ABOUT THE AUTHOR: CHUCK TINGLE is the USA Today bestselling author of Camp Damascus and Straight. He is a mysterious force of energy behind sunglasses and a pink mask. He is also an anonymous author of romance, horror, and fantasy. Chuck was born in Home of Truth, Utah, and lives in Los Angeles, California. Chuck writes to prove love is real, because love is the most important tool we have when resisting the endless cosmic void. Not everything people say about Chuck is true, but the important parts are.

Publisher: Tor Nightfire (July 9, 2024) Length: 304 pages Formats: audiobook, ebook, hardback

What happens when you say “no” to Hollywood execs, dodge AI’s soulless algorithms, and accidentally bring your nightmares to life? In Chuck Tingle’s Bury Your Gays, the answer is a gory, clever, and unexpectedly heartfelt horror romp that’ll have you laugh and shiver.

Misha Byrne is a queer screenwriter living the Hollywood dream—or nightmare, depending on how you see it. His hit TV show, Travelers, has made him a rising star and is just about to reach its season finale. Misha’s bosses at the Harold Brothers studio want him to kill off his lesbian leads, proving once again that some corners of the entertainment industry still have the emotional intelligence of a damp sock. It’s “what the algorithm wants,” they insist. Misha, being an actual human with principles, refuses. And that’s when his own monsters—yes, the ones from his scripts—start showing up in real life, hell-bent on turning his bones to dust (literally).

Bury Your Gays is an excellent story - entertaining, easy to read, and imaginative. It provides a razor-sharp satire of Hollywood’s obsession with safe, market-tested storytelling and its alarming embrace of AI. But it’s also a full-on, no-holds-barred horror. Tingle doesn’t hold back with his creatures: from The Smoker, a spectral menace who asks for a light before pulverizing his victims, to a shape-shifting Amazon and a downright sinister black lamb, the scares are inventive and unnerving.

Misha’s struggles aren’t just about surviving his literal demons; they’re about navigating an industry that’s all too willing to erase voices like his. His found family of quirky, lovable friends keeps the story grounded, even as the body count rises.

Tingle’s writing is tight and unpretentious, with just enough sly humor to offset the tension. And the ending? It’s a masterclass in sticking the landing, tying up themes of creativity, defiance, and queer resilience with a flourish.

I’m surprised by how much I liked Bury Your Gays. If you like your horror smart, scary, and more than a little meta, it is a must-read. 

Audiobook narration: absolutely brilliant.