I found this kind of a slog to read mostly because it’s not what I was going in expecting. The writing was strange and hard to follow which really irritated me. Then the story just was meh.

The writing on this was hard to understand, to the point of which I don't think this will be a generally successful read. The "avant-garde" in the description is important– the literature often functions more poetically and strangely than a traditional narrative. I think the intention is fascinating and some of the language on it's own is beautiful. The execution was not exactly as I would hope or really enjoyable to me personally, but I respected the intention and the risk taken by the author. I think this will find its audience and has the chance to become a cult classic novel, with the strangeness that a lot of readers are craving these days.

I expected suspense, I expected heavy atmosphere filled with erotic disgusting syrupy air and it didn't disappoint. The book was far from perfect and I wouldn't be surprised if many people didn't finish reading it. I have to admit I had a great time tho. I have to mention I was not the biggest fan of the writing. At times I thought to myself "the author is trying to create the literary masterpiece using mighty vocabulary", it just didn't work for me. But I think if Ulrich Baer develops those skills I won't be against reading more from his pen.

I like the prose mostly, some of it loses me though. It's a quick read, but also one to think about and I do wonder if in a few weeks it'll pop back into my head and really resonate afterward.

DNF @ 27%

The cover looked SO COOL, but unfortunately this was just ... huh? What am I reading?? Too convoluted to make sense and honestly my brain was working overtime. I finally said NOPE I QUIT.

Beyond the Planet of the Vampires was a DNF for me. I think there’s a specific target audience for this book and I unfortunately was not it.

This book sounded like something I could really enjoy and honestly, I would have picked it up just for the cover art alone because, wow! But unfortunately I really couldn’t get into this one. The writing style was pretty much unreadable to me which meant that I had to DNF pretty early on. It was confusing and had far too many big words that I didn’t understand, (I’m not stopping to google the definition of a word every two seconds, sorry) which basically meant that I was very lost and had little idea what was going on. Majorly disappointed that this wasn’t really for me because damn that cover is just so cool!!

I do think there’s people out there for this book, so if you like poetic, queer stories that are a bit confusing, then definitely give this one a chance!

described as speculative avant garde, queer vampire horror
the grammar was TERRIBLE but poetic and fun to read
written in an old school 1950s drive in horror style, the narrative is erratic, lose and moves in an out of a constructive storyline
the before, during and after of a vampire alien invasion searching the universe for new and future victims
4/5 spicy peppers for the experienced reader

Great book! It had all the fears of growing up. Make a choice. Turn the page or close the book. Enter the darkness if you wish!.it was super cool and odd.

DNF at 20%

This book is the third of a trilogy, which I learned from GoodReads. I am honestly surprised there are three books, if the other two are like this one. I am not often turned off of books due to form, but I found this book incomprehensible. There is no narrative that I could piece together, despite my best efforts. There are shifting, barely connected scenes with some strong imagery and poetic wording -- which only got more irritating the longer I read. I tried really hard to push past the 20% mark, but I just couldn't force myself to read it anymore.

I am sure there is an audience for this work, particularly those interested in avant-garde and more experimental writing, but otherwise I cannot recommend it.

Ulrich Baer's Beyond the Planet of the Vampires is a daring foray into avant-garde queer horror, seamlessly blending speculative fiction with philosophical introspection. Scheduled for release on June 17, 2025, this novel challenges conventional genre boundaries, offering readers a unique and immersive experience.

The narrative thrusts readers into an apocalyptic scenario where psychic vampires traverse intergalactic distances in search of victims. Baer's prose is both erratic and mesmerizing, intentionally disorienting as it mirrors the chaos of the unfolding invasion. This stylistic choice demands active engagement, encouraging readers to lose and regain narrative consciousness alongside the protagonist.

Drawing inspiration from avant-garde cinema and literature, the novel evokes the surreal imagery reminiscent of Jodorowsky's films and the existential musings found in Genet's works. Baer intertwines Joycean wordplay with Kantian philosophy, creating a rich tapestry that explores themes of identity, alienation, and the nature of evil. The result is a narrative that is as intellectually stimulating as it is viscerally haunting.

Beyond the Planet of the Vampires is not merely a novel; it's an experience that challenges perceptions and invites readers to explore the depths of avant-garde horror. Baer's work stands as a testament to the power of speculative fiction to probe profound philosophical questions while delivering a narrative that is both unsettling and captivating.

a little too weird for me to fully grasp it, but the vibes were immaculate. full of weird imagery and tangible word play, it's definitely one you have to read slowly, but it's worth the push!

it reads more like abstract poetry than anything else, which is unlike anything i've ever read, so im not sure i can accurately describe what i think, but its certainly unforgettable!

This was fun! The cover initially drew me in and it's an honestly weird read, but in a good way. I'm not sure how review it without spoiling it. I can speak to how flowery the language is. It leans into the literary fiction side of horror and makes an interesting blend. The formatting of the book itself is interesting and in some pages it's almost novel in verse.

A beautifully lyrical horror novella with a bite. Go into this with an open mind, and be patient as you adjust to the writing style, but the story is worth the effort. Also, I NEED a print of that cover artwork. What a stunner!

I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my review.

The kindest of thanks to CLASH Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to experience this book ahead of its release.

A queer fever dream of a novel, Beyond the Planet of the Vampires is a practice in wordplay to the highest degree. Baer crafts sentences like an expressionist might paint on canvas, defying the 'rules' that constrain writing in a way that is both satisfying and utterly reflective of the nature of the work.

If I had the time to sit with this longer and truly pick it apart, dive deep into every facet of the prose, I'd lose weeks to it. This book has renewed my respect for speculative fiction, and I've firm belief that this will stick with me for a long time.

I started to read this on my phone, where I didn't have much control of the size of the text, so I was straining my eyes like mad trying to take it in at the equivalent of 3 or 4 pt font. I kept trying to get myself to put the phone down and wait til I was near my kindle again, but I found I was unable to stop myself from flipping to the next page, repeating "one more page, one more page" like a mantra. Coming from someone who reads audiobooks almost exclusively, that's about as good as endorsements get from me.
What a book.
I think it's going to be something I ruminate on for a while, and likely something I'll buy for my personal collection (I mean, come on, look at that cover...).
I imagine the reactions to this piece will be pretty polarized. Upfront, I would warn potential readers that it's more of a piece of atmospheric poetry than anything else, Baer luxuriating in every word, and much of it laid out on the page like verse. If you can take in phrases like " my father is a movie's ghost and he's grinding the lenses in a watchmaker's dream, or "the plane is orange redfog without demarcated densities." without frustration, you should give this one a try.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Clash books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this advance copy.

To begin, I would like to extend a thank you to both CLASH Books and NetGalley for the incredible opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been spending what time that I can with Ethel Cain’s newest album, *Perverts*. What initially felt like an album that was purposely holding me away at arm’s length has opened up over multiple listens into something that I am realizing I will hold close to me for the remainder of my existence.

There is nothing more difficult to describe to another human than why a certain piece of art affects you or connects with you the way that it does. It is a personal experience that is constantly evolving and shifting the more that you indulge in it or the more that you move away from it. It is a feeling that can be shared with others, but never duplicated.

Ulrich Baer has crafted a novel that will likely divide those that read it into two very distinct camps and this isn’t a commentary on the quality or the likability of his creation, but more a remark on how people react to things that don’t immediately embrace them, coddle them or spoon feed them the answers. Beyond The Planet Of The Vampires is billed as an avant-garde queer horror novel that reads like a 1950s pulp paperback and while at the core of this novel this is a true statement, it’s also quite a bit more than that and somehow not that at all.

Baer (who appears to have previously released a few books of poetry under the name Ulrich Jesse K Baer) delights in wordplay and savours the sounds that combining words together into some sort of futurespeak feels inside of your mouth as you just can’t help but whisper them under your breath as you read along. Baer doesn’t just use a five dollar word here or there, he bathes his story in them and challenges you to allow them to take you places that your mind might not be ready for.

The deeper that I read into this book, the more I was brought to mind of the somewhat infamous exquisite corpse poem “Pull My Daisy” penned by Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and their boy wonder, Neal Cassady in the late 1940s. One could argue that Beyond The Planet Of The Vampires is less of a novel and more of an epic poem that is just barely ahead of it’s time and perfectly ripe for the right people to read it, devour it and allow it to engulf them completely.

Ultimately, for Beyond The Planet Of The Vampires, Baer is working from a shelf of resources and influences that would put shame to most university literature and philosophy departments, with influences that travel from Jean Genet to Robert Glück to Gilles Deleuze all the way to Immanual Kant.

Art, in all of its many mediums, is here for us to explore it, to examine it, to seek out it’s connection to ourselves and to the greater world around us. Baer’s first foray into writing a novel most certainly will not be his last and I know that this is a book that I will spend more and more time revisiting and thinking about as time moves forward.

Thank you to Ulrich Baer and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The premise intrigued me but unfortunately the prose was too poetic for me to enjoy. I understand this is a matter of personal preference. The book seems to be one meant to be analysed rather than enjoyed. I had to dnf.

Beyond the Planet of the Vampires combines literary fiction, campy horror, and queerness into something that will work for a lot of people. It's smart, intriguing, and respects the material that inspired it.