Bury Your Gays

Wow, what a love letter this is. It's also scary, funny, touching, and thrilling–sometimes all at the same time. It's got twists! It's got horror! It's got action! It might make you teary-eyed! Would it be a good thing or a bad thing if someone's already picked up the rights to it?

Also, I completely missed the name thing 🤦🏻‍♀️

Perfectly captures the bury your gays trope and turns it on its head in unsuspected ways. Definitely some truly graphic and gross moments which I LOVED. Chuck Tingle is a treasure and this is an instant classic.

Shit, what to say about a book as fantastic, scary, sad, happy, and brutally honest as Bury Your Gays is! Tingle takes everything that is wrong in the movie and writing industry and crafts a moving and haunting story that follows the inner turmoil of a successful screenwriter, Misha. When told that he must bury his beloved characters, Misha goes on a horrifying journey that drudges up the past, present and future as he fights for what he holds dear in his life.

Tingle proves yet again that he is a master of horror and of proving that love is real and everyone deserves to have a voice!

Bury Your Gays is my favorite of his and that didn’t come easy because Camp Damascus and Straight were both brilliant.

On a side note, if you’re listening Chuck, I hope that we get more from 2 characters…one that involves smoke and one that is unusually tall…I won’t give away any more but, those characters will forever haunt my dreams!! Also, Misha has more to tell, I can feel it….

Thank you NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group and Chuck Tingle for allowing me the opportunity to read this brilliant book!

Bury Your Gays is a remarkable exploration of what could potentially happen (and somewhat, what has already happened) when capitalists get their hands on technology that's beyond their scope to control. There's a great bit of nuance to this story, delivered in easy to digest prose. There's, of course, a lot of commentary on the treatment of LGBTQ+ identities (especially asexual folks). And all of this is wrapped up in Tingle's classic spine-tingling horror voice. Not one to miss!

I was thrilled to get an early copy of this newest Chuck Tingle novel, I finished this gem of a book in a little less than 24 hours, though I could have burned through it in half the time had life not gotten in the way, pesky things like needing to eat and sleep. I cannot stress enough how delightful, moving, and readable this book was. From the very first scene I was firmly hooked and could hardly rest or put it down until I read the whole thing.

The basic premise of Bury Your Gays is that a successful screenwriter, Misha, is told by studio executives to kill off the stars of his show right after they finally express their long simmering love for each other. He refuses and afterwards is stalked and attacked by movie monsters from his own filmography. The story builds tension and parcels out context and clues carefully, making for an increasingly tense, frightening tale where the stakes so much higher than just one man’s life.

This book is doing a lot, not only is it by turns genuinely funny, utterly horrific, and deeply moving, it also grapples with issues as varied as AI in art, trauma and representation in media, and corporate pride ™ in a refreshingly acute and lucid way. All of these elements are perfectly balanced, working in concert to push the whole narrative forward, rather than drowning out the other themes or hampering the flow of the novel. Believe me when I tell you that, Bury Your Gays does not miss a beat, not once.

This novel was a triumph, I can hardly think of many books that try to do so much and succeed so adeptly. In addition to being a compulsive joy to read, Bury Your Gays represents the creative apotheosis of a genuinely talented and authentic queer voice in fiction. If Chuck Tingle’s previous, “mainstream” titles like Straight and Camp Damascus, weren’t enough to clue people in that the man behind the pink mask is a powerful and talented writer with a unique and arresting vision of queer horror, Bury Your Gays should be a shot across the bow and a wakeup call.

Do yourself a favor and see what all the hype is about, Bury Your Gays is a memorable, thrilling read, quite unlike anything else you’re likely to pick up this year.

A very solid four star read. Bury Your Gays has a great story flow, fascinating concept (definitely not one I've seen before), and some of the best cover art yet this year. Chuck Tingle is quickly becoming an auto buy author of mine. If you like horror and are a tad squeamish, this book would be perfect for you. We always need more queer horror in our lives.

Misha is a mostly closeted gay man working as a screenwriter in LA when he starts to notice his characters are haunting him, trying to kill him and his loved ones if he doesn’t kill off the gay characters in his current television show.

Tingle has taken the fear of AI and its use in capitalism, specifically Hollywood, and created a terrifying novel about authenticity and standing up for what you believe in. Somehow this story was hilarious while also playing on a very real fear of technologies advances being used for financial gain. I loved everything about this story.

Chuck Tingle, you did it again.

"Like the laboratory technician said: there are no feelings here. There's only profit."

"You know who the real villain is? Unchecked capitalism and the desire for capitalist systems to monetize other people's trauma"

Did I expect an anti-AI/algorithm story told through the lens of a queer character with some gore thrown in? Absolutely not.
I loved the story so much and all the pop culture references! I loved being on this journey with Misha and getting a happy ending.
I just loved everything about this book from the obvious messages about the use of AI in the entertainment industry to the discussion of queer representation and when it's just a money grab versus a heartfelt story, even if it isn't entirely happy like in the case of queer horror. PLUS a Camp Damascus mention?? Ahh

Chuck Tingle has once again delivered a horror novel with a poignant and heartfelt twist. Seamlessly blending together a story of learning to love and accept yourself, the ways in which Hollywood treats queer people and creepy gross monsters, Tingle manages to take a topic that can feel overwhelming to even think about and morphs it into a triumphant victory.

The Tingler strikes again! Chuck does queer horror like no other and I am so bloody thrilled that I received an advanced copy from Nightfire. As soon as I got it in the mail, my face was ALL up in dis shit, gobbling it up.

Frankly, life got in the way--I could have easily devoured this is one bite but that pesky sleep called out to me.

This had it all: horror, gore, humor, supernatural (the nod to Supernatural was exquisite and SO clever), but also tender and thoughtful; splendidly executed in a single book, which speaks volumes to Chuck's storytelling abilities. My expectations were high following Camp Damascus and Bury Your Gays far surpassed that...y'all, I'm talking through the roof and into interplanetary fucking space.

Easily makes it into my favorite books of the year. LOVE IS REAL <3

I liked CAMP DAMASCUS a lot but I *loved* BURY YOUR GAYS: this book is a pop-punk scream, loud and fast and furious and yet never for even a second lacking in love and heart. It manages to be a terrific horror novel full of genuinely terrifying monsters—but the real horrors are, you guessed it, CAPITALIST IDIOTS bent on sucking every good thing out of the creative industries without a care for how hollow it'll all be after that. Chuck is throwing bombs here, coming directly for the Hollywood suits who would rather pour money into capturing the likenesses of their actors for AI to make movies forever instead of supporting actual stories told by actual creatives that might -- GASP -- be something new and different and exciting. He manages to get in great shots at AI and the studios but also corporate allyship, the media's role in terrorizing celebrities, our culture's fascination with gossip, the retrograde communities who would still rather torment a gay kid than support them.... And again, he does it with love. Not only is love indeed real... but a book like this just might give you hope that love can and will save the day in the end. And that's a feat in and of itself.

I had no idea what I was getting into with this one, oh boy.

Like every other jilted ex-Supernatural fan, I knew this was going to be a must read. The lead's name is Misha, like. Come on. I was not disappointed, lots of little SPN nods throughout (especially the "agents") that angered me all over again.


I'm not a horror reader, but I couldn't put this one down. I had to know what was actually going on and how the hell Misha was going to get out of it.

The gore was gross as hell, but not too much for me to have to stop and I'm a huge baby. I loved the journey Misha went on, particularly the little heartfelt moments he found himself having in the midst of all the horrible-ness.

A stark look at the way queer people's stories are commoditized and exploited when they'll make a profit and ignored or buried when they won't, Bury Your Gays kept me guessing and enraptured from the start. A gross, endearing win from Chuck Tingle.

It’s been a very long time since I’ve read a book, if not in one sitting, in less than 24 hours. To be honest I’ve never read anything by Chuck Tingle, other than social media posts, so I did not know what to expect. Reader, I was blown away. The plot, in which a writer of horror films is stalked by the characters he created, is certainly clever and fun, but it’s the heart and depth and understanding - both of the characters’ struggles and of genre fiction/films - that won me over completely. I received this as an ARC. I will be buying a hardcover physical copy as soon as it’s published.

This was a wild ride. The book blatantly discusses how Hollywood likes to literally bury gay stories <spoiler>and also the impact that AI (although to the extreme in this book) is going to have on media.</spoiler> This is a great mix of some really scary moments with some truly emotional ones. However the last ten percent of the book felt rushed which is why I can't give this a true five stars. <spoiler>After all of this buildup and tension the fact that they walk right in and destroy the AI nanobot network so simply just feels like it was forced.</spoiler>

While I think I enjoyed Camp Damascus more I'm truly loving Chuck's entry into more mainstream publishing and writing. This is an excellent exploration of the hypocrisy in modern media representation and the allusions to a specific major tv show do not go unnoticed.

A brilliant novel that effortlessly juggles many tones and themes at once, shifting easily between horrifying moments, fun thriller action, the dreariness brought about by capitalism in Hollywood, and queer stories that are raw, heart wrenching, and heartfelt. The cast is a ton of fun with heroes that are easy to root for and terrifying villains. The messages of the story are so important and I hope this proves to be an influential novel for queer media that follows it, at the very least I hope for many more LGBTQ books like this in the future!

This book was so so so much fun. This was my first Chuck Tingle book and I enjoyed it a lot! The characters are beautifully written and have such searing stories and revelations that make them so relatable and loveable and the story itself is so unique and fast faced.

As a queer reader this was a breath of fresh air. It is witty and emotional and gut wrenching and above all, gay. Tingles writing is amazing, and i’ve become a real fan.


A huge thank you to Tor, Chuck Tingle, & NetGalley for allowing me access to a digital ARC in return for my honest review :)

I read Camp Damascus when it came out last year (and loved it), so I was already excited for whatever horror Chuck Tingle was going to come up with next, but when I found out about his inspiration for Bury Your Gays, I was going to be there with bells on. Tingle is unapologetic and genuine in everything he writes and that absolutely holds true here, as well. There's definitely some fun and interesting bits of writing that felt very meta.

Misha, Zeke, and Tara were delightful. I also did not expect some of the twists that happened and loved that the book kept me on my toes. I look forward to whatever next nightmare Chuck Tingle cooks up.

One aside I will say, as with Camp Damascus, this book has some very gory moments, including body horror. Chuck Tingle does not back down from the type of horror he is going for in any way.

Without spoiling anything by implying tone or direction, I will say this about the book’s end:…what a satisfying ending to not just a perfect novel, but a perfect piece of horror literary fiction. It has everything I could ever want. As a horror novel, it’s the equivalent of literary fiction in the ways it meets and surpasses the elements that make for enduring literature that we classify as “literary fiction”. The horrors are HORRIFYING—layered, pulled from all sorts of horror tropes and archetypes and blending them in ways unseen, and scary enough to make one’s breath quicken and eyes dart down the page to make sure all ends well. The Smoker took my breath away and chilled me to the backbone. And it’s not just the monsters that make this book meaningful. The characters are not your average horror fare—they’re all well-developed, even the secondary and passing characters have depth and attention paid to characterization. And our three main folks of the tale—Misha, Tara, and Zeke—are all queer characters in a very real and impactful way. These are not token characters and stereotypes with a bit of spice to switch it up. No, these are characters with depth and humanity and resonance, uniquely developed in personality and person and all equally lovable and relatable. Though the things they experience together are horrific and haunting and fantastical, the characters themselves are grounded in an important reality often ignored by art in general—queer people are not types, they are just people, each unique and complex and contradictory and human like any reader who picks up any book with a beating heart and a pulse.

These endearing and enduring characters are just one of the many things which contribute to the significant success the novel achieves in terms of making its most important statement: horror stories, particularly queer horror stories, make for important and illuminating stories for the culture at large, and we need more human and humane queer stories across all genres and mediums to be seen by a wider audience with a more open mind. Tingle shines in weaving social/cultural commentary into the narrative and presenting it in ways that feel true to the characterizations or circumstances he has created up to that point. The scene at Misha’s high school reunion, as he argues for the importance of horror and tells the story of the haunted room in the basement of his college house, comes to mind immediately, as does the sprinkled-in points about how entertainment treats queer people and queer stories. Scenes like these make the point so beautifully. As a horror scholar myself, Tingle’s subtext about the importance of genre and horror hits harder and makes me fall in love with this book even more. It has it all: the scares, the substance, the standing power, and the staying power. What a gift to the world Tingle created in writing this book.

Chuck Tingle does a great job in showing that they can write a good novel with a great premise. It had everything that I enjoyed from other work that I read from Chuck Tingle. It uses the horror element perfectly and had a great overall feel to it. The characters were wonderfully written and I enjoyed how well the characters fit in this world. I will continue to be a fan of Chuck Tingle and read their books.

This is a fantastic queer horror novel about what it takes to make it in Hollywood seen through the eyes of a gay screenwriter. And what it takes is much more than just talent or artistic abilities. Sometimes it takes blood.

Misha is a screenwriter who is nominated for an Oscar for a short animated film. His success has come from queer horror and he has a fairly successful television series.

But when a studio executive informs him that he has to kill his gay characters or make them straight, he refuses. Although he's outed in Las Angeles, he's not so much out in his hometown in Montana. He's struggled with being partially closeted and he feels his characters allow him to express himself.

But pretty soon, terrifying things start to happen to him and to his boyfriend and his best female friend. At first it appears that some of his most horrific creations are coming to life and trying to kill him. But there's something much more dark going on. Something you won't see coming at first, and this could affect more than just his world.

This is a great read with some twists that examines the lengths greedy corporations will go to make the most amount of money. And as Misha struggles with trauma from his past while trying to protect himself and loved ones from monstrosities come to life it's going to take very drastic measures to stop the unstoppable. And maybe at a cost he can't see coming.

Wildly inventive and brimming with subject matter that feels like it's ripped from headlines, this frightening and action packed novel will have you rethinking everything you think you know about what it means to be an artist and achieve success. I highly recommend it.

"Horror offers a chance to recognize this truth, to explore dark places in a safe way," the fascination with themes of queer embodiment in horror is torn wide open in this new installment to the Tingleverse, by camp king Chuck Tingle.

The story is a fascinating one, a writer is being pushed by big wig executives to kill off his TV series FMC's after their coming out episode while simultaneously being haunted by the monsters of pictures past. This story is incredibly smart, fun, and a quick-witted take on the "bury your gays" phenomenon in entertainment. What I was not expecting was great dialogue around the ethics of AI, coming out, commodification of queerness/pink dollars, and a thoughtful discussion around horror as a playground to explore dark ideas in a safe way. When something as basic as your identity puts you at risk, why wouldn't you indulge in what this horrible world has to offer through the lens of your own imagination?

The characters are campy and fun, the insertion of screenplay excerpts successfully disorients the reader, and the nod to slasher films will put a grin on any seasoned horror fans face.

This is my first Tingle book and I will definitely be watching his career as he continues to map out his literary universe. 5 Stars.

Chuck Tingle - I love you. You provide harsh commentary on our culture and society while lifting with humor and wit.
Misha finally gets his two main characters - lesbians with massive sexual tension, together in his series finale. But The Board does not approve - forcing Misha to "bury your gays" as society continually pushes. Refusing to cave, Misha becomes the target of his horror creations. They stalk him, using their abilities to his life and those close to him.
The commentary is so intense. The ending just nails the swaying of trends - and societal pressures.

So…Chuck Tingle is legit.

This was a really good book! It manages to be sad, funny, hopeful, kind of hopeless at times (opposite day!), and legitimately creepy. I was shocked to find out what was really going on, but even more horrified to know that there are folks out there in a certain industry that would absolutely do this if they had the power.

The book is a rollercoaster ride of both emotion and action and I simply loved it.

I am completely on board with whatever thrills and chills Tingle decides to bring us next!

• ARC via Publisher

I am a recent reader of Chuck Tingle. I heard about him through a book club, and then he also came to a local bookstore with Catriona Ward. I really enjoyed the themes brought up in Camp Damascus, and assumed I would like Bury Your Gays. I also hope I'm referring to Tingle correctly, I read some of his blog posts, and went with ease versus technically correct for the purposes of the review. The book will be released later this year.

While Tingle's books on the surface may seem fairly straightforward, their horror genre roots give ode to a lot of subtext. Kudos for immediately throwing in an Easter egg for those aware of the online lore about who Chuck is underneath the mask. If you know, you know. I "chuck"led every time I saw that particular character's name. There was also a lot of foreshadowing and details to pay attention to as the book went along.

The book combines horror with an examination of the LGBTQA community as well as an examination of AI and its' ramifications. I am going to try to avoid spoilers in this review, but the past and present blur in this book, as we see how what has happened in Misha's past plays an ongoing role in his present life. The villains in this novel were really well written, and pretty much the scariest "monsters" I can think of. Mrs. Why particularly sat with me. It doesn't take gore to make someone terrifying and to be feared. There is also plenty of gore for those who look for that in a horror novel. There's also an ace character we see who plays a vital role in the novel, and I can't think of the last time I saw an ace character in a book. The book works through trauma and grief, as well as trying to reshape the narrative on LGBTQA characters, that they don't always have to end up dead at the end of the plot, and that that's the only way to portray gay people and relationships on screen. The novel really hits home that there should be more happy endings. I hope my review does it justice, and encourages others to pick up this book when it's on shelves.

Please be advised I received an Advance Readers Copy (ARC) of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Diving headfirst into the glitz, glamour, and ghastly underbelly of Hollywood, 'Bury Your Gays' had me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, and rooting for Misha all the way! This gem by Chuck Tingle is a rollercoaster through Tinseltown's twisted trails, blending real-life terrors with the kind of spine-chilling scares that have you double-checking your locks at night. Misha's journey – a bold stand against the monstrous machinations of studio execs and the actual monsters haunting him – is a masterclass in courage and camp. The book is a love letter to horror aficionados, complete with a treasure trove of nods to classics and cult favorites like 'The X-Files', alongside a cheeky wink to Tingle’s own 'Camp Demascus'. It's a tale that not only entertains but resonates deeply, especially in its unflinching look at the fear surrounding the visibility of LGBTQ+ characters in media. So, if you're craving a story that marries the eerie with the extraordinary, and the profound with the peculiar, look no further. This book doesn't just bury its gays; it immortalizes them in the annals of horror lore. Bravo, Chuck Tingle!

#HorrorLGBTQ #HollywoodHaunts #TingleTerror

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

TW: Ch1ld Neglect, Body Horror, G0re, H0mophobia

🖤 Meta Storytelling
🖤 Queer Horror
🖤 Queer Representation Including a Gay MMC and Ace FC
🖤 Simultaneously Funny, Thrilling, and Moving

This rating may be a little biased because I do truly love Chuck Tingle and the work he does, but I was joyfully surprised at how much this book connected with me!

Bury Your Gays is a queer horror novel that follows Misha, a queer screenplay writer in Hollywood. When 'the board' insists that he should kill off the queer characters in his hit TV series, he decides to stand against them. After making his decision, he thinks people dressed as characters from his previous queer horror films are stalking him...

I won't dive too deep into the story as I don't want to spoil any interesting twists, but know that this story certainly takes a few meta turns, as you would expect with a Chuck Tingle piece!

Misha has a few moments from his childhood that have really affected him (and his writing), and I was very touched by a few of these traumatic moments from his youth. They were written very well, and though I had never experienced moments exactly like his, I certainly relived them with Misha because of how REAL the emotions and scenarios felt.

This story grapples with some very real topics (like, hiding your queerness or the negative effects of queerbaiting specifically referencing a certain popular TV series), and I think it does so very well, sandwiching it with the ways that Misha wrote about these issues as he was working through them as an adult.

The twists were (mostly) unexpected, the horror was genuinely creepy, and I really appreciated the commentary on queer culture and the inclusivity of asexual/aromantic people in that conversation.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

This is the story of Misha, who is a Hollywood screenwriter. He writes horror (mostly), and his current project is a show that sounds not too much unlike The X-Files. The studio execs have ordered him to kill off his main characters in an epic example of Bury Your Gays. When Misha refuses, he suddenly finds that he is being followed by monsters from his movies, and horrors from his past.

I liked Bury Your Gays quite a lot. I thought it was better than Camp Damascus which I also loved. This appears to take place in the same universe that Camp Damascus takes place in as well, which was neat.

The twist… or… explanation of what exactly was happening was really interesting and I wouldn’t have guessed it in a million years. The same was true of Camp Damascus as well, so maybe it’s just that Check Tingle has some out-there ideas.

If you like a good horror, you may just like Bury Your Gays. It scared the willies out of me a couple of times. At least books can’t really jump scare me, or I’d hide under the blankets, lol.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Tor, and the author - Chuck Tingle. As it usually goes… I received a free ARC from NetGalley, and this review is voluntary


Bury Your Gays, defined:

“Bury Your Gays is a literary trope that has appeared in media across genre since the end of the 19th century. Works using the trope will feature a same-gender couple and with one of the lovers dying and the other realizing they were never actually gay, often running into the arms of a heterosexual partner. This trope was originally used as a way for gay authors to write about gay characters without coming under fire for breaking laws and social mandates against the “endorsement” of homosexuality. However, Bury Your Gays persists today in a time and social context in which it is no longer necessary to give gay characters and stories bad endings in order to be published.”

Hulan, H. (2017). Bury Your Gays: History, Usage and Context


We find ourselves following the life of Misha Byrne, another cog in the machine of Hollywood. Although one of his creations has received an Oscar Nomination, his boss has issued a new mandate concerning his existing work: write-off the gay characters in the story. A business decision, from those that scribble out the checks. The direction of Misha’s work, now only what will generate revenue; nothing more, nothing less. Refusing this edict, Misha takes a stand for his work, and his creative freedom. His convictions are not met with praise - rather, he is now noticing familiar faces in the crowd following him around. Creations from his own mind and imagination, from the pen to the screen, now right in front of him; stalking, waiting. With what feels like the walls closing in, Misha is now in a survival for his life, against the very things he created. Will he survive, or will he become another one of his characters that never saw the happy ending they deserved?

As the literature demonstrates, capitalism is not concerned with feelings, or emotions. Artistic expression is only valid if that pathway generates more revenue. It’s devoid of heart, and it lacks soul. The only concern is maximizing revenue, or capital, even at the expense of the labor that is allowing for that additional capital to be created. Those that control the money control what happens, and as Misha found out in the story, his own voice was taken from him when he was ordered to write-off the gay characters in his one show. Even if the viewers connect with the characters, the forecasting or the algorithm determines the course of the show, and those viewers may find themselves soon disappointed. When there is already a lack of representation in the media, or in these forms of entertainment, it only further shows how the gears of capitalism grind this identity down to the bone. Sticking to what they think will sell, or what they think the audience wants, while those who have been trying to break that glass ceiling are left behind. The best example of this is when a lot of businesses “show up” for the month of June, or Gay Pride Month. Where are they the other 11 months out of the year? These businesses only support the community, or the movement, when it’s monetarily opportunistic to do so. For many artists, or creators, this work is their life. It’s not just their voice, but their identity. There should never be compromise in that, but the world we live in has different rules, and money is one hell of a determining factor. Books like this exist to break the wheel, and I’m all for it.

According to my Kindle, I read 81% the first day, so I guess you can say I enjoyed it. Whether you’re reading this to learn something from the symbolism, or looking for a well written horror novel that will probably be on the top ten list by the end of the year, this is definitely worth the read.

This book may have taken a bit longer than Camp Damascus to really catch my attention, but once it did, I was super impressed!

I love it that Tingle is building a world that connects his horror stories. It’s also worth noting that it’s not our reality. After all, his world never had Agents Scully and Mulder. Instead, there was a similar show with a different name that starred two male agents. There were repeated instances of things like that happening, too.

Bury Your Gays feels extremely timely. It mentions the writer’s strike, along with the aftermath of their new deal. There’s also a huge AI component to the book, which cautions humanity about where AI could go next.

Trying to use AI for entertainment will always be a bad idea, but what happens in the pages of this book showcase exactly how awful it could become. What do you get when you cross AI with greed? Evil algorithms that sap every bit of joy and creativity out of cinema.

Lest you think I’m one-sided about this, the world becomes just as awful after the first twist. I’m gay, and I don’t want to live in a world where being LGBTQIA+ becomes nothing more than a commodity of wealthy organizations, pumping out money but no heart.

Excellent work, and an equally excellent commentary on society… and how we are so screwed if we don’t stop things now.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

I ABSOLUTELY loved this book so much! Chuck Tingle did it again!! I loved this mix of horror and sci-fi elements, and how they flowed together! And the easter egg to Camp Damascus was the cherry on top! I hope everyone gets to pick this one up this summer!


Thank you NetGalley! For this arc!

_Bury Your Gays_ by Chuck Tingle is an engrossing, heartwarming, romp of a horror read! It follows Hollywood scriptwriter Misha as he deals with inner turmoil, unwavering producers, and murderous characters of his own making. It is original and creepy, and leaves the reader with a feeling of triumph for Misha.

High-impact Queer Horror with heart • Spoiler-free review.
Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group / Tor Nightfire for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

An exuberant triumph that cuts close to the bone.
Bury Your Gays transported me back to Hollywood. It pinballed me through encounters with monsters, betrayals, and awakenings. The novel’s gut-punch real moments and outright fun captivated me.

Half-closeted screenwriter Misha Byrne is on the rise. Until he's ordered to kill off his lead characters.

An odd sighting at the beginning creates a creeping uneasiness. It heightened my sense of unsettling instances beyond the book. Tingle creates fresh, harrowing scenes. Deftly cartoonish splatter, gritty violence, and nightmare-worthy monsters hit perfect notes.

The book reaches a thriller pace with escalating attacks and lives at stake. I stayed up late, unable to stop reading until I finished it.

A few of my favorite things:
• Misha’s point of view. He’s unassuming, natural, has heart, insecurities, and relatable troubles.

• Kindness, empathy, and courage.
Death matters and Misha is loyal. His journey goes deeper than I expected.

• The diverse and memorable cast of characters.
Misha's supportive bonds with his savvy ace friend Tara and calm boyfriend Zeke make me long for a series.

• The script and Inspirations sections.
The cinematicquality and raw emotions yanked me into the roots of fear. Memories and monsters became so vivid I could see and hear them.

Tingle's exquisite novel made my month. I’m more excited about gay fiction than I’ve been in years.

Bury Your Gays stands apart as glorious literary and speculative fiction. Chuck Tingle has given us a true and enduring love letter.

With his sophomore horror novel, Bury Your Gays, the follow-up to his smash mainstream debut Camp Damascus, Chuck Tingle has hit another home run.Tingle has been an internet sensation for around a decade for self-publishing his weird, queer homoerotic stories with titles like Pounded In The Butt By My Own Butt and Bisexually Banged By These Sentient Plastic Easter Eggs Who Eat Me Out From Both Sides While I’m In a Standing Position Which Is a Pretty Cool Move. In 2022, he made his mainstream debut with Camp Damascus, a horror novel about a gay conversion therapy camp. It blew my hair back when I read it. And I’m bald. So when I got the opportunity to review his latest work, Bury Your Gays, I was thrilled.The novel tells the story of Misha, a jaded Hollywood scriptwriter who is at a high point in his career. A short film he made is nominated for an Oscar, and his TV show, Travelers, is a hit. But when Misha is about to out the two main characters of his show as gay, he’s told he has to kill them “for the algorithm”. Faced with a choice, Misha suddenly becomes stalked/haunted by characters he created, and he, his boyfriend, and his best friend are all in a lot of danger.

Bury Your Gays is gripping from the very first chapter. Tingle creates not only some genuinely scary moments, but a mystery readers will absolutely want to know the answer to. Along the way, he also weaves in Misha’s backstory, emotionally explaining why our protagonist lives his life semi-closeted, and why it means so much to him to out his characters and keep them alive. I do my reading at night, before I go to sleep, and I found myself having trouble putting the book down to be a responsible adult and get enough sleep. It’s been a bit since I read a book I was mad to put down to do other things. I just wanted to burn through it. I had to know what happened next.

The thing I loved the most about the writing in this novel is that Tingle manages to address so many societal issues in one tale so deftly. He addresses not only the way that Hollywood stories treat the LGBTQ+ community but AI, corporate greed, data privacy, creating art for “the algorithm”, and even the phenomenon of people having freakouts on airplanes. Seems like a lot when written out like that, but it never seems anything less than natural and part of the story. A truly remarkable feat.

Bury Your Gays is a shining example of horror holding a mirror up to society and showing the ugly parts. It’s tense, gripping, scary, emotional, and, in the end, triumphant. Definitely put this one on your summer reading list.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I've been a fan of chuck tingle since his Space Raptor Butt Invasion days and have been immensely enjoying his journey into horror novels. I enjoyed Camp Damascus, but I loved this one so much more. The premise was such fun and the things the book had to say about the only queer tragedy or queer joy stories being allowed was so on point and cutting. The last few lines were absolutely pitch perfect.. I ascended. I've already recommended this one (and I've been hyped about it since it was announced, but wow!). Super excited to add a physical copy to my shelf when it comes out. As always, Chuck Tingle out here proving love is real.

I loved this book. It has some meta horror elements, a touch of cosmic horror, and so much Hollywood. While navigating the bad guys he created, Misha explores being gay in today's society and how Hollywood magnifies it. He also deals with his past in hopes to save his future and his friends. There were so many times while reading that I had to stop and audibly say "awesome." Lots of fun, but perfectly serious where it needs to be.

OH MY GOD! Seriously, this was incredible. Tingle is such a stellar author and I can't imagine that any other could pull off this story so successfully. This is a must-buy for our library and will be promoting it during reader's advisory for sure.

This was such an AMAZING book. The opening premise of a writer who is being pushed to kill off his queer characters quickly turns into a creepy adventure into the difficulties of small town life and the dark sides of the film industry. We watch as a character is truly haunted by homophobia of his upbringing as well as the true haunts that were inspired by his upbringing.

This book solidified Chuck Tingle as an auto-buy author for me!

BURY YOUR GAYS is a rollercoaster of emotions, seamlessly weaving between genuine humor, grotesque horror, and profound moments of emotional depth. The inclusion of screenplay excerpts was a stroke of brilliance, enhancing the narrative and immersing the reader even further into the world Henry has crafted. This thrilling and adrenaline-fueled novel challenges preconceived notions about artistry and success, leaving you questioning everything you thought you knew.

Chuck Tingle's reputation for campy romance initially piqued my interest in this book. However, knowing his style, I never anticipated the profound depth I encountered within its pages. I was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected depth and would wholeheartedly recommend it.

Thank you Tor and NetGalley for the arc!

I want to thank NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for exchanging an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first-time reading Chuck Tingle, but it will not be my last. The rebellious energy in these pages is next level. I read Bury Your Gays in one sitting. What a story!

Bury Your Gays is a tantalizingly queer horror novel that stares into the abyss known as Hollywood. Our narrator is a gay screenwriter by the name of Misha. Who is renowned for his in-your-face queer horror stories and characters. Misha is confronted by a jerk-off in a suit and tie to either change the sexualities of his beloved characters or kill them off. This is where things take off and land at the final sentence of this gut punch of a story.

Mr. Tingle delivers a story that examines the motivations of greed in Hollywood while taking the reader on an action-packed ride. Misha deals with so much thrown his way from his trauma, protecting his friends, and defeating astonishing odds in a novel brimming with humor, tension, horror, and even a few moments of heartfelt tenderness.

Bury Your Gays is a refreshing addition to the horror genre space set to hit shelves July 9, 2024. Five Out of Five Stars.

Prior to reading this book, the extent of my knowledge of Chuck Tingle’s work was spending down time at my bookstore, looking at his chaotic book covers/titles with my coworkers. It became an inside joke with us, partially because of how strange they were, but also because we’re a bunch of queer 20-somethings loving the joy that the author puts into the world.

This being my first foray into reading Tingle’s work, I had no idea what to expect. Turns out, he’s an insanely talented writer who left me in tears by the book’s end. It’s a celebration of nuanced, complicated queer characters (including ace representation- thank you, Chuck!), and also honestly one of the best contemporary horror novels I’ve ever read.

As a B-horror fan, this was right up my alley. Think a weird three-way literary love child of Bret Easton Ellis, Lloyd Kaufman, and John Waters. It was genuinely scary one second, pitch perfect satire the next, all with so much heart (and heartbreak- I cried, ngl).

Thank you, Chuck Tingle, for this story. It was a joy to read. Now I have to go back and read his erotica about sentient bowling pins and sleep paralysis demons.

When it comes to reading ARCs, I usually pace myself--but not this time. I couldn't STOP reading, and happily worried and winced my way through until the last page. It's such a fun twist on a horrible trope, and I can't wait to share it with our customers.

If The Cabin in the Woods was a Twilight Zone episode it would be this book. The best thing I can say about this story is that it is so well thought out.

Misha is a Hollywood screenwriter who is forced by his producers to either kill off his gay characters or make them straight. As a gay man who grew up in small town America he's fought hard to crush these hurtful queer tropes in media, so he say F that—thats when 💩 gets weird 👀

I can honestly say that there were a few parts that had me thoroughly creeped out, and as the story went on it got even creepier with all the real world commentary. And a couple scenes broke my heart. It's a great story about fighting the personal demons of your creation, powerful and highly hilarious!

I was hooked from the beginning. Bury Your Gays is a queer horror/love story that follows Misha a successful, semi closeted, gay screenwriter who dares to stand up for queer joy at a time when queer tragedy is the norm. As a result, Misha soon finds himself in a situation where he’s faced with battling his own monsters, figuratively and literally, but the clock is ticking and the target on his back couldn’t be bigger. Misha must figure out a way to beat the monsters from his past as a horror writer and overcome the grip that his past as a closeted gay kid from Montana still has on him.
I absolutely loved the characters, the love story and the friendship throughout this novel. The horror also did not skip a beat, the description of Misha’s monsters and getting those mental pictures was chilling while at the same time the AI aspect was absolutely horrifying.
Definitely worth the read, I could not recommend enough!

Love is real. 🫶🏼

I was so excited to get an advance copy of Chuck Tingle's Bury Your Gays. I was only familiar with him via his Pounded in the Butt... series but the synopsis of this novel sounded so intriguing and I'm always looking for queer content to consume (especially queer horror) so this just seemed perfect.

Bury Your Gays is probably one of the most perfect books I've read this year. It really has it all - compelling characters, a plot that moves and shakes, some pretty graphic horror scenes, and more twists and turns than an actual roller coaster. It kept me guessing up until the end. It also made me laugh and cry and I was thinking about Misha and all the other characters well after I finished. I will definitely be buying this when it comes out in July and probably gifting it to several friends.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this early. Bury Your Gays is one of those books I will not soon forget.

I've been a fan of Chuck Tingle for a long time, and BURY YOUR GAYS just deepens that love. A knockout queer horror about the horror of telling stories. I loved it.

This is the second book I've read by Chuck Tingle, and I will say so far both books have been great.

I was really excited to see that he had a new book coming out and much like his first I had no idea where this was going to go. I'm not really good at reviews but I have been telling everyone I know about this book

Another home-run from Chuck Tingle. Bury Your Gays is a delightfully off kilter horror extravaganza that kisses the fourth wall rather than breaking it. The characters are well rounded and fresh, but I wish I got to learn a little more about Zeke and that his background was used more in the plot. Misha is a lovable anti-hero who really encapsulates one of my favorite tropes "the disaster gay."

Overall, this was a killer read. It has reminiscence of 80's horror while being grounded in today's contemporary social issues. I'm honored to have been able to review this ARC. You don't wanna miss this one.

Screenwriter Misha Byrne is give the ultimatum to either de-queer his two lead characters or bury his gays after a meeting with the executive from his studio. What follows is a thrill ride through the darker, profit driven side of art in general and Hollywood in particular. Much like Tingle's Camp Damascus, Bury Your Gays has an intimate knowledge of how queer people are at the mercy of systems larger than them, but is also gives the audience hopeful glimpses of how to fight back through the main characters. Definitely recommending it to all my queer horror reader friends.

Rating 4.75

“It’s horrifically ghoulish and probably the end of the world.”

Misha Byrne has been writing horror with queer undertones for years and is finally starting to see some recognition for his talent. Unfortunately, it comes at the cost of his hit TV series main characters’ lives. Unwilling to compromise when the executives at his entertainment studio tell Misha to bury his gays, he learns that they will do anything for the algorithm. Haunted by the ghost of projects past, Misha and his friends are caught between reality and AI hell. Misha’s group is hunted down by his own creations: iconic horror villains who have seemingly come alive. Time is running short and if he doesn’t hurry, he’ll end up burying himself.

This story was right up my alley! The LGBTQIA+ community is all around us and Tingle’s natural representation of the queer community is unmatched. His dialogue is familiar and comfortable, so much so that it’s like chatting with friends. The character development paired with the horror elements makes Bury Your Gays a memorable story. The true villains are fresh and give readers an uneasy feeling that is difficult to shake. There is a specific scene towards the end of the novel that reads as if ChatGPT was asked to write a corporate gay fever dream. This is not a criticism of Tingle’s writing, in fact, I truly adored this moment. It comes off as purely intentional and was executed perfectly! I’m looking forward to more horror from Tingle, Bury Your Gays was a ton of fun!

Whoa the pages of this book jumped out and came to life, I loved Camp Damascus and so I was expecting Chuck Tingle's new horror book to hit it out of the part again and Chuck didn't disappoint.

The horror in this is palpable, the descriptions of the monsters was so clear that I felt the dread myself as I was reading this book. The way that Chuck Tingle builds tension should be studied because I have at the edge of my seat waiting for what happened next. The characters were lovable and you wanted to root for them. The gore in this was surprising, I'm normally not a squeamish person but there was a certain scene in a bathroom that made me yell out load because of how intense it was, something that no book has done in the last two years.

This book deals with homophobia, both internalized and from outside and it does it so well. The trauma of queer people is described in such a real and heart wrenching way that I very quickly understood character's choices and motivations. I do see Chuck Tingle as a master of Queer Horror as Misha is in Bury Your Gays.

Thank You, Tor Publishing Group, for my copy of Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle. I am happy I received an early copy of this novel because Chuck Tingle is one of my favorite authors. I enjoy his other books, and I know for sure that I will enjoy this one, too. Thank you again.

I oughtn't be surprised given how good Camp Damascus was but I'll be honest: I'm still shocked at the caliber of Chuck Tingle's horror writing! Creepy and Very Real in turns, this is a must read for fans of queer horror. Don't be like me and do not underestimate Tingle's prose skills!

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle was a fantastic tale, genuinely creepy, and fun to read. I'm ready to gush about it, but no spoilers! Just read the book and thank Chuck later.

Thanks to NetGalley and the book publisher for the advanced reading copy.

This book is GREAT! I love the premise, and although I have grown weary of the newest trend of cursed cinema horror the setting of Hollywood did not ruin this book for me.
This is my first time with Chuck, and I have to admit I didn't know what to expect. He has a reputation, at least as I understood it, for racy LGBT exotica with zany/ political premises. This does sound intriguing, but I'm not into romance as a genre really at all so I just never got around to him. After "Bury Your Gays," I feel like I should read more of his work.
Is this is first non-exotica book? Like first time trying to occupy a space not shocking conservatives and titillating more open-minded folks? Either way he hits it out of the park. The creepy is creepy, the heartfelt is heartfelt, and the funny is funny. What more do you want, read it already!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC! Chuck Tingle is fast becoming one of my favorite authors, and his ability to write horror novels that combine anxiety-inducing terrors and bizarre humor is what keeps me coming back.

In Bury Your Gays, Misha is a screenwriter who is figuring out his place in Hollywood as a queer writer who is still not very open about his sexuality, especially to his public and hometown community. Misha has reached a level of success with some indie horror films, a writing gig for a longstanding sci fi/monster of the week type show and has recently been nominated for an Oscar for a short film. But when the studio execs tell him that he needs to kill off his two queer lead characters in the series he's written for years and he refuses, suddenly characters from his past begin to haunt him, and they won't stop at scaring him either. They are out for blood!

This novel touches on so many issues: how an artist's work is used and often mistreated in a capitalist Hollywood machine, the homophobia of Hollywood, the way that AI exploits the intellectual property of artists and actors, past traumas, fears of intimacy and much more, but at no point did this slow down the story. There were some truly terrifying and claustrophobic moments (without spoilers, I'm thinking of the airplane scene) and there were also some moments that reflected on what it really means to be an artist and put yourself, your feelings, your experiences and identities as a creator on the page that I appreciated as a writer. What I love most about Chuck Tingle's work is that his work is completely unpredictable; it never goes where you expect it to and that is half the fun!

I can't wait for the next book in the Tingleverse!

This book right here kicked ass! It will keep you guessing through. Such a cool concept. Check out his other book as well. Camp damascus

Bury Your Gays by master horror author Chuck Tingle is one of those books that is both responsive to current events and possibly prescient about where those events might be taking us as a culture.

Misha Byrne is a commercially successful horror film screenwriter working for a studio whose latest innovation is bringing a deceased A-list actor back to life via AI. As Misha is on the brink of winning an Academy Award for one of his short films, people who seem to be cosplaying some of his more terrifying characters begin stalking him. When those "characters" begin harming his friends in ways similar to his films, he's horrified to realize they're not just crazed fans but the monsters actually brought to life. Desperate to save his friends and prevent his own end at the hands of a curse he created for one of his most popular films, Misha discovers the studio hasn't been dabbling in just low-grade AI—they've managed to harness that basic intelligence to a technology with far greater power, one that's poised to upend the movie business, and society in general, in dramatically destructive ways.

Tingle has pounced on the existential anxiety around AI and its current use and tied it seamlessly to the changing landscape of filmmaking and creative art in general to produce a story that feels like a mix of both sci-fi thriller and classic horror in all the best ways. This is a book that will get your brain churning over all the ramifications of AI and technology on entertainment only to switch suddenly to delicious, heart-pounding fright within the same scene. Add in shades of a poignant coming-out scenario and the glamour of Hollywood and Bury Your Gays becomes a must-have for an entertaining vacation read that will leave you thinking about it long after you return home.

Review posted on GoodReads: I was given a copy of this book pre-release from NetGalley. This story answers the question: What lengths would a *redacted* major studio production company go to in order to protect their bottom line in the age of AI? Reminiscent of Black Mirror through a queer lens, this raucous, horrific, and touchingly original book is a triumph that only a storyteller like Chuck Tingle could manage.

Chuck Tingle’s latest takes the “bury your gays” trope and gives it their trademark treatment, resulting in a story that is fresh and also moving, frightening, and fascinating.

This compulsively readable story involves the movie industry (especially horror), out of control AI, effects of trauma, and the visibility of LGBTQ+ people both onscreen and off. The main character and his found family are a treat, and the supporting cast is excellent, too. Messages about greed, hypocrisy, & discrimination are interwoven in a way that leave the reader thinking about it long after the last page is turned. I can totally see this book as a movie or series!!! More people should read Chuck Tingle’s work. LOVE IS REAL.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the digital ARC!

Chuck Tingle takes on Hollywood in Bury Your Gays, a horror novel with razor-wire wit. TV writer Misha Byrne has just been given an ultimatum: straighten out his main characters, or let them be queer...and kill them off immediately. Misha refuses, and the ghosts of his own horror-movie past come to haunt him, like a cynical Hollywood executive's idea of Scrooge's three spirits. Only these monsters aren't here to help him--they're here to make sure he does what he's been told to do, or they'll end his career...and his life. Now Misha has to protect himself, his boyfriend Zeke, and his best friend Tara, all while figuring out how to give his characters the happy ever after they deserve. Oh, and he might have to write an Oscars acceptance speech, too. The dry wit and satire give this fast-paced horror novel an added angle of commentary on Hollywood's obsession with trends and the skin-deep rainbow-washing that can hide a rotten core. Highly recommended for any horror fan, and anyone who's ever rooted for two queer-coded TV characters to "just kiss already!"

4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this title!

This book is about the stories we tell, and what we will go through to ensure those stories are heard. I enjoyed Tingle's second officially published novel (no offense intended towards Space Raptor Butt Invasion). He was able to masterfully evoke my emotions, leaving me alternatively biting my nails and jumping out of my seat with excitement.

Misha is a screenplay writer who is given an ultimatum to kill off the queer protagonists of his TV show. As a half-in-half-out of the closet gay man, he initially doesn't want to go along with it. Things change when the villains of his previous works begin leaving the screen and following him in real life. Misha will have to decide which story he will tell, both for his TV show and his own personal life.

With the recent SAG-AFTRA strike, the rise of AI in creative spaces, and the continued struggle for minority authors to be heard, this book could not have come at a better time. It is a horror novel, but it is also a satire on the movie business as a whole, calling out profit-over-art practices and performatory allyship. I think any readers who have felt underrepresented in media, or worse, poorly represented, will deeply resonate with this book.

Misha is an incredibly fleshed-out character, so I was disappointed many of the other characters were so one-dimensional. A lot of them sounded really cool, and I wanted to learn more about them. I also struggled to understand some of the explanation of the monsters (though that might just be me misunderstanding). While I mostly enjoyed the commentary on the movie industry, sometimes I felt it got in the way of the story itself.

I would recommend this book for any diehard fans of horror movies, and anyone who is looking for a story about stories. And of course any queer people looking to finally see themselves represented outside of purely tragedies.

This has solidified Tingle as a top horror author. The creativity alone is unmatched. Add on the excellent writing/complex characters and it’s undeniable.

Misha took us on a deep dive into the horrors of Hollywood. Corporate greed isn’t a new concept, but of course Tingle put his own spin on it that made it 100x more interesting. Horror novels that combine horrors of the real world with monsters are scary on a whole new level.

I had to force myself to set this one down several times so that I was able to savor it. It’s an immersive, evocative experience and I can’t wait for more.

Also, the nods to Camp Damascus were an incredible touch.

‘Bury Your Gays’ was honestly way scarier than I was expecting it to be, as Chuck Tingle’s last book had an air of dark humor laced into it. While this definitely has cheeky moments, it leans into the horror of what some creatives would consider the most nightmarish of scenarios: the monsters you’ve written coming to life and hunting you. It was fast-paced and a page-turner that I couldn’t put down.

*Slight spoilers ahead*
There is also an important discussion that stems from the plot surrounding the future of media and the use of artificial intelligence within creative spaces. Any program used to replicate a persons likeness is terrifying, in a sense, but when it begins to calculate and predict movements is when we have hit Terminator level of absurdity. There is a time and place for these types of programs, but creative spaces are not a place for algorithms.

I loved this book!! I loved all of the clever Easter Eggs in the character names, and as both a queer writer and media consumer, Chuck Tingle really, really gets the struggle down. The idea of gay tragedy and trauma being "okay" by the masses, and then as we are self-aware of it, people try to over-correct and disavow sad gay stories or allowing ANY gay character to die. It really does feel like books, shows, and even online discourse are overly focused on making the most algorithmically perfect queer stories, that queer people are in fact limited. I love Misha's takeaway of "just let me write what I want!"

As someone also very much against AI, the way this novel goes into it is wonderful, even if uncomfortable with how too close to comfort things can feel. AI is soulless and can never capture the heart humans have when writing.

Overall, I couldn't put this book down. Fun characters, plot, setting. I think thematically, it's very important and timely.