This was a quick, unique, and slightly creepy read perfect for October reading. I liked the premise of Paul's character struggling with grief and guilt associated with disposing of things belonging to someone who has passed away. His character had a great backstory and baggage, but the plotting just didn't completely come together for me towards the end.

Conocí a R. A. Busby hace unos meses, cuando leí un relato que me dejó con los pelos como escarpias y que más adelante terminamos publicando en Voces de lo insólito y tuvo una gran acogida. Se titula «Diez mil niñas que se arrastran» y os lo recomiendo encarecidamente.

En la entrevista, la autora nos contó que este otoño publicaría una novela corta con hongos y, cómo no, me la apunté enseguida.

Si no leí «You Will Speak for the Dead» de una sentada fue porque tenía que trabajar. Narrado en primera persona y con un tono muy íntimo, nos presenta a Paul, un hombre que se dedica a vaciar casas de personas que acumulan cosas sin mesura. Hasta que un día le encargan limpiar una casa que no es como las demás y que lo cambiará para siempre.

Me parece que Busby es una autora de terror que se centra mucho en el cuerpo, en las posibilidades que ofrece, en las violaciones que sufre, en los cambios que le acontecen. Su terror es más incómodo e íntimo que grotesco y exagerado. En las dos obras que he leído suyas, ha conseguido atraparme por completo e incluso cambiarme un poco.

Si estás buscando una novela corta para esta spooky season, dale un tiento a Busby y sus hongos. Te transformará.

I will forever be haunted by the phrase "skin carrots". I love plant horror and body horror, so combining them into such a surprisingly emotional story was a huge win for me.

Not only did I read this in one sitting but I may have felt slightly ill for awhile after. I am not mad at it! Paul Simard cleans hoarders houses and the latest one is a doozy. Not only are there mushrooms and mold, but he can hear things inside his head. This was a great trip that I recommend to any fan of horror. Definitely check your trigger warnings, but it is a wild ride!

**I received an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

RA Busby presents You Will Speak for the Dead, a sporror novella. Main character Paul works clearing out hoarding houses. Or at least, he did until 982 Avirosa. The home of an aged mycologist, a family member has hired Paul and the rest of Junkitt to clear the space for sale. But the floor isn't entirely floor. The house is full, not just of stuff, but it's alive.

As a microbiologist by education who works in a death industry, this story was directly in target demographic for me. Busby's writing is smart but accessible and reasonable given our perspective character(s). The parallels drawn up between the fungal world and the human experience were really very clever, even given the acknowledged inspiration from Sheldrake's Entangled Life (which I have also read).

This story was precisely as long as it needed to be and I would happily recommend it to other sporror enthusiasts.

I don't trust mushrooms. Can't trust them, really, after reading this book.

The main character works for a cleaning company that cleans out hoarder homes. And I spent a lot of the book making this face: 😬 Or, a close second: 😦

The narration is quick and conversational. There are a lot of references to “you,” as if the narrator is talking to the reader. I could've been sitting on a couch listening to him tell the story, but good Lord I wouldn't want to. For risk that the mushrooms (possibly!) infesting his body would infest mine. Like I said: 😦

Eww, but in a good way.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the e-ARC!

Nineteenth-century transcendentalism meets gentle body horror in this delightful novella by R. A. Busby. This story is primarily written in an intimate first person, with the narrator/main character occasionally directly addressing the reader. Instead of feeling like a gimmick this affords a comfortable entry into the experiences of this story. The writing is descriptive and comfortable, not pulling you through the story as much as standing behind you and gently ushering you along, with a few clusters of body horror mixed in, just to ensure you’re paying attention. The story is exploring ideas about grief and memory, the ways that we try to preserve our selves and those things we value in valiant but ultimately misguided ways, and how the preservation of the best parts of our lives comes in their perpetual transformation. Both the characters and the narrative itself were a little bit expected, which isn’t to say bad but simply didn’t have a lot of surprise in them. I think the first-person narration really makes the reader a co-conspirator in the first few pages, and because of this it is easy to clue in on what is going to happen. Similarly, our main character has the appearance of depth, he isn’t a boring space holder, by any stretch of the imagination, but in this tight novella we get little hints and glimpses at the robustness of his life, without many words spent away from the transformative events of the narrative itself. I would usually prefer characters that feel a little more fleshed out, but here he still feels genuine and relatable, and in many ways that experience of openness, of permeability with the reader, works in favor of the story’s overall vibe.

For the gravity of the ideas it wants to explore, and even acknowledging the bits of fleshy body horror, this is ultimately a cozy book. It is inviting and comfortable. Even if the story feels expected, or maybe even a little hackneyed at times, that is because it wants the reader to feel included, part of something bigger than themselves. The page count may be slight, flying by in a single reading session, but the heart of the story is anything but, offering courage and optimism in the face of loss and disruption.

(Rounded up from 3.5 stars).

I want to thank the author, the publisher Stelliform Press, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I've never read R.A. Busby before, but was quickly drawn into Paul's world by her prose. Given that this is such a short novella, I don't want to give too much away. But I do want to share that, while this novella contains some pretty gnarly body horror and utterly creepy depictions of mushrooms, it also captures a really profound sense of love and also grief.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone story. I got an eGalley of this through NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: This was creepy and decently done with some very Lovecraftian overtones to it. I read it quickly and enjoyed it.

Paul has a hoarder house cleaning business, and this next house he is dealing with is a dozy. The house is literally alive inside, full of fungus and mushrooms. After the first day of clean-out Paul starts to notice some strange things happening to his body and his mind. He finds strange fungal filaments growing on him and hears voices in his head. He needs to figure out what is happening before the changes are permanent.

This story has a lot of horror elements to it and a dark supernatural type of element as well. The fungus and the weird collective mind it develops gave me Lovecraft vibes. The descriptions are very gross and gory, which is pretty horrific. I didn't find it particularly scary, just weird, creepy, and gross.

I did wonder why this was happening to Paul and not the other people cleaning the house, and struggled to understand the significance of the teacup he found. To be fair, I was reading this while sleep deprived at a gaming convention, so I may have missed some subtleties here.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was strange and different and creepy and I enjoyed it. I liked how it plays on some odd human fears around the horrors you might find during a house clean-out and the lack of our understanding of the fungal world. There are some pretty gory, gross parts here, which are the main horror elements...the other parts of the story are just weird. I would recommend if you like weird horror with a Lovecraft vibe to it.

I love me a little creepy mushroom story, so I jumped on this when I saw it on Netgalley and it did not disappoint! Creepy, surprisingly heartfelt, while not taking itself too seriously. I kinda wish it was more than a novella!

I didn’t recall this was a short story when I picked up my ARC again tonight. I had hardly read a few pages before today & had to back read a little. I loved how quickly the story was traveling, and the humor / sarcasm …

Great quick read, very satisfying. Thanks to Netgalley & Publisher for the advance reader copy

The book was a pleasant read, but it didn’t really stand out. The plot and characters were adequate, offering a straightforward story that was good enough to enjoy without being particularly remarkable. It’s the kind of book that fills the time but isn’t likely to linger in your memory.

This novella is a thrilling story that delves deep into loss, identity, and attachment to things. Paul is a man whose life is falling apart. His mundane existence consists of cleaning people's homes, but everything changes when he is assigned to a house that is the worst hoarder house he has ever seen—one that once belonged to a biologist. The house has fungi, strange growths, and an overpowering smell. As Paul works, he begins hearing voices and experiencing strange phenomena. This voice isn't just a figment of his imagination; it's something much more insidious. The voice, along with the unsettling sensations, compels Paul to confront memories of his dying mother and the end of his romantic relationship.

Paul's occupation as a cleaner symbolizes his attempt to manage the chaos in his life, but the house forces him to confront the things he's tried to keep buried. The character's gradual unraveling makes the reader question what is real and what is the product of Paul's fractured mind. His experiences in the house suggest that our mental health can trap us but also offer a path to understanding and finding meaning in life. Ultimately, the story highlights the importance of facing inner demons and the potential for transformation, even in the most overwhelming situations. Amazing story!

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Stillform Press.

This horror novella is almost perfect. After reading this I feel like an other person with some new views on life. Beginning in hoarding, where the author in an exquisite way describes the ways of the mental health issue, and ending in sporror extreme. The author is now on my auto read list.

"You Will Speak For The Dead" is a strangely comforting read. This novella packs a big punch in so few pages. It is balanced with horror and humor. After finishing it, I have a new outlook on life and death. I highly recommend that readers dive into this book with little to no context. It is a perfect example of what Sporror is and should be. I cannot advocate for this book enough!

I was so excited to read this book! I have been living the fungal horror that has been popping up lately (such as What Moves the Dead) and You Will Speak for the Dead did not disappoint. Along with the creeping horror of finding out you are no longer alone in your body, there is the criushing loneliness so prevalent in today's society. Despite the original feelings of disgust and alarm, Busby provides us with a surprisingly uplifting and hopeful message.

In You Will Speak for the Dead, all Paul Simard really has going for him is his hoarder house cleaning business, and even that gets turned upside down when he arrives at 928 Avirosa, the home of an aging biologist. Beyond the typical hoard, 928 Avirosa is filled with fungi. In the carpet, in containers, in books, and, quite possibly, in Paul himself.

I've never read R.A. Busby before, but was quickly drawn into Paul's world by her prose. Given that this is such a short novella, I don't want to give too much away. But I do want to share that, while this novella contains some pretty gnarly body horror and utterly creepy depictions of mushrooms, it also captures a really profound sense of love and also grief.

Overall, this little novella packs a real punch on a surprising number of themes, and I enjoyed digging into Paul's psyche. Thank you to Stelliform Press and NetGalley for the eArc of this one!

This book started off great with hoarding elements and talks about grief and the process that love ones go when they are left to clean out the homes of those who pass. Unfortunately thats where it ends i found the story getting pretty stale and putting me in a reading slump. I DNF this one. Hopefully someone else will enjoy it better. Spores and mushrooms and that type of thing isnt what i consider horror.

Thank you NetGalley

I didn't realize this was a novella when I first started reading and this isn't what I usually read, but I really enjoyed the story!! The writing is excellent. I found the story relatable - yes, even though I'm not a hoarder or a gay man - while also being funny and creepy.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

You Will Speak For the Dead was a masterful ride through grief, loneliness, and letting go. Having lost my mother recently, I’ve had to go through her many items and it does feel like you’re throwing that person away, piece by piece. Except Paul brings home what is haunting his workplace in this disturbing body horror novella that will leave you as unsettled as it does horrified. Highly recommend!