things have gotten worse since the last time we spoke

But the appearance of a stranger reinforces Olive’s belief in the afterlife-she never believed those reports in the first place. After their seventeen-year-old son Milo falls victim to the rash of suicides, Olive and James take a trip to a remote island to try to deal with their grief.

This was such a weird story and I loved it! It has been proven scientifically that the afterlife doesn’t exist, and because of this, suicides are on the rise. And remember that apple peeler from the beginning of the story? Yeah, keep that apple peeler in mind. Agnes and Zoe never meet in real life, but you won’t believe what happens between them. This is online relationship horror at its best. The dynamic abruptly shifts when Zoe steers the relationship in a new and disturbing direction. As the two women start an email correspondence, and then later hook up in a private chatroom, it becomes clear that Agnes is particularly lonely and can’t stop thinking about Zoe. Zoe answers the ad, and from there things turn, well, odd.

Agnes and Zoe meet over a posting on a queer online community board, after Agnes tries to sell her antique apple peeler. In the title story, LaRocca explores how far strangers will go in order to make a connection. THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE Here’s a breakdown of the three stories and my thoughts on each one: But don’t let that seemingly feel-good idea fool you-these stories are upsetting, gross and thoroughly original, and if you enjoy horror with any of these elements, you need to try Eric’s work. I believe this is my third book of theirs I’ve read, and in fact I actually own two different editions of this book! Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke is a collection of three stories, two novellas and one short(er) story, each one very different but all three dealing with a central theme of lonely people reaching out to make connections with each other. The nitty-gritty: At times uncomfortable and disturbing, Eric LaRocca’s stories explore the dangerous side of human relationships.Įric LaRocca is quickly becoming my go-to horror author when I’m looking for well-written, edgy horror, horror that isn’t like anything else out there. Published by Titan Books on September 6 2022 Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke And Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Things have gotten worse since the last time we spoke