Getting the Electric

by Louise Hegarty

Are you ready to play?

Have you ever found yourself doom-scrolling, worrying about that weird pain in your leg, only to have your plans for the day completely trashed by the appearance of a literal axe-wielding troll?

What about that time you came across a perfect double of yourself in the street?

Or the gorilla suit you put on one day only for it to fuse with your skin?

When those children went missing from your village, did you know for sure it was the electricity that took them?

And down in the basement of your ancestral family home, what is it that’s making that THUMP... THUMP... THUMP...

Bold, funny, and wild, Louise Hegarty’s debut collection will turn you upside down and inside out, if it doesn’t take you apart completely.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2026

Reviews

[Sadie E · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing style takes a minute to click because it reads like you’re playing an old-school text-based RPG.

>drink coffee
It is hot and delicious.

>eat olives
You eat an olive.

It’s abrupt and a bit robotic, kind of disorienting at first. I wasn’t sure if I liked it initially, and then I got used to it and it started to flow.

The story follows a nameless main character who feels very online and very anxious. A glued to her phone, overthinking, hypochondriac. And then things start getting strange.

This is just a sampler, which makes it harder to pin down how I feel. I’m kind of hovering between “do I want a full book of this?” and “okay but I think I do though?”

The writing's distinctive. It’s doing something different and it’s committing to the bit. And even when it feels odd or slightly off-putting, I can’t say it’s boring. I actually really appreciate how different it is, because it’s not trying to sound like everything else out there.

So… confused? intrigued? cautiously on board? huge fan? I'm not sure, but I'd read more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC

[Peter Boyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was recently dazzled by Louise Hegarty's Fair Play, one of the most innovative debuts I've read in years. And I'm pleased to say that her first short story collection continues in the same vein, a series of inventive, unpredictable tales that experiment boldy with the format.

The title story alone makes it worth seeking this book out, an account of the electrification of rural Ireland told in newspaper clippings, poems, church newsletters, interview transcripts and more. It also hints at something more sinister, an unexplained disappearance of two children that may or may not be linked to the electricity rollout. The first story If is about a hypochondriac young woman recounted in the style of a text-based adventure game. My favourite of all was The Factory, about a worker who likes to follow young woman late at night. It's a sinister, unsettling story, told in narrow paragraphs that don't fill the width of the page, as if to mirror the confined nature of the victims' circumstances, or the perpetrator's trapped state of mind.

I must admit that not of all of these tales worked for me (stillbirth was one I just didn't get). However there is so much invention and creativity at work here, I can't help but applaud. Louise Hegarty is blazing her own trail, tearing down the boundaries of the short story and making up her own rules as she goes along. It's a fabulous, playful collection from an exciting new voice.

[Kobe · Rating 4 out of 5]

ok it started off REALLY strong and then started to fall off a bit in some of the later stories but overall a pretty good collection. i was pleasantly surprised! 3.5 stars

[Gráinne · Rating 5 out of 5]

louise hegarty I was not familiar with your game!! these were so fresh and creative and fun and cool and unlike anything I’ve read before

[em · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting concept, I wish it was a bit more fleshed out/in depth! I would have loved to have read more and explored this world more. Good writing too, just a little surface level.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #GettingTheElectric #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever found yourself doom-scrolling, worrying about that weird pain in your leg, only to have plans for the day completely trashed by the appearance of a liberal axe-wielding troll? What about the time you came across a perfect double of yourself in the street? Or the gorilla suit you put on one day only for it to fuse with your skin? When those children went missing from your village, did you know for sure it was the electricity that took them? And down in the basement of your ancestrol home, what is it making that THUMP.... THUMP.... THUMP....

I was given a sampler of this short story collection, the short story was called "If."Our unnamed female character was constantly distracted by social media, obsessing over everything. I'm not usually a fan of short stories as I often feel that they can be a bit rushed. But if this first short story is anything to go by, I will be getting a hold of a copy of the book when it's published at the end of the month.

Published 30th April 2026

I would like to thank #NetGalley #PanMacmillan and the author #LouiseHegarty for my ARC of #GettingTheElectric in exchange for an honest review.

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just one short story from a new collection by Louise Hegarty, entitled ‘If’.

Doom scrolling > habitual, compulsive consumption of social media/news etc
Diagnosis > can cause anxiety/sadness/sleep loss and so on
Searching > going down several rabbit holes this morning, very random. Dogs, specifically goldendoodles, football, fashion, news (yikes)
Diagnosis > an eclectic mix, with no overall pattern. Correct.
X > no thanks
Instagram > guilty as charged

I absolutely love the way the author tells this short story via early computer text speak with the outcome of decisions, which reminds me of things like Pac-Man and the film Wreck-It Ralph. The cover highlights this extremely well. The end result is both relatable, funny, creative and clever with a distinct air of anxiety, if not occasional panic. I won’t divulge why!

If the others in the collection are as good and as entertaining as this one, then count me in.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan Macmillan/Picador for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever found yourself doom-scrolling, worrying about that weird pain in your leg, only to have your plans for the day completely trashed by the appearance of a literal axe-wielding troll?
What about that time you came across a perfect double of yourself in the street?
Or the gorilla suit you put on one day only for it to fuse with your skin?
When those children went missing from your village, did you know for sure it was the electricity that took them?
And down in the basement of your ancestral family home, what is it that’s making that THUMP... THUMP... THUMP...

I was gifted an ARC from NetGalley with just one short story, 'If'. It brilliantly describes someone who just can't concentrate and is constantly distracted by social media - in other words it describes a percentage of our population and it does so via the medium of an old-style text computer game. A good read and I'll look forward to reading more when the book is published.

[Em Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ 4.75 (round up)

“it felt like they didn’t need sustenance they were sustaining themselves”

If you enjoy inventive storytelling devices and techniques, then this is the book for you!
Each chapter is its own short story and every single one is told in such a unique way, and it worked so well.

Of course, as with every collection, I enjoyed some more than others, but Hegarty has such a great way with words that this had me enraptured throughout.

This does cover a LOT of very heavy and potentially triggering topics, so I recommend checking out the trigger warnings before you dive in.

Thank you so much to Book Break UK and Picador for this stunning ARC. Getting The Electric is out on May 28th.

[Brian Stabler · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Review of first short story 'If' only.*

> WRITE REVIEW OF IF
I’m sorry, I don’t understand.

> WHAT IS IF BY LOUISE HEGARTY
“If” is the opening story of Louise Hegarty’s debut anthology, following a young woman navigating life while doom-scrolling, obsessing over imagined illnesses, and contending with a relentless troll - all rendered in the style of a retro text-based RPG.

> NOW WRITE REVIEW
Clever, funny, anxious. Doom-scrolling and hypochondria meet retro text-adventure mechanics. You may die, but you will laugh.

> READ GETTING THE ELECTRIC BY LOUISE HEGARTY
Sorry, you can’t. It’s not published until April 30.

Thanks to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and the author for an advance copy.

[Lyndsey]

I only received a one-story sampler ARC from NetGalley, so I can't review or rate this book to the extent that I wanted to. It's a great story though! The main character is living her quite modern life via the medium of an old text-based computer adventure game. She'll be doom scrolling or such like, and suddenly a troll will come along to cause havoc so she'll have to exit north. I seriously thought there was going to be "a comfortable tunnel like hall" at some point, but maybe Hegarty isn't as old as I am. This story really whet my appetite for the rest of the book. I am still scratching my head as to why the publisher didn't provide the full book to NG, but I will be buying/borrowing it at some point.

[Rita Egan · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG...what?

This is an extraordinary collection of short stories, each told in a completely different way. I love how Hegarty plays with structure and extends into experimentation.

Her themes are very dark, and it's not usual to find so many viscerally affecting topics stacked against each other, but there is no danger that they collapse into each other given her choice of style for each individual one.

As usual in a collection of shorts, some are more hard hitting than others, but 3 of these are exceptional in their delivery.

This is not a book I would recommend universally, but if you are in the right mood, in the right place, in the right head space for something that refuses to sit in the corner, give this a try. Go on, I dare you.

[Katrina]

This was actually a sampler from the upcoming short story collection Getting the Electric by Louise Hegarty.

As such, I can only comment on the story ‘If’ featured here. I’m happy to report that it was a banger, as the kids say — definitely a four-star story.

Told in the format of a retro Dungeons & Dragons-style video game, ‘If’ follows an unnamed, phone-addicted hypochondriac as they go about their days. There’s a striking sense of bubbling panic beneath the prose, which I really enjoyed.

Original and well crafted. I’d happily pick up more by the author based on this.

With thanks to Pan Macmillan for the ARC.

[Denis Wheller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The publisher has only released “If” the first story in a collection by Louise Hegarty, so this is not a review of the book. The story is written as a kind of text based video game, where a hypochondriac moving about his/her life is being pursued by a Troll. I’d rate this story as 3 star. One line synopses of some(?) of the other stories suggest that all are a bit speculative, a bit experimental which fits with what I said in my review of her previous book ‘Fair Play’, which I said would ”thrill some, frustrate many, puzzle everyone”. I gave that 3.5 rounded to 4 and I’m guessing something similar for this.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I often find with short story collections that some stories leave me baffled, without the slightest clue what was going on. This collection is no exception, but the good stories are spectacular. The opening story, 'If', is an extraordinary stream of consciousness for the smartphone age, but also integrating elements of fantasy role playing games. The title story is a rich and complex history of electrification seen from the perspective of one rural village. And the final story is an utterly chilling account of coercive control in a relationship. This is only Louise Hegarty's second book. She is an exceptionally gifted writer and I am excited to see what she will come up with next.

[TurningPagesClem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was weird. In the best sense possible.

I obviously didn't love all of the short stories in this anthology but I enjoyed most of them !
Some really turned my brain inside/out and some low key freaked me out, those I loved the most !

I really applause Hegarty's bravery in the writing and editing of some of the short stories, it felt new and kept me interested. I think her style is perfect for short form prose.

Really recommend picking this one up if you like slightly unhinged stories with a strong message or just to be unsettled for fun !

[ZazaCoco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories (especially "If," "Getting the Electric," and "A Straight Line") stood out to me bc they were more alined with what I had expected from this book. They were refreshing, the layout was so fascinating, and the way with which Louise Hegarty was able to play with literature was a joy to read.

But most of the other stories of the book felt more bland, some were too dark (and for what felt like no true purpose) and overall made me wonder what the true aim of the book felt like. I asked myself how much the cover actually ruined the book for me, even though I loved the cover.

[Sinead]

I found these stories very dark, depressing and disturbing. Covering a multitude of distressing issues involving characters with severe mental health issues.

This is a well written book and covers very important topics but the blurb of "a bold, playful and utterly original collection of short stories" is misleading.

Not recommended for those who don't have the mental fortitude to deal with such issues and who may be misguided by the blurb.

[Ani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got the ARC of "If" - one of the stories from this short story collection. I really enjoyed it - it was quite original; and I remembered that I thought the same about Fair Play! - Louise Hegarty really has a captivating, unique writing style. Now I want to read other stories in this collection, so I might actually buy this

[Always Reading Between The Wines · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like how interesting the concept of this is- however a more complete feedback is difficult to give as this a sampler of the first story n this collection. From the premise, it's intriguing and I'd definitely read more.

[jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of "If" the first story in Ms Hegarty's new book.
It's certainly intriguing and different and I liked the robotic style - I will be very interested to see if this continues throughout the book.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

really fun and inventive! adventurous in form, too—one of the short stories, ‘getting the electric’ felt like a stephen king novel by way of janice hallett

[Takealookinsideabook · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book from this author and I was intrigued as soon as I saw the cover!

I loved how each short story was so different and told in a unique way too. I'm definitely excited to read more from them after this!

thank you to the publisher for sending me an early proof copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

[Lucia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I only read the short story "If" from this collection as an ARC.

Told with an interesting technique, "If" narrates the mundane and bleak everyday life of an unnamed narrator who spends too much time on their phone and might be hypochondriac, or maybe not.
The story is relatable and a bit sad, as the writing technique highlights every time this person picks up their phone to do nothing. It made me aware of how many times I do the same during the day 😅

I really liked that the story is told as if it was an old text-based computer RPG, where the player would write the action they wanted to make, and the computer then describes the outcome of that action.

This is my first time reading something from this author and I found it interesting and intriguing!

Thanks to Picador via NetGalley for providing an eARC