Camp Damascus

July 21, 2023 6:30 PM

Two-time Hugo-nominated author Chuck Tingle's first traditionally-published novel, "a searing and earnest horror debut about the demons the queer community faces in America, the price of keeping secrets, and finding the courage to burn it all down."

A horror story set in the small church-dominated town of Neverton, Montana, adjacent to Camp Damascus, the self-proclaimed “most effective” gay conversion camp in the country.

Features a protagonist who writes herself cue-cards for social events, an organized religion, capitalism, far too many flies, and blurbs from T. Kingfisher, J. Scalzi, and N.K. Jemisin (among others).

Author Chuck Tingle has been discussed on Metafilter numerous times.

posted by mersen (4 comments total)

I don't feel entirely qualified to post this book, since I'm not a regular reader of either horror stories or Chuck Tingle, but... I did read it, and liked it, and I'm curious what other people think? I read it mainly on the strength of Chuck Tingle's social media presence, which I've found delightful.

I also quite enjoyed the book. Parts at the beginning reminded me a bit of V. C. Andrews' My Sweet Audrina (why was that was in my junior high school library). And also an obscure memoir by a queer woman (Kelly Winters, Walking Home) who hiked the Appalachian Trail as a pilgrimage and quoted a song: in the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines. I don't know if Kingdom of the Pines is a reference to that song, but it feels appropriate.

...And then it became its own story. I liked the narrator Rose a lot. And that creepy small town Neverton. I even wanted to like Pachid, the murderous demon with a nametag, but she was doing her thing.
posted by mersen at 6:37 PM on July 21, 2023

I, too, am not a huge horror novel guy. That being said, I read most horror novels that are mentioned on Mefi, just because I read a lot.

I actually stopped reading my current book to check this out, though. I have never actually read a tingler before, but I obviously am very aware of who Chuck Tingle is. I appreciate him as a person, but I am just totally not super enthused by books that are overly erotic or romantic, which I am assuming his other works are.

Anyway, I am about halfway through and I like this book a lot. It kind of gives me the same vibe as John Dies at the End, which I mean as a huge compliment. At the same time, it is an absolutely horrifying book, not because of the demons but because of the people. I know that they exist in real life and even though this is obviously fiction, I feel like it is too close to our current reality for comfort.

Thanks for the recommendation, though, I am really enjoying it.
posted by Literaryhero at 3:32 AM on July 23, 2023

Just because no one else has commented, this book is rock solid, from beginning to end. It is easily as good as My Heart Is a Chainsaw or any other recent popular horror novel. Definitely a must read for a horror enthusiast.
posted by Literaryhero at 5:15 AM on July 29, 2023 [1 favorite]

I thought this was... fine. I'm not much for horror, which is probably part of it. But also I found the prose to be a stylized just enough in a way that didn't fade into the background for me, but wasn't particularly interesting in its own right either. Chunk Tingle remains a delight, but his fiction may just not be for me. That's okay, and still proves that love is real.
posted by vibratory manner of working at 12:45 PM on July 31, 2023