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jamesbrainz's review against another edition
5.0
Every story in this anthology was so wonderfully horrific that I just have to say a few words about each individually. Buckle in, bastards.
“Wormspace” by LC von Hessen was a fireworks-level way to start off this anthology. I stand by my belief that horror, particularly body horror, is inherently erotic and Wormspace illustrates that with a grotesque beauty. Unflinching and hypnotizing in its kinky subject matter. It’s one of my favorites, but I’ll be saying that a lot.
“The Haunting of Aiden Finch” by Theo Hendrie captures the unsettling tension of found footage horror spectacularly with a brutal punch of body horror to finish it off. Using a trans man’s voice update videos to facilitate said found footage horror was the bloody icing on the cake.
“Coming Out” by Derek Des Anges was just the right amount of confusing you’d expect from fungal horror delivered with all the grime of its prison setting.
“Mama is a Butcher” by Winter Holmes really exemplified the horror of living in a strange, unwanted-by-others body and the ways a young person navigates such restraints and prejudices with all the delicious details of sewing skin to skin.
“Fall Apart” by gaast was another one of my favorites with an incredible premise. It’s fast and skin-crawling and climactic, nearly evoking a The Ritual-esque creature with more metal.
“Lady Davelina’s Last Pet” by Charles-Elizabeth Boyles was yet another favorite (told you I’d be saying that a lot). Everyone loves shapeshifter horror and what better way to shapeshift than when it’s near-constant and uncontrolled? The real body horror here was the intensely uncomfortable and tangible descriptions of dysphoria.
“In the Garden of Horn, The Naked Magic Thrives” by Hailey Piper seemed written specifically for my tastes in erotic horror (along with “Wormspace”) with its mystical fetish horn, gender affirmation via said mystical fetish horn, and climactic orgastic creation of a god.
I was honored to personally give my review of “A Scream Lights Up The Sky” to the man himself, Joe Koch, but I will elaborate here too. The scenario and prose revolted me in the best way possible with its grotesquely intricate details of arachnid-thing death and labor. Made the mistake of eating mac and cheese while I devoured this story and will make that mistake again.
“Long Fingers” by Layne Van Rensburg had the most irresistible character voice I’ve read in quite some time. I wish nothing but the best for Jennifer in her fleshy, world conquering pursuits.
“A Brief History of the Santa Carcossa Archipelago” by Bitter Karella had a premise so sexually nasty that I just had to give my biology-obsessed boyfriend the play-by-play as I read it. Equal parts arousing and informative; if you didn’t have an intimate knowledge of the mating patterns of trench fish, you will after reading this. Goes without saying that this is another favorite.
“Show Me” by Amanda M. Blake captured a cold and gradual horror that had me hungrily looking forward to the comeuppance I knew would be delivered.
“Man of the House” by Lillian Boyd was another positively delicious revenge story that immediately has you rooting for the haunted house’s ghost. It’s always a fun time to see bigots get their dearly deserved due.
Just as beautifully as it began, Bound in Flesh ends with an absolute showstopper in “Looking for the Big Death” by Taliesin Neith, another author I have the privilege of speaking to personally. Saying I’m obsessed with the premise of an immortal with a need for death and an oddly sweet murderer would be an understatement. May the main character live long and die often.
“Wormspace” by LC von Hessen was a fireworks-level way to start off this anthology. I stand by my belief that horror, particularly body horror, is inherently erotic and Wormspace illustrates that with a grotesque beauty. Unflinching and hypnotizing in its kinky subject matter. It’s one of my favorites, but I’ll be saying that a lot.
“The Haunting of Aiden Finch” by Theo Hendrie captures the unsettling tension of found footage horror spectacularly with a brutal punch of body horror to finish it off. Using a trans man’s voice update videos to facilitate said found footage horror was the bloody icing on the cake.
“Coming Out” by Derek Des Anges was just the right amount of confusing you’d expect from fungal horror delivered with all the grime of its prison setting.
“Mama is a Butcher” by Winter Holmes really exemplified the horror of living in a strange, unwanted-by-others body and the ways a young person navigates such restraints and prejudices with all the delicious details of sewing skin to skin.
“Fall Apart” by gaast was another one of my favorites with an incredible premise. It’s fast and skin-crawling and climactic, nearly evoking a The Ritual-esque creature with more metal.
“Lady Davelina’s Last Pet” by Charles-Elizabeth Boyles was yet another favorite (told you I’d be saying that a lot). Everyone loves shapeshifter horror and what better way to shapeshift than when it’s near-constant and uncontrolled? The real body horror here was the intensely uncomfortable and tangible descriptions of dysphoria.
“In the Garden of Horn, The Naked Magic Thrives” by Hailey Piper seemed written specifically for my tastes in erotic horror (along with “Wormspace”) with its mystical fetish horn, gender affirmation via said mystical fetish horn, and climactic orgastic creation of a god.
I was honored to personally give my review of “A Scream Lights Up The Sky” to the man himself, Joe Koch, but I will elaborate here too. The scenario and prose revolted me in the best way possible with its grotesquely intricate details of arachnid-thing death and labor. Made the mistake of eating mac and cheese while I devoured this story and will make that mistake again.
“Long Fingers” by Layne Van Rensburg had the most irresistible character voice I’ve read in quite some time. I wish nothing but the best for Jennifer in her fleshy, world conquering pursuits.
“A Brief History of the Santa Carcossa Archipelago” by Bitter Karella had a premise so sexually nasty that I just had to give my biology-obsessed boyfriend the play-by-play as I read it. Equal parts arousing and informative; if you didn’t have an intimate knowledge of the mating patterns of trench fish, you will after reading this. Goes without saying that this is another favorite.
“Show Me” by Amanda M. Blake captured a cold and gradual horror that had me hungrily looking forward to the comeuppance I knew would be delivered.
“Man of the House” by Lillian Boyd was another positively delicious revenge story that immediately has you rooting for the haunted house’s ghost. It’s always a fun time to see bigots get their dearly deserved due.
Just as beautifully as it began, Bound in Flesh ends with an absolute showstopper in “Looking for the Big Death” by Taliesin Neith, another author I have the privilege of speaking to personally. Saying I’m obsessed with the premise of an immortal with a need for death and an oddly sweet murderer would be an understatement. May the main character live long and die often.
readingsofaslinky's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
dreadthemad's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Review
🏳️⚧️Bound In Flesh: An Anthology of Trans Body Horror edited by Lor Gislason and written by various authors
★ ★ ★ . 5
I received the ecopy of this as a free advanced reader copy (ARC) off booksirens.com and it was one wild ride from start to finish! Grotesque and fascinating, each short story delves into all the horror tropes with a focus on the trans body. It was refreshing to read from the perspectives of trans characters without the story solely focusing on their transition. By far my favourites were “The Haunting of Aiden Finch” by Theo Hendrie, “Wormspace” by LC von Hessen, “Man of The House” by Lillian Boyd and “Looking for the Big Death” by Taliesin Neith.
“The Haunting of Aiden Finch” was so incredibly creepy that it made me check over my shoulder a couple of times. The suspense and building dread were really well done, would love to see more horror pieces from this author.
“Wormspace” was utterly bizarre but so interesting. It reminded me of the book Woom by Duncan Ralston with how unpredictable and alien it seemed.
“Man of The House” was the classic haunted house with a transgender twist. Not much I can say without giving things away but it was pretty satisfying.
“Looking for the Big Death” has a basic premise that has been explored before but by the halfway point it takes one hell of a turn, pretty morbid and interesting.
As a whole I found this collection to be very creative with the body horror taking on many forms. Some of the premises are cool enough to be made into entire novels of their own. One thing I was not a big fan of was how many sex scenes there were, I don’t fault any individual author for this but it seemed that most of the stories had some sort of sexual content. Sometimes these scenes happened in moments that were plain odd but i’ll give it a pass since it is the horror genre. I would love to see more lgbt+ themed horror novels and anthologies.
Disclaimer: this is a voluntary review and not a sponsorship.
🏳️⚧️Bound In Flesh: An Anthology of Trans Body Horror edited by Lor Gislason and written by various authors
★ ★ ★ . 5
I received the ecopy of this as a free advanced reader copy (ARC) off booksirens.com and it was one wild ride from start to finish! Grotesque and fascinating, each short story delves into all the horror tropes with a focus on the trans body. It was refreshing to read from the perspectives of trans characters without the story solely focusing on their transition. By far my favourites were “The Haunting of Aiden Finch” by Theo Hendrie, “Wormspace” by LC von Hessen, “Man of The House” by Lillian Boyd and “Looking for the Big Death” by Taliesin Neith.
“The Haunting of Aiden Finch” was so incredibly creepy that it made me check over my shoulder a couple of times. The suspense and building dread were really well done, would love to see more horror pieces from this author.
“Wormspace” was utterly bizarre but so interesting. It reminded me of the book Woom by Duncan Ralston with how unpredictable and alien it seemed.
“Man of The House” was the classic haunted house with a transgender twist. Not much I can say without giving things away but it was pretty satisfying.
“Looking for the Big Death” has a basic premise that has been explored before but by the halfway point it takes one hell of a turn, pretty morbid and interesting.
As a whole I found this collection to be very creative with the body horror taking on many forms. Some of the premises are cool enough to be made into entire novels of their own. One thing I was not a big fan of was how many sex scenes there were, I don’t fault any individual author for this but it seemed that most of the stories had some sort of sexual content. Sometimes these scenes happened in moments that were plain odd but i’ll give it a pass since it is the horror genre. I would love to see more lgbt+ themed horror novels and anthologies.
Disclaimer: this is a voluntary review and not a sponsorship.
michellehogmire's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Happy Publication Week to Bound in Flesh: An Anthology of Trans Body Horror (Ghoulish Books 4/18)—a disturbing, delightful collection of macabre tales about existing inside (or outside) a meat carcass. I received an advance review copy from BookSirens for free, and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
Bound in Flesh, expertly edited by Lor Gislason, features 13 chilling stories all written by non-binary and trans authors. Unusual for an anthology, there’s not a weak piece or link in the bunch; instead, the selections thematically enhance and build on one another—creating a shambling Cronenbergian hybrid of a book. Stories like “Wormspace” by L.C. von Hessen or “Coming Out” by Derek Des Agnes explore the monstrous form as a liberation from cisgender restrictions, while pieces like “The Haunting of Aiden Finch” by Theo Hendrie or “Mama is a Butcher” by Winter Holmes depict the repressive and fearful reality of occupying a body deemed Other by society. Some tales pile on the gory gross-outs (Joe Koch’s “A Scream Lights Up the Sky”), but others rely more on psychological insidiousness (Amanda M. Blake’s “Show Me”). The stories even run the gamut in terms of genre, covering everything from science fictional automatons (gaast’s “Fall Apart”) to splatterpunk revenge (Lillian Boyd’s “Man of the House”).
The two stand-out pieces in this collection are “Lady Davelina’s Last Pet” by Charles-Elizabeth Boyle and “Looking for the Big Death” by Taliesin Neith. The former is a whimsical and beautifully written fairytale representation of physical transformation and BDSM torture, while the latter takes a startling deep dive into the harmonious relationship between death obsession and murder. All in all, Bound in Flesh does an excellent job of highlighting the expansive power of unashamed non-normative bodies or, as the narrator of Layne Van Rensberg’s “Long Fingers” puts it, “I laugh. This is how they see me. I’m a flesh monster corrupting the ordinary world. I will never be able to change their mind. That’s why I won’t give them the chance to eradicate me. I’ll spread further and faster than they can cope with because I will not be held back from being all that I’m capable of. From being the world.”
micahcastle's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ramreadsagain's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
An excellent collection of short stories, with a great mix of disturbing, creepy, odd and horrifying. I can definitely see how trans people in particular can have an intimate relationship with body horror, and these stories are a powerful representation of this.
Some favourites include The Haunting of Aiden Finch (which is great for creepypasta fans), Lady Davelina’s Last Pet, Long Fingers, and the final three especially!
Some were a bit of a miss for me, but I still absolutely recommend this anthology!
I was offered a free copy of this book by Book Sirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Some favourites include The Haunting of Aiden Finch (which is great for creepypasta fans), Lady Davelina’s Last Pet, Long Fingers, and the final three especially!
Some were a bit of a miss for me, but I still absolutely recommend this anthology!
I was offered a free copy of this book by Book Sirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Body horror, and Gore
Moderate: Vomit, Pregnancy, and Sexual violence
Minor: Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Religious bigotry
mythian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I had never considered how the trans experience could be related to body horror before, but having read this book, I think it was a brilliant idea to put this collection together. The horror elements put the reader at unease with the main character's situation and their body, encouraging empathetic connections with someone of a different gender or lived experience than yours. Many of these characters have a strong sense of identity-- they know what is right for them, and when something is wrong, you can feel how disturbing the situation is. The characters also often very driven; they go for what they want, even if it may seem horrific to others.
I found several stories empowering, but there are just as many that I found really gross and disturbing. That all comes down to personal preference, but this is a reminder to be in the right headspace when reading this book, as there is frequently quite vitriolic imagery.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I found several stories empowering, but there are just as many that I found really gross and disturbing. That all comes down to personal preference, but this is a reminder to be in the right headspace when reading this book, as there is frequently quite vitriolic imagery.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Dysphoria, Body horror, and Sexual content
Moderate: Medical trauma, Self harm, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Excrement
Suicidal ideationpagesbyolivia's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
Bound in Flesh is a great collection of trans body horror short stories and definitely a recommendation if you are into body horror!
As it often happens with short story collections, some stories I enjoyed more than others but there wasn’t one I didn’t like, so overall I enjoyed the whole collection a lot.
Some of the stories were hard to read because they were very graphic and gorey and really made my stomach churn, while others were a bit milder, but the overall vibes were nicely disturbing.
The writing in all of the stories was pretty good as well and the stories were all incredibly unique and creative.
This collection was unlike anything I ever read but now I’m definitely intrigued to get more into the genre.
Bound in Flesh is a great collection of trans body horror short stories and definitely a recommendation if you are into body horror!
As it often happens with short story collections, some stories I enjoyed more than others but there wasn’t one I didn’t like, so overall I enjoyed the whole collection a lot.
Some of the stories were hard to read because they were very graphic and gorey and really made my stomach churn, while others were a bit milder, but the overall vibes were nicely disturbing.
The writing in all of the stories was pretty good as well and the stories were all incredibly unique and creative.
This collection was unlike anything I ever read but now I’m definitely intrigued to get more into the genre.
raincorbyn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5