Bitters

by Kaaron Warren, Cemetery Dance Publications

The giant metal man has stood for hundreds of years, head tilted back, mouth open. All the dead of the town are disposed of this way, carried up the long, staircase that winds around him and tipped in. At his toe emerges the Bitters, the lifeblood of the town, keeping them healthy and prosperous as the sick and needy come to buy and drink.

McNubbin is a happy man with all he wants in life. He’s carried the bodies up since he was 14, a worthwhile, respected job. But when he notices broken girl after broken girl, he can’t stay quiet, and speaking up will change his perfect life.

"Well known in Australia for her critically acclaimed and compelling speculative fiction, Warren has written a must-read for fans of menacing, thought-provoking, horror-laced dystopias like Agustina Bazterrica’s Tender is the Flesh and Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves." - Library Journal Starred Review

“With Bitters, one of fiction’s greatest voices outdoes herself, proving again that when it comes to stories that make your skin crawl, which literally sear themselves into your mind, Kaaron Warren is unmatched. The Man with its lifeblood bitters casts one hell of a shadow over the town, as does its author over the literary field. A deliciously horrific read.” - Aaron Dries, author of Cut to Care and Dirty Heads.

Genres: Horror, Novella, Fiction

82 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 29, 2023

About the author

I wanted to be a writer from a very young age, and wrote my first proper short story at 14. I also wrote a novel that year, called “Skin Deep”‘, which I really need to type up.

I started sending stories out when I was about 23, and sold my first one, “White Bed”", in 1993. Since then I’ve sold about 150 short stories, seven short story collections and six novels.

I’m an avid and broad reader but I also like reality TV so don’t always expect intelligent conversation from me.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this was a wild ride between Wicker Man and a seemingly perfect little society feeding on bitters. Bitters is the product of dead bodies put into the head of a giant statue. The juice comes out of the toes and people from near and far make a pilgrimage to the Man to get this precious liquid. Will it really help to prolong ones life? Do you get immortal with it? The story is mainly focused on one of the carriers, Mc Nubbin. Very dystopian, critical toward all kinds of cults and sects the author comes up with a very dark novella. Not exactly my cup of tea but it had quite an amount of horrific elements inside. A dark bittersweet symphony. Recommended for fans of this genre.

[Becky Spratford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review in the April 2023 issue of Library Journal: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2023/03...

Issue will also include an interview with the author [Link to come]

Three Words That Describe This Book: original, sinister, immersive

Notes: An immersive and utterly original story with awesome world building. Unease from the first sentence to the very last scene. Novella that demands to be read in one sitting. Sinister, terrifying, dystopia. Just slightly askew from reality.

Stomach churning but not gruesome. Great description of smells. A story you can smell.

Already leading the way for best novella of 2023. If it doesn't make you uncomfortable both for the ideas and the grossness-- you are not thinking about what you just read and what it says about our current world.

Readalikes: Night of the Living Mannequins by SGJ and Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica because it is thought provoking and sinister, Stories where you clearly identify with people who make choices that will make the reader uncomfortable.

Draft Review:

McNubbin works in the shadow of the Man, a copper colored, naked statue, measuring 60 men high, the protector of a community for generations. His job? A carrier. McNubbin spends his days feeding dead bodies into the mouth of the Man. 400 steps up and down. A short break and then up again. But only the right bodies are carried up, as determined by the Professors, so that their decaying corpses can marinate together creating a juice that is tapped from the toe. The “Bitters,” as it is known, is precious. Residents are protected with good health because of it, and others flock to their town annually to have a chance to partake as well. An entire industry and social structure revolves around this gruesome industry. McNubbin is very proud to be a carrier, but when severely damaged young girls keep showing up to be disposed of, McNubbin starts to question it all. Deeply entrenched in classic Dystopian fiction and set in a world just slightly askew from reality, Warren’s highly unsettling novella masterfully assaults readers with all five of their senses, immersing them in a strikingly original story that demands to be read in one sitting.

Verdict: Well known for her critically acclaimed and compelling speculative fiction in her Native Australia, Warren’s story stands ominously over American readers, tempting them to try a shot of the Bitters. A must read for fans of menacing, thought provoking Horror laced Dystopias such as Tender is the Flesh by Bazterrica and The Marrow Thieves by Dimaline.

[Paul Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a unique and disturbing dystopian world. Is this humanity in 400 years? How did this practice start? Who made all the rules? And dear Lord, why did someone think that it was a good idea to extract a foul liquid and put it in their mouth?
The Man, over 360 feet tall, over one thousand years old, hollow and made of metal, mouth wide open and waiting for the bodies to be dumped in.
Discover this world as I have. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down, I was compelled to finish, piecing the puzzle together and not wanting to see the finished picture.
Repulsive in its theory, disturbing knowing that our society would do the same thing.

[Christina Pfeiffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full reviews at https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/chr...

BITTERS by Kaaron Warren
McNubbins is a carrier of dead bodies. Up the stairs he goes day in and day out to provide generations after him with bitters. He throws them in the open mouth of the Man and continues on. When McNubbins finds the truth about the bodies, a childhood friend and professor uses that information for evil. His co-workers, Clive and Swain, and McNubbins wife, Wanda, will all have to come to terms with what is happening. The bitters may help with sickness but does it help with the evil in men?

uuuuhhhhh… this one has given me heavy boots. The book is upsetting, depressing, and well a heavy read and I loved it. BITTERS is something like I have never read before and with every twist and turn, I needed more. While a short novella, don’t be fooled. We are pulled into a world that is built around us as we move through it with the characters. It’s rich in commentary and heart. 

BITTERS is a book I needed in my life and didn’t know it. If you are looking for literary fiction that will make you fall in love with the written word again, look no further, friends. Warren has us covered.  A HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND. 10/5.

[Anthony O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surreal, mind-fucking slice of dystopian fiction that cleverly straddles the line between the absurd and the macabre. Genuinely vivid world building and a slight but engaging story. Whipped through it because it was a novella but the quality of the writing, the imagery, made me feel like I'd been immersed in a shockingly well-realised, albeit ambiguous, world.

Anyway, grand stuff. This is my first squiz at Warren's work but it won't be my last.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an interesting story! I’d love to know more about how/why The Man was built; is that his original purpose, to create Bitters?

I really enjoyed McNubbin’s tale and his character. Wanda made me feel sad, they can do so many wondrous things, but they can’t treat mental health with medication because it makes the body impure 😔.

Reading about all the new roles created within society to manage the creation of Bitters, it makes me wonder if my nursing career would be obsolete.

There seemed to be some minor continuity errors; the bud scene with Danielle was a bit puzzling. First it said she was with her mother, then travelling without her parents, then it mentions her mother being there again. So not sure what’s up with that.

Thank you to the author & Cemetery Dance for a copy.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Kaaron Warren delivers a thought provoking piece of art. I was first introduced her work two years ago and I have yet to be disappointed. She sure knows how to create an atmosphere! I felt like I was in the story and I wasn’t too keen on the idea of smelling like bitters lol
The character building was on point.
This can be read in one sitting but I preferred to savor it like I would have savored the bitters lol

[C.H. Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this weird, wildly original dystopian horror, grounded in a small town. We follow McNubbin, whose job is carrying the dead into a giant metal man, part of a process which distills the Bitters, a healing substance which ensures the town’s prosperity. Original in the best way, I loved the unsettledness of not knowing what to expect next.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting world-building and culture; I'd be interested in exploring more of it. The protagonist's love and support for his wife with severe depression was a bit of comfort in a bleak and strange setting.

Towards the end of the story, it felt more like a series of vignettes due to the overuse of section dividers—sometimes between each paragraph. Writing was alright. Could use another pass from a proofreader.

[Bobi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC for this novella. What a cool read! Totally enjoyed every minute of being in this world. Found myself wanting more story in this setting, about the main character 's daughter university life. So happy to have this gem to add to my collection!

[Stephen Herczeg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confession time - I am a friend of Kaaron's and was present when this book won both a Ditmar and a Shadow award, so I bought it straight away and had her sign it for me.

As a writer myself, I really wanted to see what makes a good award winning book.

This does.

Straight up, the concept is pretty mind blowing. The science may be a little dodgy, but meh, we don't worry about things like that, this is a sci-fi/horror mash up after all.
The opening sets the scene for our protagonist McNubbin. A salt of the Earth fellow, who has a deep devotion to his wife and children, and his job, as grisly as it is. As we read through the underlying mystery begins to unfold, and the antagonist is revealed fairly early on, not explicitly, but all fingers point to this one person.
The ending came a little quick. I'll admit that. The story needed to be longer, as there was much more to it than was written.
As a crime writer myself, I wanted this aspect delved into. McNubbin, even though portrayed as a simple fellow, was nuanced enough to act as the story's detective and virtually fell into solving the crime without having to do much detecting.
Regardless, Bitters is a very good novella and a speedy read.

I have other Warren books, and will be elevating those up the "To Read" list soon.

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got an ARC of Kaaron Warren’s ‘Bitters’ from Cemetery Dance, and read it in one sitting. ‘Bitters’ is a brilliant, soulful story, reminiscent of the best work of the science fiction writer, Ted Chiang (his ‘Tower of Babylon’ especially.) It can be read as fantasy, horror, speculative fiction, a detective story or simply a morality tale for our era. There’s a number of allegorical strands involved in the narration, though plot-wise ‘Bitters’ is quite straightforward and offers an intriguing take on the disposal of dead bodies: pick the best corpses, throw them into the giant metal structure of The Man, wait a hundred years, and- lo! here comes the super-drink locals call the Bitters. There are a lot of unsetting moments as Warren describes the local culture, the stink of The Man, the science around the Bitters. Things turn sinister when the bodies of Broken Girls turn up for disposal: where do they come from? Why do they look like the victims of torture? The answer is deeply disturbing, but justice will be served! Recommended.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing story! I want everyone to read this. It won’t take long, you could read it over the weekend, some of you could read it in a day. It’s a gripping and sordid story set in the future. If the synopsis doesn’t pull you in right away, hopefully I can lure you. It is worth the time to read this; I mean it!

McNubbin carries the deceased up an extensive set of stairs and deposits them into the open mouth of a giant metal man. At the foot of the metal man, at his toes, people collect a liquid that pours out, called Bitters. They collect this drink and drink it to keep them happy and healthy. McNubbin has a concern. There have been many girls that he has been taking to the metal man that are not natural deaths.

This is such a surreal and odd story. The writing is amazing and hooks you right away. There were times when I would shutter at the idea of drinking Bitters for the health of a person. Some of you might need a strong gag reflex for this. Kaaron Warren has written a lot of books that I’m going to read.

[Reads_Must · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bitters
Dystopian, Thriller
Kaaron Warren
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was an odd book, but in a good way. I don't think I've ever read a book where the townspeople survive and thrive because of a serum made from their dead.

The vibes were creepy and disturbing but the plot also highlighted how we deal with death/grief and how some people need to believe that they're helping future generations and the need to believe in the greater good.

There wasn't much world building, which was a shame. I was left wanting to know more about where "The Man" statue came from, how the tradition of throwing the dead inside and creating the serum started and what the outside world thought of it all.

I found most of the characters lacking depth. McNubbin was interesting because he had various emotions and had good motives for what he did at the end.

The ending was a little sudden. I would've liked the book to be longer just so that more world builing could take place.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bitters has a very interesting premise: a huge metal man that gets bodies tossed in to eventually be digested and have the "juice" extracted from one of his big toes to help the people in town survive and thrive.

While certainly unique, parts of the story were pretty repetitive. I think maybe this book could have used more length to flesh out the characters more and build the world up around the Man. Everything outside of the Man felt static and flat, like it was there just so the Man could exist. I had a really hard time connecting with the characters as well, despite my general like for McNubbin and his wife, Wanda.

Some of the sentence structure was a little hard to read as well. It rambled a bit and I got lost sometimes in the middle of a sentence and had to go back and read through the start of it again just to make sure I understood everything.

I think I would read more of this world if the author ever decided to explore it further, but it wouldn't be a priority for me.

[Chris Davidge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got the ARC from Cemetery Dance. Really enjoyed the story; something just a little different. For hundreds of years, locals have been tossing their dead into the giant metal structure of The Man. Only those who are worthy and pure go into the ancient recipe that makes the Bitters so important to the health of the society that has developed around it, but now things are changing. Undocumented bodies are showing up forcing some to wonder: What are they adding to the Bitters, or are they a means of covering up something more sinister? Reminded me of the old Twilight Zone episodes, or classic shorts like The Lottery. I would have loved a little more on the history of The Man and some of the other characters. This is the first story I have read by this author, and I look forward to reading more. 5/5

[Leanbh Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The focus of Bitters is the township that both owe their existence and health to the gold statue of the Man.

After a post-apocalyptic plague hundreds of years before, the dead were thrown into the Man and the putrified liquid called Bitters used as tonic. Over time, scientists removed any sick or drug users from those whose bodies ended up in the Man and the resultant Bitters gave health to the township who benefited from the Man. But a darker secret lurks within the township and the control of those who do a duty in carrying bodies to the top of the statue to deliver them into the Man, those who carry salt and bugs for the quickening the process of decay and those who provide the Bitters into bottles.

Review

Bitters was an expertly crafted dystopian and post-apocalyptic novella that leaves no doubt that Warren is a master storyteller as her tale draws the reader deep into the mindset of the town that hosts the famous strong male statue and to whom they consign the bodies of the dead and reap the benefits of an elixir from the putrefied remains. Despite the darkness and horrifying truth of the Man – Warren focuses on the members of the township who owe their livelihoods and health the grim task they carry out daily. Warren writes without judgement but a sense of compassion for the characters who prosper from the deaths of others. A powerful dystopian novella that haunts you long after the last page has been turned.

Conclusion

A great read for fans of dystopian tales, dark fiction and psychological horror. A highly recommended read!

[Lukasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

I loved the macabre premise: a giant metal man, standing for centuries, turns the town’s dead into a life-giving liquid dispensed from its toe. McNubbin, who has happily carried bodies up the 400 steps since he was a teen, starts to question his role when the bodies of too many young girls come his way. Rocking the boat, though, isn’t exactly encouraged in a town built on such a grim tradition.

Warren’s writing is unsettling and more literary than "windowpane". The novella takes elements of horror, dystopia, and social critique and turns them into a disturbing story with satisfying ending. It's also a strong critique of cultish devotion, power structures, and moral compromise.

I liked it, overall. But not strongly enough to think about it for days or to relate to characters.

[Danielle Yeager · Rating 4 out of 5]

The town has a large metal man that they put dead bodies inside. An elixir is produced from these dead bodies called the Bitters, which the townspeople drink and it keeps them healthy. I could smell this novella. "Those who left were made homesick by the smell of fish paste."

The recent bodies have been "broken girls" showing signs of torture and obviously murdered. The protagonist, one of the carriers of the bodies, sets out to uncover why.

It's an original murder mystery with a satisfying ending. A quick and easy read at 74 pages. I enjoyed it, Kaaron Warren!

Thank you to Cemetery Dance Publications for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

[Margaret Hamnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The bitters are the substance that is processed from bodies being piled into The Man. This town believes that the bitters makes the population healthier and easier to withstand disease.
This story was incredible, to put it mildly. I ran through this in one sitting. Some parts were atrocious, some depraved and some just sad. The idea behind this story is a little bit wickermanish but so much more.
Everything about the writing sent a shiver down my spine and I felt completely immersed in their world. I could smell the bodies and hear The Man digesting them.
This was one of the best stories I’ve read in a long time and will be looking for more from this author now.

[Missy Dillavou · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story had a very interesting concept to it. That being said, the writing style and some of the sentence structures were hard to follow/understand. There were a lot of repetitive parts, specifically about the little man statues that had bitters in them. I felt like the story was rushed, especially the ending. I did enjoy the main character and all the emotions he felt. I also really liked the unique names of characters that the author chose.
I don't regret reading the book, but I would not read it again.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Cemetery Dance for providing a review copy.
Small but mighty, this novella packs quite a punch in less than 100 pages. I devoured it in one sitting, fascinated with this strange future in which people drink corpse juice for health. I found the ending extremely satisfying. The world building is great for such a slim volume, and I would love to read more stories set in the same world.

[Nora Suntken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird as shit but almost good? The relationships of the characters was deeper than I expected for a 70ish page book. It was pretty gross and the depictions of people being carried into the Man kind of freaked me out. Honestly, I’m just glad it didn’t give me nightmares. McNubbins and Wanda were the heart of the story and I think without their love for each other driving the story along, I wouldn’t have handled the horror of it all as well.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic novella that speaks to various aspects of power: of drugs over people, of religion over communities, of those who control the resources over those who need them, but also the power of saying "no, I will not cross that line" and the repercussions that follow.

Once again, Kaaron Warren combines disturbing concepts and relatable characters in a thought-provoking look at societal ills.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dystopian novella where dead bodies are thrown inside a giant hollow man to decompose so people can drink the “bitters” of their remains. Quite a few glaring errors that needed another round of edits but these do not detract from the story too much.

[Alicia Hilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bitters is a phenomenal novella. One sip, and you'll be addicted. I devoured Bitters in one sitting. It's a devastating story--an emotional punch in the gut. Well-crafted characters. Vivid setting. Entrancing plot. And a satisfying ending. Highly recommended!

[Wayne's · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting little story.

[Pauline Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bitters leaves a nasty taste in your mouth and I applaud Kaaron Warren for this superbly crafted novella. The concept touches on truths we ignore to our detriment on so many levels, but I will not share my thoughts on those because I don’t want to spoil the enlightenment for others. Beautifully horrendous and disturbingly engaging. I highly recommend this dystopian read.

[Carol Ryles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literary horror at its best. Warren has that perfect knack of making the impossible believable, the horrifying compelling, along with well-written characters who keep me reading. Highly recommended if you are a fan of horror and dark fiction.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read with unique dystopian world and a most satisfying ending.