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Sunbathers
Sin is hot but purity is blistering.
Hordes of cannibalistic sun-vampires rule the daylight hours, forcing the remaining humans to adapt to a grubby, nocturnal existence. When she sacrifices everything to become a Sunbather, queer Soph discovers that the heterosexual commune is not the glowing paradise she'd hoped for, and her new immortal body still yearns for womanflesh. After discovering that the Sunbathers are building a solar lamp that will enable them to walk in permanent light, Soph must decide if she's willing to doom what's left of humanity just to finally fit in.
Hordes of cannibalistic sun-vampires rule the daylight hours, forcing the remaining humans to adapt to a grubby, nocturnal existence. When she sacrifices everything to become a Sunbather, queer Soph discovers that the heterosexual commune is not the glowing paradise she'd hoped for, and her new immortal body still yearns for womanflesh. After discovering that the Sunbathers are building a solar lamp that will enable them to walk in permanent light, Soph must decide if she's willing to doom what's left of humanity just to finally fit in.
114 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 6, 2024
28 people are currently reading
565 people want to read
About the author
Lindz McLeod
34 books62 followersLindz McLeod is a queer, working-class, Scottish writer and editor who dabbles in the surreal. Her short prose has been published by Apex, Catapult, Pseudopod, DIVA, Nightmare, and many more.
Her longer work includes the award-winning short story collection TURDUCKEN (Spaceboy, 2023), as well as SUNBATHERS (Hedone Books, 2024), QUEEN O'NINE TAILS (Hedone Books, 2025), THE UNLIKELY PURSUIT OF MARY BENNET (Harlequin, 2025), WE, THE DROWNING (Android Press, 2026), THE MISEDUCATION OF CAROLINE BINGLEY (Harlequin, 2026), the collaborative anthology AN HONOUR AND A PRIVILEGE (Stanchion, 2025), and more. Her work has been taught in schools and universities, displayed in a museum, turned into avant-garde opera, and optioned for TV.
She is a full member of the SFWA, the former club president of the Edinburgh Writers' Club, and is in her third year of a PhD in Creative Writing. She lives in Edinburgh with her talented fiancée and their two extremely photogenic cats, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Dane.
Her longer work includes the award-winning short story collection TURDUCKEN (Spaceboy, 2023), as well as SUNBATHERS (Hedone Books, 2024), QUEEN O'NINE TAILS (Hedone Books, 2025), THE UNLIKELY PURSUIT OF MARY BENNET (Harlequin, 2025), WE, THE DROWNING (Android Press, 2026), THE MISEDUCATION OF CAROLINE BINGLEY (Harlequin, 2026), the collaborative anthology AN HONOUR AND A PRIVILEGE (Stanchion, 2025), and more. Her work has been taught in schools and universities, displayed in a museum, turned into avant-garde opera, and optioned for TV.
She is a full member of the SFWA, the former club president of the Edinburgh Writers' Club, and is in her third year of a PhD in Creative Writing. She lives in Edinburgh with her talented fiancée and their two extremely photogenic cats, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Dane.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 23, 2024
Review originally on JamReads
Sunbathers is an erotic horror novella, written by Lindz McLeod, and published by Hedone Books. An ambitious title that not only explores concepts such as daylight vampires as a consequence of climate change, but also the desire to fit into a group, putting it over yourself, all enveloped in the narration of a desperate character.
The world ended in sun flares. Some refused to take shelter, and deliberately stayed out; most died, but those that survived burned into something different: stronger and powerful, but depending on light; now they persecute those that refused to join, taking them out of their shelters and killing them. They are called Sunbathers.
Soph is hidden together with other survivors in a burrow in the ground; scavenging food and gathering water in the night, trying to resist. However, their survival is becoming increasingly more difficult, especially once they discover the Sunbathers are eating human flesh and poisoning other food; Soph doesn't believe in the escape plan. After being caught by the Sunbathers, desperate for survival, Soph offers the life of her mates for her survival, a chance to burn her sins and become a Sunbather. But this new situation is not the escape she thought it was, as soon it is clear the Sunbathers are not the freedom she craved for; now, she will be between the wall and the rock when she discovers a lamp is being built, meaning the end of humanity. Soph has to make a choice.
With the character of Soph, McLeod explores the idea of fitting into a group, and how on many occasions, she will have to put herself behind the interests of that group; she even renounces humanity in exchange for becoming a Sunbather. However, in the own new society, it is soon clear that sexual freedom is not existent, forcing many of the members into a weekly heterosexual ritual, effectively erasing other identities.
Inside Sunbathers, we can also find interesting element horrors, such as cannibalism, body horror and, well, inverse vampires. I would have preferred that some scenes, such as the burning and violence, to be a bit more detailed, but I think it also makes sense to put the emphasis on Soph's metaphorical journey through her humanity and bestiality.
Ambitious and imaginative, Sunbathers is a great example of what erotic horror can do in the adequate hands; not only we have interesting concepts, but also a compelling story with a flawed character. A great novella by Lindz McLeod.
Sunbathers is an erotic horror novella, written by Lindz McLeod, and published by Hedone Books. An ambitious title that not only explores concepts such as daylight vampires as a consequence of climate change, but also the desire to fit into a group, putting it over yourself, all enveloped in the narration of a desperate character.
The world ended in sun flares. Some refused to take shelter, and deliberately stayed out; most died, but those that survived burned into something different: stronger and powerful, but depending on light; now they persecute those that refused to join, taking them out of their shelters and killing them. They are called Sunbathers.
Soph is hidden together with other survivors in a burrow in the ground; scavenging food and gathering water in the night, trying to resist. However, their survival is becoming increasingly more difficult, especially once they discover the Sunbathers are eating human flesh and poisoning other food; Soph doesn't believe in the escape plan. After being caught by the Sunbathers, desperate for survival, Soph offers the life of her mates for her survival, a chance to burn her sins and become a Sunbather. But this new situation is not the escape she thought it was, as soon it is clear the Sunbathers are not the freedom she craved for; now, she will be between the wall and the rock when she discovers a lamp is being built, meaning the end of humanity. Soph has to make a choice.
With the character of Soph, McLeod explores the idea of fitting into a group, and how on many occasions, she will have to put herself behind the interests of that group; she even renounces humanity in exchange for becoming a Sunbather. However, in the own new society, it is soon clear that sexual freedom is not existent, forcing many of the members into a weekly heterosexual ritual, effectively erasing other identities.
Inside Sunbathers, we can also find interesting element horrors, such as cannibalism, body horror and, well, inverse vampires. I would have preferred that some scenes, such as the burning and violence, to be a bit more detailed, but I think it also makes sense to put the emphasis on Soph's metaphorical journey through her humanity and bestiality.
Ambitious and imaginative, Sunbathers is a great example of what erotic horror can do in the adequate hands; not only we have interesting concepts, but also a compelling story with a flawed character. A great novella by Lindz McLeod.
August 12, 2025
what the actual fuck did I just read?
September 16, 2024
Scorching hot: the sun, the sex, the writing
Soph, a human who turns into a Sunbather (a kind of sun vampire with preternatural beauty, strength, and speed) only to realize that no matter how you change you cannot escape yourself, is one of the most despicable yet compelling antihero protagonists I've read in a long while. Soph is observant, incisive, and unapologetic; she voices many selfish impulses that humans feel when faced with terrible odds, and she actually acts on them at a steep personal cost. The book brims with intensity of sensory inputs, with hunger, lust, disgust, and guilt. It's a story about grass not being greener on the other side, about the illusion of superiority and the unbearableness of conformism. In Soph's words, what's the point of being a god if you can't do what you want? The book has excellent pacing, vivid writing (graphic sex, mostly sapphic; murder and cannibalism), and is unexpectedly moving. Highly recommended.
Soph, a human who turns into a Sunbather (a kind of sun vampire with preternatural beauty, strength, and speed) only to realize that no matter how you change you cannot escape yourself, is one of the most despicable yet compelling antihero protagonists I've read in a long while. Soph is observant, incisive, and unapologetic; she voices many selfish impulses that humans feel when faced with terrible odds, and she actually acts on them at a steep personal cost. The book brims with intensity of sensory inputs, with hunger, lust, disgust, and guilt. It's a story about grass not being greener on the other side, about the illusion of superiority and the unbearableness of conformism. In Soph's words, what's the point of being a god if you can't do what you want? The book has excellent pacing, vivid writing (graphic sex, mostly sapphic; murder and cannibalism), and is unexpectedly moving. Highly recommended.
September 9, 2024
A story of cannibalism, murder and betrayal in a dystopian world, where the climate gets too hot, and you have two options: one is to live as a sun vampire (if you survive the first burn that is) or two, you live in the dark for the rest of your life.
The writer did a great job at combining eco-horror/climate change with a solid cast of characters and plenty of action. The body horror was very well done as well.
Overall I had a lot of fun reading it.
Big thanks to Hedone Books for the ARC.
The writer did a great job at combining eco-horror/climate change with a solid cast of characters and plenty of action. The body horror was very well done as well.
Overall I had a lot of fun reading it.
Big thanks to Hedone Books for the ARC.
September 12, 2024
Here comes the sun!
I have long been a fan of Lindz McLeod as short fiction but this is the first time I'm reading something a little longer by her. Absolutely amazing! This story is lots of fun and a quick read. Definitely recommend!
I have long been a fan of Lindz McLeod as short fiction but this is the first time I'm reading something a little longer by her. Absolutely amazing! This story is lots of fun and a quick read. Definitely recommend!
August 16, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
Also, what the actual fuck did I just read? 🤪
Also, what the actual fuck did I just read? 🤪
September 7, 2024
What a ride this was! Pitched as erotic horror but made me think of some classic, philosophical and eco-conscious sci-fi, where a rapid tumble towards a dystopia prompts wider reflections about humanity, not to mention H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine, with some clear (inverted) echoes of Eloi and Morlocks. Impressive work that stayed with me—so much to say about it too.
The concept of reverse vampires hooked me right away, and then surprised me when the gimmick developed into something pointed and clever. Classic vampires symbolised the aristocracy—the decay of old power and the cruelty of their exploitative practices. What better way to update the concept than to force a mirror into the filtered/plastic-surgery-enhanced faces of people who weld inordinate amount of power today—the billionaires, the tech-bros, the influencers, the self-made wonders of the finance industry, all forged in the fire of the neoliberal nightmare we live in. Emerging from the ‘burn’, the sunbathers are nothing but proud to be the ones ‘good enough’ to emerge victorious when others sink. The toxic culture breeds toxic people, but success is still something to strive for, something that ‘looks good’, however dysfunctional it might be. The dark allure of the old-age elites turns into something much more tanned, shiny and tacky—the same corruption and sense of superiority, with none of the education and taste. The metaphor is subtle—not pointing fingers by any means, but the nods to reality build up into commentary that is piercing and intense, only made stronger through the lack of directness.
The main character, Soph, was a wonder throughout. At first, I found her sociopathic point of view uncomfortable, but also loved being continually surprised by her responses—always the opposite of mine and impossible to acclimate to. The ways the dominant ideology sneaked in and took roots in her thoughts was fascinating—a slow, gruelling transition, only made clearer through frequent juxtapositions with her compassionate girlfriend, an excellent exercise in contrast. The moment I understood Soph, she changed, and I began to sympathise with her, finding her unruly spirit refreshing, relating to her rebellion, enjoying the fact that she seemed to be in permanent opposition to whatever group she happened to join. It’s easy to feel for her once the social pressures and demands become suffocating, and she finds herself trapped, having to adapt to the unacceptable. Her transformation is complex and multi layered, showing her struggles on the path towards self-understanding, but also the power of a changing environment and shifting context—what made Soph difficult when she lived amongst the ‘worms,’ also made her question the sunbathers and turned her into a reluctant hero in the end.
The erotic aspects of the novella were intriguing too—not at all what I expected. They feed into the themes beautifully—from Soph’s attraction to tragedy and destruction (a kind of Freudian ‘death drive’) to the clear-cut and instinctual connection her sexuality establishes to the world she belongs to, and the way it helps her rediscover her real self—she can hesitate, resist, and lie to herself and others, but her body recognises the truth. The sunbathers also reveal their true, repressed nature through their relationship with sexuality, a great illustration of how ideology affects all areas of life. There’s another dimension to it too—sex is just like hunger, and it’s a great tool to highlight the animalistic nature of humanity. Only superficially complex, when stripped to the basics, people are anything but pretty, something that becomes obvious as the world of Sunbathers draws out the essence of all the players in the brutal game of survival.
This is horror with depth and plenty to say about human nature. Social hierarchy and the drive to succeed are the real monsters here. One could summarise the novella as an exploration of the failure of success, that particular hollow feeling of getting where you want to be just to discover that it's not a place worth being, the shattering of dreams by making them true. In a world that’s falling apart, survival is the key, and perhaps the only, achievement, and anything that makes it possible becomes glamorised, regardless of how horrific it might be. Power, with all its appeal, seeks ways to limit itself, to constrain freedom, and establishes rules which defeat the purpose of what it achieves. Survival, once it becomes the sole motivation, as important as it might be, does worse than that, leaving no place for individuality, love, compassion and empathy, shrinking into itself, until all that makes us human becomes redundant. This vision should be distant from our current reality, yet isn’t. And that’s the real horror and such an important point to make.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
The concept of reverse vampires hooked me right away, and then surprised me when the gimmick developed into something pointed and clever. Classic vampires symbolised the aristocracy—the decay of old power and the cruelty of their exploitative practices. What better way to update the concept than to force a mirror into the filtered/plastic-surgery-enhanced faces of people who weld inordinate amount of power today—the billionaires, the tech-bros, the influencers, the self-made wonders of the finance industry, all forged in the fire of the neoliberal nightmare we live in. Emerging from the ‘burn’, the sunbathers are nothing but proud to be the ones ‘good enough’ to emerge victorious when others sink. The toxic culture breeds toxic people, but success is still something to strive for, something that ‘looks good’, however dysfunctional it might be. The dark allure of the old-age elites turns into something much more tanned, shiny and tacky—the same corruption and sense of superiority, with none of the education and taste. The metaphor is subtle—not pointing fingers by any means, but the nods to reality build up into commentary that is piercing and intense, only made stronger through the lack of directness.
The main character, Soph, was a wonder throughout. At first, I found her sociopathic point of view uncomfortable, but also loved being continually surprised by her responses—always the opposite of mine and impossible to acclimate to. The ways the dominant ideology sneaked in and took roots in her thoughts was fascinating—a slow, gruelling transition, only made clearer through frequent juxtapositions with her compassionate girlfriend, an excellent exercise in contrast. The moment I understood Soph, she changed, and I began to sympathise with her, finding her unruly spirit refreshing, relating to her rebellion, enjoying the fact that she seemed to be in permanent opposition to whatever group she happened to join. It’s easy to feel for her once the social pressures and demands become suffocating, and she finds herself trapped, having to adapt to the unacceptable. Her transformation is complex and multi layered, showing her struggles on the path towards self-understanding, but also the power of a changing environment and shifting context—what made Soph difficult when she lived amongst the ‘worms,’ also made her question the sunbathers and turned her into a reluctant hero in the end.
The erotic aspects of the novella were intriguing too—not at all what I expected. They feed into the themes beautifully—from Soph’s attraction to tragedy and destruction (a kind of Freudian ‘death drive’) to the clear-cut and instinctual connection her sexuality establishes to the world she belongs to, and the way it helps her rediscover her real self—she can hesitate, resist, and lie to herself and others, but her body recognises the truth. The sunbathers also reveal their true, repressed nature through their relationship with sexuality, a great illustration of how ideology affects all areas of life. There’s another dimension to it too—sex is just like hunger, and it’s a great tool to highlight the animalistic nature of humanity. Only superficially complex, when stripped to the basics, people are anything but pretty, something that becomes obvious as the world of Sunbathers draws out the essence of all the players in the brutal game of survival.
This is horror with depth and plenty to say about human nature. Social hierarchy and the drive to succeed are the real monsters here. One could summarise the novella as an exploration of the failure of success, that particular hollow feeling of getting where you want to be just to discover that it's not a place worth being, the shattering of dreams by making them true. In a world that’s falling apart, survival is the key, and perhaps the only, achievement, and anything that makes it possible becomes glamorised, regardless of how horrific it might be. Power, with all its appeal, seeks ways to limit itself, to constrain freedom, and establishes rules which defeat the purpose of what it achieves. Survival, once it becomes the sole motivation, as important as it might be, does worse than that, leaving no place for individuality, love, compassion and empathy, shrinking into itself, until all that makes us human becomes redundant. This vision should be distant from our current reality, yet isn’t. And that’s the real horror and such an important point to make.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 4, 2024
3.75/5
I loved the concept of this story immensely - global warming having led to the point where humans deliberately burn themselves up and transform into some sort of vampiric gods, while those who don’t have to live underground and only come out at night. It was wholly original and hooked me in.
I mostly enjoyed the story too - a solid cast of characters, plenty of action, and plenty of sex too. My main criticism is that the gore and the horror could have gone further. The descriptions of going through the burn were cool, but also felt like they held something back, likewise the scenes where the sunbathers were hunting the worms.
The ending was explosive, if a little rushed, but I certainly enjoyed the final note and overall had plenty of fun with a tale the likes of which I’ve not really come across before. Would definitely recommend!
I loved the concept of this story immensely - global warming having led to the point where humans deliberately burn themselves up and transform into some sort of vampiric gods, while those who don’t have to live underground and only come out at night. It was wholly original and hooked me in.
I mostly enjoyed the story too - a solid cast of characters, plenty of action, and plenty of sex too. My main criticism is that the gore and the horror could have gone further. The descriptions of going through the burn were cool, but also felt like they held something back, likewise the scenes where the sunbathers were hunting the worms.
The ending was explosive, if a little rushed, but I certainly enjoyed the final note and overall had plenty of fun with a tale the likes of which I’ve not really come across before. Would definitely recommend!
August 28, 2024
This book will have you running from queer trainwrecks and cannibal sun-vampires.
If you tell me a book is sapphic and filled with cannibalism, sun vampires and a threesome, then I am legally obligated to read it. And I am so glad I did!
This is a super compelling novella with creative dystopian world-building and so much blood.
In the future the climate gets so hot that humans are forced to live indoors. A group goes out into the sun and after a graphic and brutal changing, about half survive to become sun vampires. We're following our queer trainwreck, Soph, as she lives in a tunnel with a handful of other humans just trying to survive.
One day Soph decides she can't live in the dark anymore and steps into the sun to catastrophic results.
The prose are gorgeous and evoke beautiful and terrible imagery. I have highlighted SO much of this book, however, occasionally the prose purples and it slows down the pacing of the story.
This is my second story from Liz McLeod and she does not disappoint! I first read her short story, "A Mirror Has Two Faces" in the sapphic horror collection, "Scissor Sisters", which interestingly evokes images of coldness/winter. I will definitely be reading more from her.
Thank you to Hedone Books for the ARC.
This book is best read while tanning on a beach, and eating your girlfriend.
#HedoneBooks #Bookstagram #books #horror #coverreal #vampire #horrorbooks #ecohorror #sapphicbooks #queerbooks #queerhorror #vampires #horrorbooks #horror #horrorlover #horrorcommunity #hedonebooks #newreleases #bookstgram
If you tell me a book is sapphic and filled with cannibalism, sun vampires and a threesome, then I am legally obligated to read it. And I am so glad I did!
This is a super compelling novella with creative dystopian world-building and so much blood.
In the future the climate gets so hot that humans are forced to live indoors. A group goes out into the sun and after a graphic and brutal changing, about half survive to become sun vampires. We're following our queer trainwreck, Soph, as she lives in a tunnel with a handful of other humans just trying to survive.
One day Soph decides she can't live in the dark anymore and steps into the sun to catastrophic results.
The prose are gorgeous and evoke beautiful and terrible imagery. I have highlighted SO much of this book, however, occasionally the prose purples and it slows down the pacing of the story.
This is my second story from Liz McLeod and she does not disappoint! I first read her short story, "A Mirror Has Two Faces" in the sapphic horror collection, "Scissor Sisters", which interestingly evokes images of coldness/winter. I will definitely be reading more from her.
Thank you to Hedone Books for the ARC.
This book is best read while tanning on a beach, and eating your girlfriend.
#HedoneBooks #Bookstagram #books #horror #coverreal #vampire #horrorbooks #ecohorror #sapphicbooks #queerbooks #queerhorror #vampires #horrorbooks #horror #horrorlover #horrorcommunity #hedonebooks #newreleases #bookstgram
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January 6, 2026I had difficulties with this book – not because it’s bad, but because of the future it shows. Sure, there are fantastical, supernatural elements, but that’s just surface – a thin veil draped over an all too plausible real-world future. Maybe I’m being dramatic, or melodramatic, but with everything going on in the world right now, this was not the vision I needed.
Intolerance. Mandatory conformity. Perversion disguised as purity. The society of the sunbathers has it all.
Then again, maybe that’s exactly what I needed? The future’s not looking bright, but it’s so easy to hide away and pretend like everything’s fine.
It wouldn’t be right to say I didn’t enjoy the story, though. The first third hit me hard, but by the time I finished the book, I was glad I’d read it. The way it ended, I’m not sure hopeful is the right word, but it was still somehow encouraging.
So what is this future that distressed me so?
I was going to suggest reading the book description, but after actually looking at it myself, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. The description gives the impression that the book is about how straight sun-vampires build a giant lamp to destroy humanity, and how a queer woman tries to stop them. Technically, that’s accurate, and I don’t know that I could write a better description myself. At the same time, the description doesn’t do the story justice.
Sunbathers, the book, is so much more than that. It’s deeper, more meaningful, and with a much stronger message. The prose is well written, the story is well told, and it absolutely got me thinking. These are all things I want in a book, and if I had difficulties handling the beginning, it’s because the message is seriously heavy, not because the book lacks in quality.
What I’ll whine about
If that wasn’t clear already, the book made me really uncomfortable with the state of the world and our prospects for the future.
What I’ll gush about
As an allegory of the state of the world and our prospects for the future, Sunbathers hits like a sledgehammer to the face.
Final Words
If you like to bury your head in the sand and pretend everything’s fine, this is not a book for you.
Intolerance. Mandatory conformity. Perversion disguised as purity. The society of the sunbathers has it all.
Then again, maybe that’s exactly what I needed? The future’s not looking bright, but it’s so easy to hide away and pretend like everything’s fine.
It wouldn’t be right to say I didn’t enjoy the story, though. The first third hit me hard, but by the time I finished the book, I was glad I’d read it. The way it ended, I’m not sure hopeful is the right word, but it was still somehow encouraging.
So what is this future that distressed me so?
I was going to suggest reading the book description, but after actually looking at it myself, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. The description gives the impression that the book is about how straight sun-vampires build a giant lamp to destroy humanity, and how a queer woman tries to stop them. Technically, that’s accurate, and I don’t know that I could write a better description myself. At the same time, the description doesn’t do the story justice.
Sunbathers, the book, is so much more than that. It’s deeper, more meaningful, and with a much stronger message. The prose is well written, the story is well told, and it absolutely got me thinking. These are all things I want in a book, and if I had difficulties handling the beginning, it’s because the message is seriously heavy, not because the book lacks in quality.
What I’ll whine about
If that wasn’t clear already, the book made me really uncomfortable with the state of the world and our prospects for the future.
What I’ll gush about
As an allegory of the state of the world and our prospects for the future, Sunbathers hits like a sledgehammer to the face.
Final Words
If you like to bury your head in the sand and pretend everything’s fine, this is not a book for you.
September 1, 2024
Sunbathers is a red-hot eco-horror. If humanity is already cooked, why not kick back and watch the world burn?
I loved Soph's complexity as a main character. Even her most heinous thoughts start to make sense in the middle of the apocalypse. Whether she is the least or the most human is a matter of perspective.
Sunbathers feels like the perfect blend of "out there" and grounded horror. Even the most fantastical elements have familiar roots. I think these themes would make for a fun book club discussion!
As a side note...I am a shameless cover-judger. This art is RAD. If I saw Sunbathers on a shelf I'd grab it in a heartbeat, blurb unseen. Evangeline Gallagher did this book justice.
Thank you so much to Hedone Books for the chance to check the ARC out for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
I loved Soph's complexity as a main character. Even her most heinous thoughts start to make sense in the middle of the apocalypse. Whether she is the least or the most human is a matter of perspective.
Sunbathers feels like the perfect blend of "out there" and grounded horror. Even the most fantastical elements have familiar roots. I think these themes would make for a fun book club discussion!
As a side note...I am a shameless cover-judger. This art is RAD. If I saw Sunbathers on a shelf I'd grab it in a heartbeat, blurb unseen. Evangeline Gallagher did this book justice.
Thank you so much to Hedone Books for the chance to check the ARC out for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
August 31, 2024
A fun look at what a world with sun bathing cannibals would look like! Did I say fun? I mean TERRIFYING.
Not for the faint of heart when it comes to body horror. It gave me Midsommar vibes in the way the Sunbathers are and how they perceive what is good and what isn't. Cult feelings for sure! To have all that power at the cost of going through a burning process (literally) and then having to sleep in tanning beds...I would take my chances in the tunnels. I'm still scarred from the tanning bed scene in Final Destination 3 so you won't catch me in one of those.
I feel like Soph was a character that is hard to know about. She doesn't seem to really know what she wants either and makes choices and sacrifices to get what she thinks she wants. Its one of those cases where the grass is always greener on the other side...until you are on the other side. We get to see her internally debate what is best for humanity as she struggles to deal with her new power and the caveats that come with it.
I think this was an interesting concept and I would definitely read a full length novel of this. Oh and it gets spicy at parts so if you are a fan of erotic novels, then this might be for you.
Not for the faint of heart when it comes to body horror. It gave me Midsommar vibes in the way the Sunbathers are and how they perceive what is good and what isn't. Cult feelings for sure! To have all that power at the cost of going through a burning process (literally) and then having to sleep in tanning beds...I would take my chances in the tunnels. I'm still scarred from the tanning bed scene in Final Destination 3 so you won't catch me in one of those.
I feel like Soph was a character that is hard to know about. She doesn't seem to really know what she wants either and makes choices and sacrifices to get what she thinks she wants. Its one of those cases where the grass is always greener on the other side...until you are on the other side. We get to see her internally debate what is best for humanity as she struggles to deal with her new power and the caveats that come with it.
I think this was an interesting concept and I would definitely read a full length novel of this. Oh and it gets spicy at parts so if you are a fan of erotic novels, then this might be for you.
January 20, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
February 17, 2025
This is incredible. A story unlike any I've ever read. So much meaning sprinkled in, such a fun premise, and executed so right.
June 27, 2025
4.5/5 rounded up
Soph says blow up the rich and kill the 1%!!!!
Soph says blow up the rich and kill the 1%!!!!
January 9, 2026
Such a fun read, both gory and sexy - I raced through it on my journey to the airport. Always even better when it has the girlie annotations
September 13, 2024
I loved this flat paced queer, horror novella.
Taking the concept of vampires and turning it on its head. No longer confined to the shadows, they now bask in the light, leaving humans to scurry under ground like rats!
Taking the concept of vampires and turning it on its head. No longer confined to the shadows, they now bask in the light, leaving humans to scurry under ground like rats!
August 27, 2024
I was lucky enough to get an arc of this book. Really enjoyed the concept of this book. I found it to be a quick read. This was the second erotic horror I've ever read and I really enjoyed it. The ending seemed a bit rushed but over all loved the story. Also the cover of this is stunning!!
March 12, 2025
The lesson here is that it isn’t worth being sexy if you can’t be gay.
The concept of “reverse vampires” is very compelling. Tied with the evangelical comparisons were just chefs kiss. Soph’s characterization was absolutely perfect, you could totally understand her motivation for being the way she is on both sides of her transformation. All in all, this book was short but jam packed with good writing and story. Nothing was superfluous.
Praise the sun, siblings.☀️☀️☀️
The concept of “reverse vampires” is very compelling. Tied with the evangelical comparisons were just chefs kiss. Soph’s characterization was absolutely perfect, you could totally understand her motivation for being the way she is on both sides of her transformation. All in all, this book was short but jam packed with good writing and story. Nothing was superfluous.
Praise the sun, siblings.☀️☀️☀️
August 16, 2024
Apocalyptic and cannibalistic horrors, powered by the sun. The desire to fit in, to love yourself, and never finding the right answer. Sometimes we never find our way between the light and the dark.
This story is a pretty unique idea. A fast read that has a surprising depth.. And again I say cannibals…
This story is a pretty unique idea. A fast read that has a surprising depth.. And again I say cannibals…
April 25, 2025
Maybe if I was a Sunbather, I wouldn’t hate myself quite so much.
Lindz McLeod's "Sunbathers" is a deceptively intriquing novella that probably has more meaning hidden within its limited number of pages than I could possibly decipher. Now don't misunderstand me: I use the word 'deceptive' - well, technically 'deceptively' - for a couple of reasons. First of all, I was not expecting this book to be so eloquently written. That's not a knock against the author, but when people are screaming at me things like "less than 120 pages you (k)nob!" or "they're supposed to be sun-vampires!" (hint: no, that's not it, but we'll get to that later), well, you don't think you're going to run across some of the most lovely diction you've seen in a fortnight or three. But this is an exceptionally well-written wee adventure, um, probably better said apocalyptic nightmare, that much is for sure.
The sky is a lambent, aquamarine flame, the sun a white, coruscating radiance.
In addition, if it weren't for the fact that I'm convinced my last set of English teachers (I was a STEM kid, sorry) were all asexual heathens, who avoided going as far as to become nuns only because they refused to kneel to anyone, I think they would have loved this as well. The reason for that is simply the fact that there's a lot more going on here than just checking off yet another way our planet dies from global climate change and various exacerbations thereof and/or thereupon (whatever). There's despair, loss, sacrifice (both good and bad), real love, regret, and a whole lot more happening, including what I'm sure are some metaphors and even deeper meanings hiding from either the day or the night. Yes, even more than those awful analyses we had to do with "A Tale of Two Cities" that didn't have half the intrique for me as this story did … and I sure as hell had the lessons and foreshadowing from that antique disaster drilled into my skull enough.
What I gave up was nothing compared to what I gained… so it was all worth it, right?
I mean, this book was - again - deceptive in so many ways. Take the promo blurb which I borrow here unapologetically and will only parse once it's all set up accordingly: "Hordes of cannibalistic sun-vampires rule the daylight hours, forcing the remaining humans to adapt to a grubby, nocturnal existence. When she sacrifices everything to become a Sunbather, queer Soph discovers that the heterosexual commune is not the glowing paradise she'd hoped for, and her new immortal body still yearns for womanflesh. After discovering that the Sunbathers are building a solar lamp that will enable them to walk in permanent light, Soph must decide if she's willing to doom what's left of humanity just to finally fit in." All I can add is: "well, kind of…" I'll explain.
Godhood is the most dangerous drug, addictive and glorious.
OK, so hordes of anything implies at very least to me more than just the 200 Sunbathers that seem to be present in wherever the hell we are. And their numbers aren't in any way multiplied by knowing there's more of them "out there" (noting where don't even get as far as where "here" is, though it seems like Miami might be a fairly good guess even though I'm not sure about the hill-upon-which-we-shall-have-the-boring-sex situation there). We can assume the world has essentially ended but we don't actually see that the world has essentially ended. Yes, we do know of another mirror being assembled somewhere but if that population is the same we're still at only 400 burned-to-new-life beings.
They’re not better. They’re only us, just more so.
Plus, let's be blunt: vampires implies creatures of great power (check) and mystery (meh) that HAVE to feed on humans to survive. Only these beings (the non-humans) do not have to do that (eating of humans). No, they apparently hunt, maim, kill, and even chow down on the cooked flesh of the humans aka "worms" they catch basically because they can, full stop. Or better said: "We only hunt worms for fun." OK, granted with their heightened senses they probably get tired of the presence of a long-time deodorant-free populace of survivors, but is that really a reason to turn to annihilation, murder, and cannabalism? Again, there's a lesson in all of that and I'm not sure yet I can hazard a guess as to what it is.
What use is being all-powerful if you can’t do whatever you want?
In addition, an incredibly interesting aspect of all this to me was despite their obvious turn towards Sun worship, the Sunbathers themselves come across as fundamentalist fill-in-the-blanks like you wouldn't believe. Hm, maybe that implies they had a lot in common with the ancient Mayans or Aztecs, I don't know. Yes, there's the really really odd patriachal system that includes regular missionary-only orgies (no foreplay, nada, just let the men do their thing, most often poorly and strictly self-focused). There's also the chill-inducing Sunbather-speak ("The sun’s choices are not ours to question, sister.") that comes across as if at any moment the Spanish Inquisition is going to arrive - naturally totally unexpected!
What’s the matter, killer? Don’t they fuck you often enough over at Cannibal Barbie Beach Camp?
And it's made all-too-clear just how any kind of lust for same sex (or variations thereof) encounters is just the worst thing ever. I can't pretend to fully comprehend what that must feel like as a heterosexual old guy but here it is a powerful threat hanging over, well, everyone. Again then we seem to be getting a subtle lesson - meaning about as subtle as taking a well-swung cricket bat to the cranium - about anyone that says "it's this way or the highway" where the highway again involves dismemberment and even more cruel ways to torture each other. So yeah, very much in-line with what we see in today's headlines, particularly as more and more countries turn to extremism to hide their own democratic shortcomings, misrepresented religious dogma, and the lack of full disclosure by the rich about their undoubtedly small and flaccid dicks. Hm, maybe I understood more than I thought.
It’s all very straight, very beige, very aspirational-middle-class-Americana. Apart from the cannibalism, of course. And the nudity.
I'm tempted then to say that this short journey is about Soph - sorry, I haven't mentioned her a lot but she's rather understandably kind of a mess - looking for and ultimately finding redemption. Her heart, after all, by her own admission "has always been a splintered, shattered thing." However, even to me, the whole redemption angle sounds far too trite and silly for what she winds up going through, especially at the end. What I will say - and I think this is usually about the best compliment you can give a short piece like this - is that I wish it had been much longer (that's what she/he/whomever said!) simply because I was having fun here and would have enjoyed learning a lot more about this world and whatever the hell kind of creatures still occupy it! McLeod is definitely on my reading radar now and I look forward to seeing what other interesting offers she has out there. And if she would want to revisit the world of the Sunbathers and those that flee their deadly "rule", well, count me in! 4 1/2 well-earned stars!
Lindz McLeod's "Sunbathers" is a deceptively intriquing novella that probably has more meaning hidden within its limited number of pages than I could possibly decipher. Now don't misunderstand me: I use the word 'deceptive' - well, technically 'deceptively' - for a couple of reasons. First of all, I was not expecting this book to be so eloquently written. That's not a knock against the author, but when people are screaming at me things like "less than 120 pages you (k)nob!" or "they're supposed to be sun-vampires!" (hint: no, that's not it, but we'll get to that later), well, you don't think you're going to run across some of the most lovely diction you've seen in a fortnight or three. But this is an exceptionally well-written wee adventure, um, probably better said apocalyptic nightmare, that much is for sure.
The sky is a lambent, aquamarine flame, the sun a white, coruscating radiance.
In addition, if it weren't for the fact that I'm convinced my last set of English teachers (I was a STEM kid, sorry) were all asexual heathens, who avoided going as far as to become nuns only because they refused to kneel to anyone, I think they would have loved this as well. The reason for that is simply the fact that there's a lot more going on here than just checking off yet another way our planet dies from global climate change and various exacerbations thereof and/or thereupon (whatever). There's despair, loss, sacrifice (both good and bad), real love, regret, and a whole lot more happening, including what I'm sure are some metaphors and even deeper meanings hiding from either the day or the night. Yes, even more than those awful analyses we had to do with "A Tale of Two Cities" that didn't have half the intrique for me as this story did … and I sure as hell had the lessons and foreshadowing from that antique disaster drilled into my skull enough.
What I gave up was nothing compared to what I gained… so it was all worth it, right?
I mean, this book was - again - deceptive in so many ways. Take the promo blurb which I borrow here unapologetically and will only parse once it's all set up accordingly: "Hordes of cannibalistic sun-vampires rule the daylight hours, forcing the remaining humans to adapt to a grubby, nocturnal existence. When she sacrifices everything to become a Sunbather, queer Soph discovers that the heterosexual commune is not the glowing paradise she'd hoped for, and her new immortal body still yearns for womanflesh. After discovering that the Sunbathers are building a solar lamp that will enable them to walk in permanent light, Soph must decide if she's willing to doom what's left of humanity just to finally fit in." All I can add is: "well, kind of…" I'll explain.
Godhood is the most dangerous drug, addictive and glorious.
OK, so hordes of anything implies at very least to me more than just the 200 Sunbathers that seem to be present in wherever the hell we are. And their numbers aren't in any way multiplied by knowing there's more of them "out there" (noting where don't even get as far as where "here" is, though it seems like Miami might be a fairly good guess even though I'm not sure about the hill-upon-which-we-shall-have-the-boring-sex situation there). We can assume the world has essentially ended but we don't actually see that the world has essentially ended. Yes, we do know of another mirror being assembled somewhere but if that population is the same we're still at only 400 burned-to-new-life beings.
They’re not better. They’re only us, just more so.
Plus, let's be blunt: vampires implies creatures of great power (check) and mystery (meh) that HAVE to feed on humans to survive. Only these beings (the non-humans) do not have to do that (eating of humans). No, they apparently hunt, maim, kill, and even chow down on the cooked flesh of the humans aka "worms" they catch basically because they can, full stop. Or better said: "We only hunt worms for fun." OK, granted with their heightened senses they probably get tired of the presence of a long-time deodorant-free populace of survivors, but is that really a reason to turn to annihilation, murder, and cannabalism? Again, there's a lesson in all of that and I'm not sure yet I can hazard a guess as to what it is.
What use is being all-powerful if you can’t do whatever you want?
In addition, an incredibly interesting aspect of all this to me was despite their obvious turn towards Sun worship, the Sunbathers themselves come across as fundamentalist fill-in-the-blanks like you wouldn't believe. Hm, maybe that implies they had a lot in common with the ancient Mayans or Aztecs, I don't know. Yes, there's the really really odd patriachal system that includes regular missionary-only orgies (no foreplay, nada, just let the men do their thing, most often poorly and strictly self-focused). There's also the chill-inducing Sunbather-speak ("The sun’s choices are not ours to question, sister.") that comes across as if at any moment the Spanish Inquisition is going to arrive - naturally totally unexpected!
What’s the matter, killer? Don’t they fuck you often enough over at Cannibal Barbie Beach Camp?
And it's made all-too-clear just how any kind of lust for same sex (or variations thereof) encounters is just the worst thing ever. I can't pretend to fully comprehend what that must feel like as a heterosexual old guy but here it is a powerful threat hanging over, well, everyone. Again then we seem to be getting a subtle lesson - meaning about as subtle as taking a well-swung cricket bat to the cranium - about anyone that says "it's this way or the highway" where the highway again involves dismemberment and even more cruel ways to torture each other. So yeah, very much in-line with what we see in today's headlines, particularly as more and more countries turn to extremism to hide their own democratic shortcomings, misrepresented religious dogma, and the lack of full disclosure by the rich about their undoubtedly small and flaccid dicks. Hm, maybe I understood more than I thought.
It’s all very straight, very beige, very aspirational-middle-class-Americana. Apart from the cannibalism, of course. And the nudity.
I'm tempted then to say that this short journey is about Soph - sorry, I haven't mentioned her a lot but she's rather understandably kind of a mess - looking for and ultimately finding redemption. Her heart, after all, by her own admission "has always been a splintered, shattered thing." However, even to me, the whole redemption angle sounds far too trite and silly for what she winds up going through, especially at the end. What I will say - and I think this is usually about the best compliment you can give a short piece like this - is that I wish it had been much longer (that's what she/he/whomever said!) simply because I was having fun here and would have enjoyed learning a lot more about this world and whatever the hell kind of creatures still occupy it! McLeod is definitely on my reading radar now and I look forward to seeing what other interesting offers she has out there. And if she would want to revisit the world of the Sunbathers and those that flee their deadly "rule", well, count me in! 4 1/2 well-earned stars!
October 5, 2024
As someone who doesn't read thriller or horror books, this novella was perfect for me!
I love Storygraph's reading challenges because they push me to read books out of my comfort zone. Normally I wouldn't have picked this one but I'm so glad I did.
This short novella tells us what would happen if climate change's consequences were the most devastating and extreme, which I found fascinanting. I could picture it happenning in real life and that made it even more horrifying.
We have Soph, who belongs to a group of people trying to survive this new normal, where the sun has reached alarming temperatures and is now a threat to humanity. Only a few survive it and they're called Sunbathers. They consider themselves superior to regular humans and Soph can only confess to herself how much she wishes to be one too.
Even though this is short, I think the author did an amazing job pacing it. Nothing felt rushed and every moment was perfectly calculated. This is a horror book, but Soph's character is written in such a relatable way. Everything here felt so human and raw, even taken to the extreme. Soph's to be a part of something, then her whole world falling apart when she realizes everything's wrong and she made a terrible choice. She's not a good person at all, that was clear from everything she did to get where she is. But she's real, gray areas instead of just black and white.
I was surprised to see how the Sunbathers were actually like. I don't know if it was the synopsis or the cover, but I thought they were going to be unapologetically queer as fuck . But no, they were a cult. An heteronormative cult. It's so interesting how these new creatures that were calling themselves the superior evolution of the human race were so traditional and culty. It showed how even in situations like these we can't never escape the clutches of religious-like ideologies.
I also really liked the ending. I think it was appropiate and wrapped the story up nicely. I would recommend this for people like me who wan't to dip their toes into the genre. This is a great start.
I love Storygraph's reading challenges because they push me to read books out of my comfort zone. Normally I wouldn't have picked this one but I'm so glad I did.
This short novella tells us what would happen if climate change's consequences were the most devastating and extreme, which I found fascinanting. I could picture it happenning in real life and that made it even more horrifying.
We have Soph, who belongs to a group of people trying to survive this new normal, where the sun has reached alarming temperatures and is now a threat to humanity. Only a few survive it and they're called Sunbathers. They consider themselves superior to regular humans and Soph can only confess to herself how much she wishes to be one too.
Even though this is short, I think the author did an amazing job pacing it. Nothing felt rushed and every moment was perfectly calculated. This is a horror book, but Soph's character is written in such a relatable way. Everything here felt so human and raw, even taken to the extreme. Soph's to be a part of something, then her whole world falling apart when she realizes everything's wrong and she made a terrible choice. She's not a good person at all, that was clear from everything she did to get where she is. But she's real, gray areas instead of just black and white.
I was surprised to see how the Sunbathers were actually like. I don't know if it was the synopsis or the cover, but I thought they were going to be unapologetically queer as fuck . But no, they were a cult. An heteronormative cult. It's so interesting how these new creatures that were calling themselves the superior evolution of the human race were so traditional and culty. It showed how even in situations like these we can't never escape the clutches of religious-like ideologies.
I also really liked the ending. I think it was appropiate and wrapped the story up nicely. I would recommend this for people like me who wan't to dip their toes into the genre. This is a great start.
January 1, 2025
Now, this was fascinating. We all know not to venture in the dark for the creatures that go bump in the night, but what would it be like if the monsters were out in sunlight and we had to live in forever darkness?
Would you go out in the light for the ones you love?
Would you sacrifice someone you love in the light of surviving?
We follow Soph, living in a cave dug, I imagined, under a house with some greens to cover the entrance There aren’t many humans left, at least not in this area. She misses the daylight, and the feeling of the sun on her skin. (As would I.)
And the sunbathers, the ones out in the daylight, are up to something.
Soph is too curious to figure out what she overheard when two sunbathers were walking by.
I like how we get to read her thoughts, how she feels about humanity and the sunbathers, and not to mention her snarky comments. Could she be wrong about either? Could the sunbathers be right in hating humans? Are they just filthy worms?
Lindz, This was different, a good different. Me like.😉
Would you go out in the light for the ones you love?
Would you sacrifice someone you love in the light of surviving?
We follow Soph, living in a cave dug, I imagined, under a house with some greens to cover the entrance There aren’t many humans left, at least not in this area. She misses the daylight, and the feeling of the sun on her skin. (As would I.)
And the sunbathers, the ones out in the daylight, are up to something.
Soph is too curious to figure out what she overheard when two sunbathers were walking by.
I like how we get to read her thoughts, how she feels about humanity and the sunbathers, and not to mention her snarky comments. Could she be wrong about either? Could the sunbathers be right in hating humans? Are they just filthy worms?
Lindz, This was different, a good different. Me like.😉
September 18, 2024
There are a lot of books that deal with post-apocalyptic settings, and plenty of those that prioritise how awful humans can be to each other even under those circumstances, but even amongst that crowd, Sunbathers stands out to me. That's because, while this end-of-the-world tale is full of awful people, the protagonist might actually be the worst one, and I can almost feel McLeod's delight in making me squirm with every ruthless thing she does.
The allegories here aren't buried deep beneath the freshly charred skin of the story. They're raw and pink and on the surface. That's by design. There's a realness to the casual othering, the homophobia, the enforced religious hetereonormative fanatacism on display which genuinely made my stomach turn at times, more than any of the violence - and violence there certainly is.
This book is bloody, and brutal, and unflinching in what it does. I enjoyed it immensely.
The allegories here aren't buried deep beneath the freshly charred skin of the story. They're raw and pink and on the surface. That's by design. There's a realness to the casual othering, the homophobia, the enforced religious hetereonormative fanatacism on display which genuinely made my stomach turn at times, more than any of the violence - and violence there certainly is.
This book is bloody, and brutal, and unflinching in what it does. I enjoyed it immensely.
January 22, 2025
Okay so I fully understand the underlying theme has a lot to do with internalized homophobia with the worms being free to ‘sin’ and the sunbathers having burned those desires out however for me this just was not it. I did not like the fact that Soph finally accepted herself and her sexuality just to become a sacrifice. Honestly most of the archetypes of queer women usually end in some form of tragedy as soon as they accept who they truly are and that’s honestly my biggest issue with this story.
Read
January 4, 2026I read and reviewed Sunbathers by Lindz McLeod as part of the SFINCS3 novella contest. My review is honest, and my opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my team (Team TBR).
Sunbathers is an erotic horror novella based around an interesting climate change concept.
Two years before the novella takes place, solar flares became so bad that humans were unable to tolerate them without their skin blistering and burning to the extent that most of them died.
A small percentage were able to withstand the blistering and burning and found themselves growing new skin, luxuriant hair, and more powerful muscles. These “Sunbathers” became godlike, craving the heat and light of the sun and finding that darkness and shadow give them pain. They began sleeping in tanning beds to avoid the dark and worshipping the sun. I found this ‘opposite vampire’ concept really interesting. They no longer need to eat or drink, but are cruel and enjoy hunting humans for sport, tearing them limb from limb, roasting and eating them when they catch them.
In contrast, the remaining humans cannot tolerate the sun and must hide from the Sunbathers, digging burrows and keeping their water supplies hidden so as not to give away their locations.
The story is compelling, although violent, and told from the perspective of an unlikeable, brutal protagonist, a queer human named Soph who is sick of living in a burrow and sick of her girlfriend and other burrow-mates. She has cheated on her partner in the past and is cruel and uncaring towards an injured, older burrow-mate. She obsesses about being free to walk in the sun and is developing cannibalistic tendencies. She barely has any humanity left and finds herself questioning her future.
Would it be so bad to become a Sunbather?
Would she survive the Burn?
Would it give her the freedom she longs for?
Before long, she gets caught by a hunting party, and her only chance for survival is to beg them to let her attempt to survive the Burn. The Sunbathers’ solar doctrine states that:
“Those who accept the sun will never die,”
However, Soph soon discovers that any queer sexual tendencies are unacceptable to these gods. They undertake a weekly heterosexual ritual in which everyone must take part. Anyone showing any other sexual tendencies is brutally murdered, left out of the sunbeds at night to die from a painful lack of sunshine.
I could not help but draw comparisons between the Sunbathers and Hitler’s regime, in which strong, blond, blue-eyed Arians were considered the superior race. There is no one specific, recognised leader of the Sunbathers, but their Fascist doctrine is well-defined and brutally policed.
There are also comparisons to be drawn between some of the Sunbathers’ intolerant beliefs about sexuality and those of the extreme right in American society today.
Soph’s conclusion is that her sacrifices to become a Sunbather were not worth it after all:
“What use is being all-powerful if you can’t do whatever you want?”
Sunbathers has explicit sex scenes and graphic horror. I did not like the protagonist or the terrible fate of humanity depicted in this climate cautionary tale. But I did enjoy reading this strangely compelling and imaginative novella.
Sunbathers is an erotic horror novella based around an interesting climate change concept.
Two years before the novella takes place, solar flares became so bad that humans were unable to tolerate them without their skin blistering and burning to the extent that most of them died.
A small percentage were able to withstand the blistering and burning and found themselves growing new skin, luxuriant hair, and more powerful muscles. These “Sunbathers” became godlike, craving the heat and light of the sun and finding that darkness and shadow give them pain. They began sleeping in tanning beds to avoid the dark and worshipping the sun. I found this ‘opposite vampire’ concept really interesting. They no longer need to eat or drink, but are cruel and enjoy hunting humans for sport, tearing them limb from limb, roasting and eating them when they catch them.
In contrast, the remaining humans cannot tolerate the sun and must hide from the Sunbathers, digging burrows and keeping their water supplies hidden so as not to give away their locations.
The story is compelling, although violent, and told from the perspective of an unlikeable, brutal protagonist, a queer human named Soph who is sick of living in a burrow and sick of her girlfriend and other burrow-mates. She has cheated on her partner in the past and is cruel and uncaring towards an injured, older burrow-mate. She obsesses about being free to walk in the sun and is developing cannibalistic tendencies. She barely has any humanity left and finds herself questioning her future.
Would it be so bad to become a Sunbather?
Would she survive the Burn?
Would it give her the freedom she longs for?
Before long, she gets caught by a hunting party, and her only chance for survival is to beg them to let her attempt to survive the Burn. The Sunbathers’ solar doctrine states that:
“Those who accept the sun will never die,”
However, Soph soon discovers that any queer sexual tendencies are unacceptable to these gods. They undertake a weekly heterosexual ritual in which everyone must take part. Anyone showing any other sexual tendencies is brutally murdered, left out of the sunbeds at night to die from a painful lack of sunshine.
I could not help but draw comparisons between the Sunbathers and Hitler’s regime, in which strong, blond, blue-eyed Arians were considered the superior race. There is no one specific, recognised leader of the Sunbathers, but their Fascist doctrine is well-defined and brutally policed.
There are also comparisons to be drawn between some of the Sunbathers’ intolerant beliefs about sexuality and those of the extreme right in American society today.
Soph’s conclusion is that her sacrifices to become a Sunbather were not worth it after all:
“What use is being all-powerful if you can’t do whatever you want?”
Sunbathers has explicit sex scenes and graphic horror. I did not like the protagonist or the terrible fate of humanity depicted in this climate cautionary tale. But I did enjoy reading this strangely compelling and imaginative novella.
August 15, 2024
Sunbathers
The end of the world came, with sun flares. Everyone had to take shelter from them. Everyone? Some stayed out, deliberately. Most died but some survived, changed, transformed. Burned clean. Stronger and more powerful than before, though vulnerable to the darkness of night.
They encourage others to join them and they do. And one day they decide they are better, and drag people out, conscripting them, or destroying them. Tearing down the buildings that protect the humans, digging them out of their holes.
Soph lives in a hole in the ground, a warren, a burrow with other survivors. With occasional lovers. With people who will hold her back if they have to run. If the Sunbathers find them. They can go out at night to scavenge for food, to collect the water they’ve left to be sterilised by sunlight. Soph finds where the Sunbathers have been eating human flesh and when they discover they have poisoned the other food she eats it. She gets off on the idea with her sexually subservient burrow-mate Eilidh. She is desperate to survive, but does not believe in any of the plans of the others, to take a boat to the Canary Islands, to go down a mine.
The Sunbathers call them worms or friends of the dark. And they catch Soph.
Sunbathers are bound by convention, trapped in their own way as much as the worms were back in their burrow.
Soph isn’t going to be a hero. They’re building a Lamp that will banish the darkness and let them walk all the time. For eternity.
Soph’s not up for that.
A story of cannibalism, betrayal, gruesome murder, homophobia, gritty lesbian sex and how even when the world ends you can’t escape yourself. And why would you want to? You’ve come to terms with it, even if you are a monster.
Not as much of a monster as the sun-powered-anti-vampires though.
Read This: Gay apocalyptic monster horror unafraid to look through the eyes of a selfish and desperate narrator
Don’t Read This: The world ends, people are eaten, and you still can’t get away from boring conformists
I Read A Complimentary Review Copy: From Hedone Books
The end of the world came, with sun flares. Everyone had to take shelter from them. Everyone? Some stayed out, deliberately. Most died but some survived, changed, transformed. Burned clean. Stronger and more powerful than before, though vulnerable to the darkness of night.
They encourage others to join them and they do. And one day they decide they are better, and drag people out, conscripting them, or destroying them. Tearing down the buildings that protect the humans, digging them out of their holes.
Soph lives in a hole in the ground, a warren, a burrow with other survivors. With occasional lovers. With people who will hold her back if they have to run. If the Sunbathers find them. They can go out at night to scavenge for food, to collect the water they’ve left to be sterilised by sunlight. Soph finds where the Sunbathers have been eating human flesh and when they discover they have poisoned the other food she eats it. She gets off on the idea with her sexually subservient burrow-mate Eilidh. She is desperate to survive, but does not believe in any of the plans of the others, to take a boat to the Canary Islands, to go down a mine.
The Sunbathers call them worms or friends of the dark. And they catch Soph.
Sunbathers are bound by convention, trapped in their own way as much as the worms were back in their burrow.
Soph isn’t going to be a hero. They’re building a Lamp that will banish the darkness and let them walk all the time. For eternity.
Soph’s not up for that.
A story of cannibalism, betrayal, gruesome murder, homophobia, gritty lesbian sex and how even when the world ends you can’t escape yourself. And why would you want to? You’ve come to terms with it, even if you are a monster.
Not as much of a monster as the sun-powered-anti-vampires though.
Read This: Gay apocalyptic monster horror unafraid to look through the eyes of a selfish and desperate narrator
Don’t Read This: The world ends, people are eaten, and you still can’t get away from boring conformists
I Read A Complimentary Review Copy: From Hedone Books
August 29, 2024
𝕿𝖎𝖙𝖑𝖊: Sunbathers
𝕬𝖚𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖗: Lindz McCleod
𝕽𝖊𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊 𝕯𝖆𝖙𝖊: September 6th
☆☆☆☆
🅂🅈🄽🄾🄿🅂🄸🅂:
Sin is hot but purity is blistering.
Hordes of cannibalistic sun-vampires rule the daylight hours, forcing the remaining humans to adapt to a grubby, nocturnal existence. When she sacrifices everything to become a Sunbather, queer Soph discovers that the heterosexual commune is not the glowing paradise she'd hoped for, and her new immortal body still yearns for womanflesh. After discovering that the Sunbathers are building a solar lamp that will enable them to walk in permanent light, Soph must decide if she's willing to doom what's left of humanity just to finally fit in.
𝓜𝔂 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀:
In this book we meet Soph. A queer survivor of the cataclysmic aftermath of climate change. Is she a nihilist? Is she an anarchist? All we know is she's an anathema unto herself. Her internal struggles seep out into her relationships and tarnishes her empathy towards everyone and everything. She longs to be a Sunbather, the people who chose to stand in the solar flares and lived. They've been imbued with super human abilities. They most of all can walk in the light of the sun. Soph wants this more than ever. To be pure and powerful. But what will she give up to earn it? What parts of herself will she realize are what make her special and unique?
This is a very quick read. But full of fun. Bloody cannibalistic sun vampires. People who think they are superior to anyone who dares to be different. Spectacular naughty scenes. Juicy peaches. And a whole lot of fun in the sun.
• I loved how Lindz used the Sunbathers and the Worms to bring to light internal and external homophobia and the honesty of Sophs feelings all throughout the book. It was done in such a thoughtful and unique way.
🄵🄰🅅🄾🅁🄸🅃🄴 🅀🅄🄾🅃🄴:
"The dark steals more than sight; it steals our very selves."
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this book. And I thank Hedone Books for entrusting me with an arc. I can't wait to read more from Lindz.
𝕬𝖚𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖗: Lindz McCleod
𝕽𝖊𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊 𝕯𝖆𝖙𝖊: September 6th
☆☆☆☆
🅂🅈🄽🄾🄿🅂🄸🅂:
Sin is hot but purity is blistering.
Hordes of cannibalistic sun-vampires rule the daylight hours, forcing the remaining humans to adapt to a grubby, nocturnal existence. When she sacrifices everything to become a Sunbather, queer Soph discovers that the heterosexual commune is not the glowing paradise she'd hoped for, and her new immortal body still yearns for womanflesh. After discovering that the Sunbathers are building a solar lamp that will enable them to walk in permanent light, Soph must decide if she's willing to doom what's left of humanity just to finally fit in.
𝓜𝔂 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀:
In this book we meet Soph. A queer survivor of the cataclysmic aftermath of climate change. Is she a nihilist? Is she an anarchist? All we know is she's an anathema unto herself. Her internal struggles seep out into her relationships and tarnishes her empathy towards everyone and everything. She longs to be a Sunbather, the people who chose to stand in the solar flares and lived. They've been imbued with super human abilities. They most of all can walk in the light of the sun. Soph wants this more than ever. To be pure and powerful. But what will she give up to earn it? What parts of herself will she realize are what make her special and unique?
This is a very quick read. But full of fun. Bloody cannibalistic sun vampires. People who think they are superior to anyone who dares to be different. Spectacular naughty scenes. Juicy peaches. And a whole lot of fun in the sun.
• I loved how Lindz used the Sunbathers and the Worms to bring to light internal and external homophobia and the honesty of Sophs feelings all throughout the book. It was done in such a thoughtful and unique way.
🄵🄰🅅🄾🅁🄸🅃🄴 🅀🅄🄾🅃🄴:
"The dark steals more than sight; it steals our very selves."
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this book. And I thank Hedone Books for entrusting me with an arc. I can't wait to read more from Lindz.
August 18, 2025
I really, really wanted to love this novel. It sounds like an absolute blast-sapphic spice, weird vampires, and a post-apocalyptic landscape? Count me tf in. But the plot itself just sort of meanders around, and our protagonist is so unapologetically selfish and wretched that I just didn't care what happened to her.
I can get behind a protagonist that makes hard choices, but it didn't seem necessary? Like honey, all you gotta do to be a vamp in this universe is lay out in the sun for 24 hours? If she's so desperate to become a vamp (and honestly, who tf wouldn't be if it meant survival, I can get behind that motivation), why didn't she just...lay out in the sun? It was enough of a plot hole that it removed my immersion in the world. Also, they aren't even really vampires? They don't need to drink blood, thrive off sunlight, and have zero vampire traits. They're honestly more like sun-powered aliens, which is a cool concept, but not quite as advertised...
Anyway, after the main plot sort of stutters along until the 75% mark, the protagonist has a sudden change of heart and
The ending is unsatisfying.
Three stars for the cool concept, decent writing, and queer smut scenes.
I can get behind a protagonist that makes hard choices, but it didn't seem necessary? Like honey, all you gotta do to be a vamp in this universe is lay out in the sun for 24 hours? If she's so desperate to become a vamp (and honestly, who tf wouldn't be if it meant survival, I can get behind that motivation), why didn't she just...lay out in the sun? It was enough of a plot hole that it removed my immersion in the world. Also, they aren't even really vampires? They don't need to drink blood, thrive off sunlight, and have zero vampire traits. They're honestly more like sun-powered aliens, which is a cool concept, but not quite as advertised...
Anyway, after the main plot sort of stutters along until the 75% mark, the protagonist has a sudden change of heart and
The ending is unsatisfying.
Three stars for the cool concept, decent writing, and queer smut scenes.
October 7, 2025
Shocking and unique look at the nitty gritty of humanity!
I really liked this new and thoughtful portrayal of the worst of humanity and also an interesting thought on what might happen in the extreme outcome of global warming etc. I wanted to hate the main character and then like her again.. but probably still hate her. However, can you blame her? You don’t know how you would react when put in apocalyptic circumstances.
This was thoughtful and exciting and gruesome the lack of humanity throughout it all was worse than the bloodshed and the unfortunate meals that the Sunbathers shared. 10/10 recommend.
I really liked this new and thoughtful portrayal of the worst of humanity and also an interesting thought on what might happen in the extreme outcome of global warming etc. I wanted to hate the main character and then like her again.. but probably still hate her. However, can you blame her? You don’t know how you would react when put in apocalyptic circumstances.
This was thoughtful and exciting and gruesome the lack of humanity throughout it all was worse than the bloodshed and the unfortunate meals that the Sunbathers shared. 10/10 recommend.
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