We Had It Coming: and other fictions

by Luke O'Neil

“I’ve been asking myself just how it is that a person can go about their day to day life at a time like this and I keep coming back to another question which is how did we ever convince ourselves we had the right to do so before?”​​

That question runs through We Had It Coming, a collection of stories that pulse with both the familiar and the uncanny. O’Neil’s characters struggle to survive in a reality rife with violence, addiction, fascism, and the crushing weight of modern life. From the threat of mass shootings to the absurdity of predatory healthcare, his sharp observations of societal decay leave a lasting impact.

Yet even amid the chaos, O’Neil’s trademark wit cuts through, offering moments of unexpected levity. Jumping from CVS to the emergency room to a seaside Massachusetts town ravaged by the opioid crisis, and blending short stories, poetry, and micro-fiction, O’Neil’s stream-of-consciousness style and inventive syntax pull the reader into a mesmerizing rhythm.

Fans of his previous work will find a continuation of his unique voice, and new readers will be captivated by his unflinching portrayal of survival in a world gone awry.

Genres: Fiction

330 pages, Paperback

Published November 4, 2025

Reviews

[Chris Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always feel like I'm in good hands when I read Luke O'Neil's stories. We Had It Coming is populated with vignettes that hurt and heal, usually at the same time. I enjoyed all of the pieces collected here, even the ones I really didn't want to read, which is about the highest praise I can pay it. Very well done.

[Matthew Peck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even as an already-devoted fan of O'Neil's "Welcome to Hell World" newsletter, this book exceeded my expectations. These short stories, prose poems, and quasi-essays are written in such a singular voice - at once casual and oracular - that it will transform the sound of your thoughts for a few days. The closest thing to Denis Johnson, with that same effortless ability to give you full-body chills with every other sentence. A lot of very up-to-the-minute subject matter throughout, which risks becoming dated. But I don't think it will!

[John Mihelic · Rating 5 out of 5]

When this came, my wife was like "is that sad too?" because she knows the Hellworld posts.

And like yes, Luke has a common theme. It is sad. But it's also hopeful and ecstatic at the same time.

I was sitting here thinking about it, and I realized this book reminded me of Joyce, like Araby in the marketplace or Lily in the Dead - Snow was general all over Boston.

So yes, it is sad but also amazing. Luke O'Neil is James Joyce if James Joyce also posted his melancholy on Bluesky.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I show my wife excerpts of Luke’s writing so she’ll understand me better, but then I regret it because it’s usually a part I’m less impressed by or a part I imagine people feeling bad that people feel in the first place.

[lukeoneil47 · Rating 5 out of 5]

We had it coming

We had it coming
– Luke O’Neil

We had it coming.

Excerpted from We Had It Coming by Luke O’Neil (2025)

[Stuart Gordon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't have much respect for the short short short story form, and these often barely literate works did not elevate my estimation of the form.

Not worth the effort.

[Patti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who gave this book a 4.4 at Goodreads. I am loosing my believe in your reviews.