The mysterious Chuck Tingle built a career out of making all the right people angry. Camp Damascus , a queer horror novel about conversion therapy, demons, the power of curiosity, and the beauty of love, will definitely change that perception. She has also spent a lot of time reading and memorizing the Bible, going to church, and doing events with the church. When Rose starts seeing a demon, her life begins to crumble. As Rose battles the demon and tries to get to the truth of her past, the evil doings of the people who run Camp Damascus come to light, and Rose soon finds herself fighting to stay alive and to become herself again.
On the surface, Camp Damascus is the story of a young woman finding herself while battling literal demons that have been summoned to keep her queerness buried. Two stories. Dark, funny, weird, unique; the list of adjectives that apply to this collection goes on and on, but the most impressive thing about it is the variety of voices, themes, and approaches that Bazterrica manages to cram into these 20 tales.
Sure, the premise β someone killing themselves to bother someone else β is a bit out there, but the fact that Bazterrica opted for a second person approach more or less tells you everything you need to know about the collection. Surprisingly, the trio of great stories that kick off this collection are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Categorizing short story collections can be very tricky collections by writers like Paul Tremblay and Brian Evenson come to mind; they often pack horror, literary fiction, surrealism, and science fiction into the same book , and this one almost laughs at any attempt to be categorized.
Gabino Iglesias is a writer, journalist, professor, and book reviewer living in Austin TX. His short stories have appeared in a plethora of anthologies and his non-fiction has appeared in the New York Times , the Los Angeles Times , and CrimeReads. His work has been published in five languages, optioned for film, and praised by authors as diverse as Roxane Gay, David Joy, Jerry Stahl, and Meg Gardiner. This review and more like it in the October issue of Locus. While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation.
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