tingle is a pseudonym and we don’t really know anything much about the writer himself.
Hey Chuck! My message to you, after you’ve given me so many great messages in this book, is Practice what you Preach! (Lol).
Okay stop reading this blabbering review and go get Bury your Gays! Be ready for twists, turns, horrors, coming outs (in so many unique ways, heh), and a dash of love that helps keep some of our characters just stable enough to crawl away stunned, like I am after finishing this novel.
On a personal note: this will be adds to my physical bookshelf in the near future and I will be forcing my husband to read it. Just like I did after reading Dark Matter. It’s that damn good!
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
This one was FUN and gory, and brought the dread. I loved the audio and couldn’t stop listening as Misha’s past horror characters came to life and started stalking him. Bury Your Gays is an amazing portrayal of gay characters in media, and how they are often pigeon-holed into specific tropes and endings.
The writing in this one was incredible and while Camp Damascus has been on my TBR since its release - it absolutely moved up the list after listening to this one. I loved the portrayal of big media in this novel and the futuristic AI elements (that don’t seem too outrageous in our current times,) were really well done.
Check this one out if you like movies, horror, AI, and Hollywood!
**Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this incredible title!**
This story was so easy to stay engaged with. I'm really enjoying this pivot in Chuck Tingle's career!
I don't remember anything about this book except that it's a horror book and it was really really really really good. I genuinely hate past me for being the absolute worst at reviews because I have this listed as a favorite on my spreadsheet and I remember the vibes from it and that I absolutely loved it but that's legit it. One day I'm gonna have to reread it so that I can write an actual review that isn't just "vibes and feelings".
Even though Misha Byrne has just been nominated for an Oscar, he’s still at the whim of The Studio he works for to deliver what they want to see in his show. So, while Misha has plans to have his current two tv leads profess their love to each other, the studio is convinced that killing them off instead will deliver higher profits. As Misha fights with the studio to deliver his original vision, weird events and stalker fans begin to happen and appear for Misha. As he starts to investigate the happenings around him, he soon discovers that the stakes are much higher than he originally thought and that accepting his own self-identity might be the first step in beating the odds.
Misha is such a compelling character to get to know and does quite a bit of growing throughout the story. His boyfriend and best friend were also great and overall, I felt all our main characters brought something unique to the story. I loved the way Tingle was able to incorporate real life references and commentary into this ‘fun’ read and was able to touch on some very timely and sensitive topics such as capitalism, identity and AI. I don’t want to spoil anything so won’t go too much deeper than that.
Perfect for fans of campy horror movies and with plenty of gory terror scenes, Bury Your Gays was unexpectedly fun to listen to. While most of the story is narrated directly from Misha’s POV, we get sippets of side events with a full cast of characters. From a narration standpoint it made it hard to delineate them from the story, but if you’re reading the book, this shouldn’t be an issue. Regardless, 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars for this original horror read.
Bury Your Gays is out now. Thank you to Tor Nightfire and MacMillian Audio for my advanced copy in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my
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Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC in audiobook format.
“A spine-tingling horror story and a moving exploration of queer identity, humanity, and storytelling.”
Chuck Tingle’s “Bury Your Gays” is a genre-bending tour de force that defies expectations. Narrated by a talented ensemble cast, including André Santana, Charlie Jane Anders, and others, this audiobook plunges listeners into a Hollywood nightmare where reality and fiction collide.
🔍 Screenwriter Misha Byrne faces an impossible choice: kill off his beloved queer TV characters as demanded by studio executives or defy their algorithmic mandate. Santana captures Misha’s initial anger and escalating terror as he confronts deadly characters from his horror films. But the horror isn’t just external—it’s rooted in Misha’s own fears, from his queer identity to personal attachments within the industry.
The ensemble cast brings depth to Tingle’s satirical sci-fi romp.
Tingle weaves humor, horror, and queer identity into a fast-paced cocktail.
Tingle cements his place as a compelling voice in horror literature.
🎧 Prepare for a rollercoaster ride through Hollywood’s dark corners—a tale that challenges norms and leaves you questioning what’s real. 🌠🎧
Truly phenomenal— another absolute knock-out from my most favorite pink paper-bagged buckaroo. <3
I'm neurodivergent and openly admit that I generally struggle with maintaining my focus when it comes to audiobooks. I almost didn't even request this one as a result, but I'm so glad that my total lack of self-control made me hit that button anyway!
André Santana does a masterful job of bringing Tingle's latest queer horror creation to life. You know how audiobook narrators sometimes just sound like a painfully monotone, bored college professor? Well, I'm delighted to confirm that that isn't the case here. Santana does a brilliant job of portraying the troves of emotion and satirical wit that Bury Your Gays is oozing with. It was fun and theatrical and the absolute best of times. They succeeded in making me actually enjoy an audiobook for the very first time in my 28 years of life, which is something I always feared was impossible. If they don't win an award for narrating this book, then I'll personally make them one myself if I have to because they deserve it.
You'll love this one if:
●You're still furious at Joss Whedon for unjustly killing off Tara back in 2002.
●You're a hardcore Destiel shipper who watched your dream finally become canon, only to have it cruelly ripped away from you like two seconds later. RIP.
●You love laughing! Then being scared! And then laughing again! -Repeat until book is finished.-
●You have impeccable taste & like to have fun!
Thanks so much to Netgalley, Chuck Tingle, & Macmillan Audio for this treat!
Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle
Who here doesn’t know about Chuck Tingle? Author of dinosaur erotica, unwitting target of the Rabid Puppies who turned their own hate against them, he is a neurodivergent pink-masked beacon of hope who preaches that love is love. I excitedly read Camp Damascus, his first traditionally published novel last year, and really enjoyed it! It was a tad rough in spots but the story and the message outweighed any minor issues. So I was very excited when NetGalley and the publisher gave me an ARC of his new book, Bury Your Gays, in audiobook format in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book! I’m not much of a horror reader, but between T Kingfisher and Chuck Tingle, I am starting to be a big fan! The protagonist of this book is a Hollywood showrunner who is being forced to kill one of his two leads rather than allow them to have a lesbian romance (hence the title). It is set in a near future where an AI generated performance is nominated for best picture. And when the protagonist balks at killing his characters, suddenly characters from some of his prior movies appear in real life and come after him. The details of his young closeted life and issues with coming out are handled deftly and realistically, and makes me wonder what a non-genre character driven work by this author would look like (Im guessing it would be amazing).
The resolution of the horror aspects of the plot did not feel 100% earned to me, but this is a minor quibble in an excellent novel. Highly recommend!
A satirical look at Hollywood through the lens of horror, Bury Your Gays is an incredible effort from Chuck Tingle, weaving vivid imagination, snarky humor, and candid commentary through a tale about an industry striving for success at no cost. Thanks to the snappy writing and showbiz setting, the story feels very 'glitzed-up' and stylish, which is further enhanced in its audiobook via a full cast (incredibly, consists of numerous contemporary horror authors!) and sound effects in the select interludes sprinkled throughout. Tonally, this novel is reminiscent of the film The Neon Demon by Nicolas Winding Refn, a visual feast of a horror film about the modeling industry.
Similar to Camp Damascus, the horror element of Bury Your Gays takes a turn towards its third act, but this time around its genre-blending is less jarring, and better incorporated within its context. All in all, Bury Your Gays is a relentlessly layered story that should satisfy fans of horror (many elements from its sub-genres make their appearances), pop culture enthusiasts, and readers who love a good story with heart.
I just finished Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle and here are my thoughts.
Misha should be on cloud nine. He has an oscar nomination under his belt and his long time running show has excellent ratings. The studio wants him to do one teeny tiny thing… Kill off the gay characters in the season finale.
As a gay man half in the closet, he can’t bring himself to do it. When he tells the studio no, that should be the end of it right? Except now, his written creations for the screen, are coming to life and if they follow their personas in the real world… He has 5 days before he dies. No matter where he goes, they are right there, stalking him.
Haunted by a past he wanted to forget, he must figure out how this is happening and how to save his career and his life.
When I read the synopsis of the book I was like huh…. Wasn’t giving away much of what the book was about but it was in the horror genre and I love horror so I thought, why the heck not…. I am so glad I did.
It is heavy on the LGBTQ rep so if that isn’t something you like, you may wanna give it a miss. I found it actually elevated the story because you can see how Misha ended up writing the things he wrote and why he became as closed off as he did. I know some people get weird about books that lean heavily in but I think this book really did an excellent job of balancing it out.
I loved that we got a glimpse of Misha’s past and it explains how his experiences helped him write the characters that are now alive and stalking him. I thought it added some real depth to the story.
Narrator was great. I felt really invested in the book and I loved the creepy undertones that are weaved within the story.
It’s not a long book so I finished the audio in a morning but it was so well done and I was blown away with the clever dialogue and epic storytelling.
I am a fan! I’m not gonna lie, I need more books like this.
4.5 stars
Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for my gifted alc
Out now and well worth it (I mean come on! The cover alone did it for me)
#buryyourgays #chucktingle #horror #lgbtqrep #gayreads #booklover #audiobook #audiobooklover #audiobookreview #bookalorian #bookblog
Very entertaining and well done. Great commentary on Hollywood and capitalism, as well as queer characters in the movie industry. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced audiobook!
Wow!! I’ll be honest - I had absolutely no idea what I was in for when I picked up Bury Your Gays as an ALC. But, holy smokes…campy horror is a new favorite of mine! Tackling issues that artists & creatives are facing such as artificial intelligence, lack of diversity in media and evil corporate overloads - Bury Your Gays is a horrifyingly wonderful read!
This was my first time reading a book by Chuck Tingle but it most certainly won’t be the last!
Method read: 🎧
The full cast narration was absolutely phenomenal!
Thank you so much Macmillan Audio for the ALC!
I was screaming the entire time. The book was creepy in the first half, and then intriguing and then I was enraged and then when I thought it was over it wasnt? Truly a great time. The novel somehow is able to to tell a horror story bursting with queer joy, and a robust critique surrounding corporations and by extension AI art within actual art. Overall a brilliantly executed book.
𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫? 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤.
𝐒𝐜𝐢-𝐅𝐢? 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤.
𝐋𝐆𝐁𝐓𝐐+? 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤.
𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥-𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬? 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤.
𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞/𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫? 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤.
𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞? 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲? 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞-𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐭. 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐤 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒚 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑮𝒂𝒚𝒔.
𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒞𝒽𝓊𝒸𝓀 𝒯𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓁𝑒, 𝑀𝒶𝒸𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒶𝓃 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.
Could not put this one down.. Highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley aan the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Such a fun read. Very calculated and well written. I couldn’t put it down. I absolutely loved it! Thanks NetGallery!