Acquired Taste

by Clay McLeod Chapman

A startling, witty and downright terrifying collection of short stories from the "21st century's Richard Matheson" (Richard Chizmar, Chasing the Boogeyman.) Perfect for fans of Paul Tremblay, Rachel Harrison and Eric LaRocca.

They're feeding on you too.

A father returns from serving in Vietnam with a strange and terrifying addiction; a man removes something horrifying from his fireplace, and becomes desperate to return it; and a right-wing news channel has its hooks in people in more ways than one. 

From department store Santas to ghost boyfriends and salamander-worshipping nuns; from the claustrophobia of the Covid-19 pandemic to small-town Chesapeake USA, Clay McLeod Chapman takes universal fears of parenthood, addiction and political divisions and makes them uniquely his own. 

Packed full of humanity, humour and above all, relentless creeping dread, Acquired Taste is a timely descent into the mind of one of modern horror's finest authors.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Audiobook, Adult, Halloween

304 pages, Hardcover

First published September 9, 2025

About the author

Books. Children's books. Comic books. Film.

Reviews

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a very mixed bag collection, or maybe I'm just not much of a short form girlie anymore because as enjoyable as the writing was I found that more than a good chunk of the stories were somewhat forgettable. It did make me want to read the author's long form work though.

My favorites were:
Knockoffs: "did a piranha fuck a Furby?" had me cackling but also, we all know exactly what he's talking about. It was a fun story. McLeod Chapman knows how to weave interesting and smooth sentences, that's for sure.

The Spew of News: It was a little one the nose but hey, I've never been one to beg for subtlety. The story Posterboard was in the same vein but it wasn't really body horror so I preferred The Spew.

Stay on the Line: Grief horror for a collapsing world, sign me up!

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was highly entertained by this collection, it definitely made me want to read more books from this author!

my favorite stories —

➣ the fireplace
➣ room with a boo
➣ pump and dump
➣ battlefield séances
➣ knockoffs
➣ sweetmeat
➣ the nocturnal gardener
➣ all ears

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is my favorite thing so far that I’ve read by Chapman. A couple of the stories in this collection felt like they ended just as they were getting started. A few of them just flat out weren’t my thing. (The political horror was just too on the nose for me, personally.) But the good ones were great. There were many instances of characters putting disgusting or weird things in their mouths, so the title absolutely tracks.

You will be treated to a variety of scenarios here, including a wild story about baby carrots, a creepy tale about hotel pools, and a fungal body horror story about Dementia that is very sad but also disturbing.

There’s a fun one that I’m absolutely certain is based on Huggy Wuggy from “Poppy Playtime,” but Chapman’s version is named Tubby Wubby. And a great concept involving a department store Santa.

I want an entire book about the three young sisters who can talk to ghosts and make money for their dad by talking primarily to the dead Civil War soldiers that follow them around. Historical fiction is typically not my thing, especially when it’s themed around war. But this spooky story is now one of my all-time favorite pieces. It’s incredible.

I will say that a theme or two end up coming back to be re-used later, but I enjoyed the stories enough that this didn’t really bother me. I can see some people pointing out the recycling of ideas, though. Another thing I noticed is that he uses the name Pendleton a LOT. I double checked to make sure it wasn’t just a recurring character and that wasn’t the case. I guess he just likes that last name? It was in at least three different stories. I personally would have left out the final story that was nothing but fanboying over a fellow author because it felt very cringe to me, but this wasn’t my collection.

Overall, I do recommend it! Entertaining, gross and unsettling with a twist of sentimentality.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

Biggest TW: Animal death, Harm to children, Politics, Hate language, Chronic illness, Pedophilia, Drug use

[Ga.selle (Semi-hiatus) Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

the fireplace - 4.5✨
cyan, magenta, yellow, and key - 3✨
who brings a baby? - 4.5✨
the spew of news - 2.9✨
stowaway - 3✨
baby carrots - 4✨
fairy ring - 4.2✨
room with a boo - 4.1✨
pump and dump - 5✨
keep it civil -2.5✨
battlefield séances - 5✨
pick of the litter - 3.5✨
sisterhood of the salamander - 2.5✨
knockoffs - 4✨
debridement -2.5✨
psychic santa-3✨
posterboard- 2.9✨
our summer in the pit- 3✨
sweetmeat -4.5✨
nail on the head -3.5✨
the nocturnal gardener -5✨
hermit -5✨
all ears - 5✨
stay on the line -5✨
nathan ballingrud’s haunting horror recs -3✨

3.8✨


I still remember 2 of the stories which I've already read before and rated them higher now from the first time I've read them. The stories seem to stick better and appreciate them more the second time I've read them. Other stories on here I also liked whilst some not so much. Overall a good collection of chilling and haunting short stories.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Gyalten Lekden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, absurd, and so much fun! The two dozen stories in this collection are all excellent reads, showcasing a wonderful blend of humor and social commentary while not being afraid to go dark and a bit obscene. There is almost no gore or actual violence on the page, the obscenity comes from the after-images, those negatives that flash across the inside of your eyelids when you finish the last page of a story. While he returns to certain themes, like parenthood, relationships, and politics a few times the collection feels diverse and rounded. It’s worth saying that a lot of these stories aren’t afraid of the “short” part of short stories, and while I am not the most accurate at estimating word counts on my e-reader size font size is variable it feels like most stories fall into the 3k-5k range, where it isn’t uncommon to see short story collections often linger in the 6k-7k range. It is refreshing, actually, to get these perfectly-sized stories that are able to leave their marks, punching above their weight. While there are some instances of the supernatural creeping around the edges these stories really focus on the horrors of humanity, and instead of jump scares or gory set pieces they usually build up tension until a final gut-punch of a reveal reminds you how emotionally vulnerable he has tricked you into being with his playful and inviting prose.

It is worth noting that a lot, most, even, of these stories have a very similar narrative style and voice. They aren’t covering the same ground, and they aren’t told from the same character perspective (our narrators are maybe equally split between male and female, ranging from as young as maybe 6 to mid-70s). No, the stories are different, plucking on different heart strings, but they do sound the same, a little. They are almost if not all written from a first person perspective with a slight retrospective angle, directly addressing the audience, often even saying “you” in those addresses. These are almost all told as stories, which is to say not the author is telling us stories but the narrators within the stories are telling us stories. They have similar structures, with a brief set-up, then usually a flashback, then a return to the main action with a witty, playful, sometimes slightly off-kilter description of how the narrator found themselves in whatever position they happen to be in, only for something dark and twisted to punch you in the gut in the final scene. That doesn’t outline every story, but, well, most of them. Here’s the thing, though. I still had a ton of fun with every story. They all brought a smile to my face and even when I knew some dark twist was coming and could guess what it probably was he still made all the reveals interesting and engaging. If you are like me and read short story collections from cover to cover then you might find that, even though they explore different ideas, have different settings, and different narrators, many of these stories mirror each other in tone and structure. However, if you like to dip in and out of short story collections then you probably wouldn’t even notice, you would just enjoy each plunge. These stories were all published elsewhere, from 2017 – 2024, they weren’t written with the intent to be part of a single collection, and knowing this it makes me far less bothered by the parallel narrative structures and reading experiences across the stories. If these were all written with the explicit intent to be collected into one volume then that might change my opinion, but as it is it is clear that he has a distinct voice in his short story style and he is able to adapt that to a wide variety of themes and characters and ideas and make each story fun.

[Kurryreads (Kerry) · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT6tFdn9y/

[Casey Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing horror anthology! Clay’s mind is like no other! From subtle, to in your face, these stories range in content but are all effective. I don't read short story collections too often, but I am so glad that I picked this one up! A couple I had read previously, but the majority were new to me. Some standouts for me:

Stowaway - I just love the idea of a latch on ghost.
Battlefield Seances - I typically enjoy stories that involve the military and this one has an unusual angle.
Pick of The Litter - So short, and yet, so effective!
Knockoffs - I mean, I always need the new trending toys.
All Ears- Give me all the cannibalism stories.
Stay On The Line - Incredible grief horror story. I have the standalone published by Shortwave Publishing and illustrated by Trevor Henderson, but it was good to read this story again. It's so good!

[Sheena · Rating 3 out of 5]

just like any other short story collection, i enjoyed some and disliked others lol

[Stay Fetters · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sweeeeeeeesweeeeeeeesweeeeeeetat-tah-taaah mmm-mmm-mmmmmmmeeeeat
I was trick-or-treating now. Look at me, in my spooky costume! Listen to me, asking for candy! Gimme gimme a treat! Please! Just one sweat… but not just any candy, no. I needed that majestic sweatmeat. Need more more more. Need it noooooooow."

Chapman! You’re a wild man. Never stop writing!

RTC

[Becky Spratford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starred review in the August 2025 issue of Booklist and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2025/08...

Three Words That Describe This Book: Visceral, Psychologically Unmooring, Intense Narrators

Originally I was going to write "unsettling" as one of the words above, but I looked at that list and I was like, yeah no...that is not strong enough for what this book does to you. It unmoors you. But not in a way that is jump scares or overly gorey. That is why this collection is a star.

The stories are all visceral in that you feel them inside of yourself while reading -- and yet even when a few of them have gross things happening-- they are not GOREY. The narrators are all intense and if not directly talking to the reader (in a few they are), as a reader you connect with the narrator as they unravel in front of you.

Chapman's ability to craft narrator who literally burrow into the reader, nestle in for the duration, and carry you through the story is clear in his novels but to see it sustained in stories of varied lengths, that was amazing to see.

The range in "scares" here are from creepy to unsettling to terrifying and then again psychologically unmooring (what are you doing to us Clay?) so while I loved it all, I am aware that this book could traumatize some readers.

The excellent novelette "Stay on the Line" is here. Oof. That one is a lot but so well done as a story about grief, not just for one person, but an entire community.

A few of the others I loved (and I had to limit myself to make this list not be almost every story):
*Stowaway-- a family on a road trip and well-- see title.
*"Baby Carrots" and "Hermits"-- these are stories where I could see fingerprints of WHAT KIND OF MOTHER without it being literal. Also they were separated in the book-- one near beginning and one near the end-- but very similar in how they make the reader feel.
*Pump and Dump-- dad pumping breast milk literally but a great look into the struggling mental health of a new father
*Knockoffs-- oh my god this story.....fingerprints of WAKE UP AND OPEN YOUR EYES, but more subtle than an earlier story-- Spew of News, which is really the opening of the novel.
*Psychic Santa-- ghosts of dead kids (but so much more). This one is longer and there is more time to build the narrator and the payoff-- oof. Again Clay, what are you trying to do to us?
*Stay on the Line-- previously mentioned

The last story is fun, but probably the weakest. And then I saw that it was from a charity compilation and it made so much more sense.

Also a few stories that you can see were part of Chapman's process of writing WAKE UP AND OPEN YOUR EYES as well as a few that I can see the ideas themes from WHAT KIND OF MOTHER as well. Even a few that explore grief and ghosts similar to GHOST EATERS. Really only 1 or two of these are super easy to see those connections, but many are adjacent to those works in ways fans will be able to see. As a fan of Chapman's it was very cool to see how his brain got to those novels through other ideas.

A must read for fans of Chapman (duh) but also anyone who wants a series of stories that while very different -- are all connected by the intense narrators and how they psychologically unmoor the reader. Rest Stop by Nat Cassidy, The Beast Your Are Collection by Tremblay and The Houseguest and Other Stories by Amparo Davila.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clay McLeod Chapman’s brain must be a fascinating, terrifying place. The stories in Acquired Taste prove that he can find horror in just about anything, including but not limited to hermit crabs, breast pumps, baby carrots, and even knock-off Labubu dolls (although those abominations don’t need any help to be terrifying, in my opinion). I picture him staring at a random object and thinking to himself, “How can I make this scary?”

But the examples above are just scratching the surface of these stories, and maybe doing the collection a bit of a disservice. Because for every moment of silly horror, there is a moment that is truly, viscerally chilling. There are stories about political violence and ghosts, a few that feature extreme body horror elements, and several about child death. Earlier this year I read Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature, featuring an essay by Chapman in which he writes: “I cast my kids in my own private horror movies, day after day. The way I offer myself catharsis, struggling to exorcise all these pent-up fears, is to write them out of my system. They’re your nightmares now.” He isn’t lying. Themes of parenthood and child death come up frequently in this collection and are the most difficult stories to stomach (but also some of the most successful).

Some of my favorite stories were:

- “stowaway,” in which a mysterious man haunts a teenage girl on a road trip with her family
- “pump and dump,” in which a father purchases a used breast pump at an estate sale and puts it to good use
- “battlefield seances,” about sisters who perform seances to make contact with Civil War soldiers and find their bodies for grieving families
- “all ears,” written from a son’s perspective about his father who returned from Vietnam with PTSD that manifests in disturbing ways
- “stay on the line,” a haunting portrait of a grieving town in the wake of a hurricane

Acquired Taste is a compelling, engaging collection of stories, ranging from restrained to satirical to blatant, IN YOUR FACE horror. So much variation, so much awesomeness. Thanks to Titan Books for the complimentary reading opportunity.

[Dr CG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bizarre. Goofy. Crazy FUN!

This collection of stories felt like sitting around a campfire telling scary stories, but everyone was also slightly drunk. 😆 These were super creative and wildly fun to read. I’m starting to think that maybe Clay has a baby phobia 😁

[Amber Reu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Titan for my ARC!

ACQUIRED TASTE is a stellar collection of short stories. Clay is an absolute genius at short stories; he's able to pull readers into the story quickly and maintains a pace that allows you to feel adjusted and engrossed in the page. The stories in ACQUIRED TASTE are unique, but there's a steady rhythm and flow throughout that keeps you hooked. This is the rare collection where I loved each story, a true testament to Clay as an author.

[LibraryMelancholia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love seeing all of these in one place. It was really cool to see some that I've already read as Chap Books. Debridement is Fucked -capital F. Got called out as a homeschooler in Psychic Santa haha. Baby carrots are haunting me 🥕 - like I cannot escape them.
•
Here are my favorites:
The Spew of News
Baby Carrots
Fairy Ring
Debridement
Our Summer in the Pit
Sweetmeat
Hermit
Stay on the Line
Nathan Ballingrud's Haunting Horror Recs
•
I think I've found out now that body and grief horror are two of my favorite sub genres.

[liv ʚɞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

’We’re all red on the inside. There’s no telling anybody apart now’

Acquired Taste is Clay McLeod Chapman’s latest horror anthology, featuring twenty-five stories ranging from viciously bloody, to horrifyingly chilling, to depressingly sad, to absolutely ridiculous. I can without a doubt in my mind say that there WILL be a story in here for every reader, no matter how you like your horror. Chapman once again shows his in-depth understanding of what makes the genre so special, partnered with a political undertone that I took a lot of satisfaction from.

Each story is between 10-25 pages (at a guesstimate), so I flew through this collection and had a wonderful time doing so. Each story is incredibly unique and utterly creative, with each one standing out from the last. The writing-style is just superb, and while I do wish some stories had been a little longer, to save from a few abrupt endings, for the most part I think they benefitted from being to the point.

So, to provide a properly thorough review of this collection, I would like to give my opinions on each individual story:

ೃ⁀➷Fireplace
After moving into a new house, a man becomes obsessed with his fireplace.
- Unsettling and effective - a great start to the collection.
- Wish it had been longer!
- 3.5/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key
A Pastor instructs his Boy Scout Troop to burn their ‘sinful’ comic books.
- The gore was well-written, but I wasn’t that taken with the overall story.
- Too short to properly develop the concept.
- 2.5/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Who Brings a Baby?
A man at the cinema goes head-to-head with a crying baby.
- Certainly unique.
- Not even remotely scary, so not as enjoyable.
- Once again, too short.
- 2.5/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷The Spew of News
After his parents become indoctrinated by a right-wing news channel, their son visits them and discovers something horrifying.
- This is just a short extra from Chapman’s Wake Up and Open Your Eyes. While I LOVED that book, I’m not sure that this story added anything that wasn’t already in that book. In fact, it’s basically an alternate universe version of the opening of WUAOYE.
- Very gory, but obviously not unique.
- Not rating.

ೃ⁀➷Stowaway
On a road trip with her family, 14-year-old Sara meets a mysterious man by the side of a hotel pool.
- Eerie and incredibly uncomfortable.
- A little longer, which meant Sara’s character was fleshed out more.
- I loved this one!
- 4/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Baby Carrots
A man is haunted by baby carrots.
- Silly, stupid, and a lot of fun.
- The ending was WILD.
- 3.5/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Fairy Ring
A man visits his mother in hospital where she suffers from a strange fungal infection.
- Amazingly descriptive - majorly unsettling.
- Such an awesome and unique idea!
- I wish this one was longer.
- A confusing ending brought my rating down.
- 3.5/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Room with a Boo
A woman discusses living with a ghost.
- Very mediocre - not scary nor entertaining.
- Oddly boring.
- My least favourite story in the collection.
- 2/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Pump and Dump
A new father buys his wife a breast pump.
- I knew what was going to happen and I was still disgusted….
- Bizarre and GROSS.
- One of the strangest stories on here, I was truly horrified.
- Still brilliant.
- 4.5/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Keep it Civil
A man guards a confederate monument against protestors.
- Quite boring.
- Too short.
- I enjoyed the minimal commentary on Southern American politics and discourse over confederate statues.
- 2.5/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Battlefield Séances
Three clairvoyant sisters track down the bodies of Federal soldiers just after the end of the American Civil War.
- A super interesting concept which I would love to see turned into a full novel.
- Not scary per-se, but the focus on the horrors of war still meant it was atmospheric.
- 4/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Pick of the Litter
A woman sits in a playground.
- A great end-twist, even if I saw it coming from a mile away.
- Unnerving, and unfortunately realistic.
- Short but effective.
- 3/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Sisterhood of the Salamander
A convent of Nuns takes care of axolotls.
- Not my sort of horror - atmospheric but boring.
- Points for inspiring the wonderful book cover!
- 2/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Knockoffs
A kids YouTube character named ‘Tubby Wubby’ causes havoc in a family home.
- Ridiculous in all the right ways.
- A kids toy being treated like an invasive parasite is such a fun concept.
- I love mascot horror!
- 3.5/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Debridement
A woman suffering from necrosis has her leg removed.
- One of the craziest endings in this collection - awful stuff.
- Oddly sad and thoughtful.
- 3.5/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Psychic Santa
A department store Santa can see ghosts.
- Extremely sad.
- Great length - well-developed main character.
- Bittersweet ending.
- 3.5/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Posterboard
A protest goes horribly wrong.
- Interesting commentary on right-wing protests.
- Not scary, but had good gore.
- 3/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Our Summer in the Pit
A group of kids find a crater over summer break.
- My favourite story in the collection - I would love a full-length book about this !
- A bizarre ending that left me wanting more.
- Unsettling and disturbing.
- I love me some cosmic horror.
- 5/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Sweetmeat
A night of trick-or-treating comes to a horrible end.
- Creative and disgusting.
- Perfect length and brutally awesome ending.
- 3.5/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Nail on the Head
A hammer appears in a families home.
- Predictable but fun.
- Not overly scary, but the short length made up for it.
- Nothing special.
- 2.5/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷The Nocturnal Gardener
A woman prefers to garden at night.
- A sad but strangely hopeful story about marriage and getting old.
- 2/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Hermit
A boy’s pet hermit crab needs a new shell.
- Very creepy and terribly off-putting.
- I visibly shivered whilst reading this….
- It ruined crabs for me.
- 3/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷All Ears
A young boys father returns from the Vietnam War.
- Loved the commentary on PTSD and the awful actions of American soldiers in South Vietnam.
- Scary in a tragic sort of way.
- 3.5/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Stay on the Line
After a woman’s husband dies in a hurricane, a phone booth becomes her only solace.
- A brilliantly written focus on grief and the lengths we will go to to hear from our loved ones one last time.
- Great length - worked to develop the horror of the tragedy that was the hurricane and its effects on a small town.
- 4/5 stars.

ೃ⁀➷Nathan Ballingrud’s Haunting Horror Recs
Two friends embark on a trip to meet their favourite horror author.
- Silly and entertaining.
- Abrupt and lacklustre ending - needed to be longer.
- 2.5/5 stars.

Overall, Acquired Taste gets 4/5 stars. A brilliantly creative collection of varied horror stories.

thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! <3

[Chiara Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more I read this author the more I love his writing and imagination! His brain is truly amazing and also f****d up in the best possible ways!

I cannot think of one story I didn’t like and one story where I didn’t go: “How can someone come up with these plots?”
I think the most remarkable thing is also how the author manages to create horror from literally anything, from baby carrots, to a seemingly average fireplace, to a hammer.. When I say anything, I mean it!

Some stories made me giggle, even when reading about other people’s demise (I blame the author for being too good!) and other stories gave me the chills. Some sent me back to my childhood, whilst others just sent me on a wonderful journey. I honestly cannot praise this collection enough and I am sure that anyone who reads it will love it as much as I did.

So, are you ready to enter this author’s wonderful and weird mind and get on a chilling journey through these stories?

Thanks to Titan Books for a copy and this is my honest opinion.

[Danielle (Danni) Vinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn. So many stories. I loved all of them, and the shortest ones were the most shocking. I had so much fun reading this collection. Chapman's mind is a very scary, very very weird place. It's the kind of funhouse that would traumatise the hell out of every visitor. So fun!
I chose 4 stories as my favourites. The writing is excellent in these selections, and the stories are brilliant.

~stowaway
~battlefield séances
~psychic santa
~all ears (phenomenal)

Thank you so much for sending me your book, Clay. You're the best.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

the fireplace - 3
cyan, magenta, yellow, and key - 2
who brings a baby? - 3
the spew of news - 5 (First chapter in novel?)
stowaway - 3
baby carrots - 3
fairy ring - 3
room with a boo - 3
pump and dump - 3.5
keep it civil - 1
battlefield séances - 1
pick of the litter - 2.5
sisterhood of the salamander - 1
knockoffs - 1
debridement -3
psychic santa-2
posterboard- 2
our summer in the pit- 3
sweetmeat - 4
nail on the head - 4
the nocturnal gardener -1
hermit -4.5
all ears - 3.5
stay on the line -1 (From another novel)
nathan ballingrud’s haunting horror recs -2


2.6 Star Average Rating, Rounding up to a 3

A lot of these stories I enjoyed a lot, but felt like they just ENDED? I know that one of them is the first chapter in his novel "Wake up and open your eyes" and another takes place in the same world as "What Kind of Mother". It felt to me like he was trying out topics to see which readers like so he could then write a longer novel.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up.

I enjoyed almost every story in this collection, which is rare. A strong mix of grim, horrifying and dread filled tales that kept me engaged.

Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd say I'd like to know what in the fresh hell is going on in Chapman's head but I fear that would unleash an Eldritch abomination on us all

favs: fairy ring, knockoffs, debridement, pump and dump

[myreadingescapism · Rating 1 out of 5]

So.. this collection of stories, had some high hopes for me. I have enjoyed majority of this authors work.

That was all fine and dandy until I had to hear the story about the Fax (I listened to audio so idk how it’s spelled) aka Spew The News. If I didn’t lose my fucking mind again.

I swear to fuuuuuck I’ve heard this story way too many fucking times in my life. I first heard it in the Found: Found footage anthology…. Which that story was great. A short story about the news taking over his parents….. but then it was beat into my skull in an entirely too long “Wake up and Opens Your Eyes” and caught honestly I’m fucking tired of hearing about it.

So this fucking short story collection comes along and SURE THE FUCK ENOUGH, this goddamn shit is in my head again.

I’m so mad the rest of the stories were so fucking subpar that I’m annoyed I wasted my fucking time.

[Caleb Fogler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid collection overall, my favorites were: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key, Baby Carrots, and The Nocturnal Gardener.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great halloween season read, such disgusting and delightful stories. I'm so glad Stay on the line is in a collection now where readers will easily find it because there's a core "home" feeling about that story when it comes to Clay for me. Aaaaand a big tee hee to the Tremblay shout out.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

My most anticipated release for the second half of the year and it didn’t let me down. What a weirdo (complimentary) 😌 This short story collection is almost entirely republished works but only one (Stay on the Line) have I actually read before and they hit all kinds of tones and subgenres which I loved. I don’t know how he does it but he can write about the most vile, horrific events and yet there’s always a thread of humanity woven through it that it always feels comforting to me. Feeling grateful that I have another upcoming 2025 CMC eARC waiting for me that I can’t wait to get to.

Full review on YT, thank you to Titan and Netgalley for an eARC.

[ᴄᴏᴜʀᴛ ☠︎︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these stories were just down right terrifying!!! I actually remember previously reading The Spew of News in another publication and really enjoyed it. However, others either ended very abruptly, or didn't really give me those chills I was expecting to get. There were humorous and witty moments, as well as some viscerally disturbing scenes, but there were also just a few stories I couldn't connect with (i.e., either the premise, characters, setting...) which made it challenging to get through such a vast collection.

I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading this book based on my experience and in fact, if you are a fan of Clay's previous stories -- this collection is for you!
For me, it was just, well... The title sort of says it all. This book is definitely an "acquired taste."
(and please, pardon my cheesy pun but I had to!)

Thank you to Titan Books & NetGalley for this advanced reader copy access!

[ThatBookish_deviant · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0/5

I love that Chapman doesn’t give a f*uck about pissing off idiotic Trump supporters. Including short stories like “the spew of news” and “posterboard” is an excellent method of tailoring one’s fan base. You have a fan in me, Mr. Chapman!

[Cody Lasko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story collections, in my experience, basically always go the same way. You end up with some really good ones, some really bad, and a bunch somewhere in between. Clay McLeod Chapman’s Acquired Taste is no different in this regard.

The Really Good:

- Stay On the Line
- All Ears

Both of these stories I found to be phenomenal. They’re incredibly well rounded for being so short. Chapman deftly delivers a multi-dimensional emotional experience with ingrained themes of trauma, grief, love and loss.

The Really Bad:

- Spew of the News

Ugh. There’s on the nose and then there’s bashing your reader’s face as hard as you can with your message board. Trite and awful, I hated this story.

The Somewhere In Between I really liked:

- Hermit
- Room with a Boo
- Nail on the Head
- Pick of the Litter

Wtf did I just read:

- Pump and Dump
- Baby Carrots

The whole collection truly is an “acquired taste”. Chapman has a distinct writing style that works for him but one I find off-putting after a half dozen or so stories. There’s a pseudo angst and edginess to it that kept making me think of a passive aggressive teenager coping with their world through first person narratives entered into a diary emblazoned with some snarky warning on the cover. “BURN AFTER READING”. “MOUTH BREATHERS KEEP OUT”. “STORIES TO SHIT YOURSELF”. I don’t know, something about it all felt juvenile and frustratingly insincere at times.

Despite my personal dislike for how his style came across, I have to give credit to how skilled he is at packing many of these brief stories with depth of theme, character, and emotion. When I wasn’t feeling put off by his tone I found myself immersed and moved. There’s an unexpected heft that often appears here. It’s a tremendous accomplishment on Chapman’s part and it shows the talent he has at crafting tales.

I can see why many people are head over heels for these stories. But aside from a few glowing gems this collection just didn’t quite do it for me.

[Melissa Leitner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. The title of this collection is very apt, as these stories are definitely an acquired taste. And a lot of them have to do with the senses, including taste. I love that I could point out correlations to Chapman's other works in a few of these stories, as I am always a fan of when authors write interconnected threads across their works. Some standout stories that literally made me go W.T.F. in my head were baby carrots, sweetmeat, and hermit. Stay on the Line is towards the end of this collection, and that is a story I had read before and loved! The story to end the whole collection really wraps up the mood/feeling of every story within. Stories like knockoffs, keep it civil, and posterboard definitely are saying something about the current state of our society, and I absolutely loved how Chapman infused this weird brand of horror into the horrifying topic of the state of our nation. Some may think it's heavy-handed in those few stories, but it doesn't bother me and makes me happy to see. This collection may piss some people off, it may horrify others, but I giggled the whole way through.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply unsettling, uncomfortable stories, masterfully told. Absolutely all the stars.

[Katie T]

Dnf 38%

As always I cannot commit to short stories but what I read was enjoyable.