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Gore Poetics
Not yet published
Expected 14 Apr 26A fraternity massacre births rewritten history, a supernatural entity, and a survivor obsessed with both. Two bog bodies ponder their star-crossed love. A chronically ill house consumes its unwilling, equally unwell tenant. A housewife discovers she's made of several million ticks-but only after they leak from her new nipple piercings.
The stories in Gore Poetics explore intimacy and annihilation through visceral, wet prose. Samir Sirk Morató makes a name for themself as a master of strange, erotic, and transgressive horror in this stunning debut collection.
The stories in Gore Poetics explore intimacy and annihilation through visceral, wet prose. Samir Sirk Morató makes a name for themself as a master of strange, erotic, and transgressive horror in this stunning debut collection.
216 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Review of advance copy
Got the ebook for review on booksirens.
Short, dark, erotic, horror shortstories. Like most story collections I liked some more then others. Enjoyed the writing. Impactful stories. Would like to read more from the author.
Short, dark, erotic, horror shortstories. Like most story collections I liked some more then others. Enjoyed the writing. Impactful stories. Would like to read more from the author.
Review of advance copy
I'd been waiting for Gore Poetics since I first read "Pearlescent Tickwad" last year. Samir Sirk Morató has a grasp for gore beyond borders, genders, sexes, the things we defend to death that make up our individual identities. We are all gore and hope-less/ful-ness with brief moments of the kind of emotions that punch us in the gut: joy, lust, terror, love. "Pearlescent Tickwad," featured among the many gory stories in this hard-to-stomach collection, is on the hopeful end of the spectrum. It moved me to tears when I first read it, and placed how it is in this lineup, the tears fell anew.
This collection met and even exceeded my expectations, for the most part. Every short story had one of Samir's gorgeous collages as a cover, which gave the whole book a 90s punk zine vibe that bolstered its political edge. I was reminded that, while all art is political, not all "political" art is good, that the best political art is good art first and politics second. Samir wields that blade with a surgeon's precision and carves out a heavy metal, no-skip compilation album I know I'll want to buy so I can force everyone I know to listen.
Where "Gore Poetics" excels is in stories about relationships and bodies among bodies: "Shrike," "sharp house," "Lithopedion," "PENNSYLVANIA FURNACE (refrain)," "Pearlescent Tickwad," "galactic oracle eulogy," "EGREGORE," really the bulk of the collection, all twisted the knife Samir wields in such a delicious way. They clearly have a visceral understanding of bodies and the consequences of embodiment, our relational impact, our capacity to harm and heal as fully realized beings. Relationships, towns, frat houses, clubs, laboratories, floating dying gods: Samir makes clusters of beings come alive with such love, such care, such specificity, it's easy to imagine they themselves have lived many interesting lives.
Unfortunately, that means they falter when it's time to write a sad, isolated loser. That's not a complaint from me: I am not a fan of the single, estranged, "too messed up for friendship" archetype that's dominated our generation's literature for so long. But it means the book drags once we get to, say, "brainworms" or "Colossus," when the protagonists' sourceless self-hatred feels less personal and more put-on. But even in "brainworms," there are moments of glittering, searing profundity. Still, that's where my fifth star went, a tiny earmark saying, "I love you trying to get inside the impenetrable, intolerable, broken isolationist, but--"
But they seem to know this limitation, and trap a bitter, marginalized individual in a house in their final story. I can think of no better thesis to this collection than "Aberration," which twists me around the "you" of the story, makes me their house, twists everything we've just endured together into one horrific, gut-wrenching, heartbreaking punctuation.
Because in the clerb, we are all fam. Or something. Which is the note I'll leave you on, is that this book brought me closer to everyone. Samir reminds us, time and again, of our kinship ties to one another.
Through blood. Through gore. Through poetry.
I received an advance review copy to load onto my Kobo for free from BookSirens, and no one's holding a gun to my head making me write this review. I just want you to read it.
This collection met and even exceeded my expectations, for the most part. Every short story had one of Samir's gorgeous collages as a cover, which gave the whole book a 90s punk zine vibe that bolstered its political edge. I was reminded that, while all art is political, not all "political" art is good, that the best political art is good art first and politics second. Samir wields that blade with a surgeon's precision and carves out a heavy metal, no-skip compilation album I know I'll want to buy so I can force everyone I know to listen.
Where "Gore Poetics" excels is in stories about relationships and bodies among bodies: "Shrike," "sharp house," "Lithopedion," "PENNSYLVANIA FURNACE (refrain)," "Pearlescent Tickwad," "galactic oracle eulogy," "EGREGORE," really the bulk of the collection, all twisted the knife Samir wields in such a delicious way. They clearly have a visceral understanding of bodies and the consequences of embodiment, our relational impact, our capacity to harm and heal as fully realized beings. Relationships, towns, frat houses, clubs, laboratories, floating dying gods: Samir makes clusters of beings come alive with such love, such care, such specificity, it's easy to imagine they themselves have lived many interesting lives.
Unfortunately, that means they falter when it's time to write a sad, isolated loser. That's not a complaint from me: I am not a fan of the single, estranged, "too messed up for friendship" archetype that's dominated our generation's literature for so long. But it means the book drags once we get to, say, "brainworms" or "Colossus," when the protagonists' sourceless self-hatred feels less personal and more put-on. But even in "brainworms," there are moments of glittering, searing profundity. Still, that's where my fifth star went, a tiny earmark saying, "I love you trying to get inside the impenetrable, intolerable, broken isolationist, but--"
But they seem to know this limitation, and trap a bitter, marginalized individual in a house in their final story. I can think of no better thesis to this collection than "Aberration," which twists me around the "you" of the story, makes me their house, twists everything we've just endured together into one horrific, gut-wrenching, heartbreaking punctuation.
Because in the clerb, we are all fam. Or something. Which is the note I'll leave you on, is that this book brought me closer to everyone. Samir reminds us, time and again, of our kinship ties to one another.
Through blood. Through gore. Through poetry.
I received an advance review copy to load onto my Kobo for free from BookSirens, and no one's holding a gun to my head making me write this review. I just want you to read it.
March 10, 2026
ARC review
This collection is utterly, viscerally unnerving in the best possible way; but the descent in to the depth of the experiences I think the author is trying to depict was quite the trial by fire.
The prose are so very visually stimulating that I felt myself nearing the point of throwing up at multiple points. That being said:
The way in which the stories wrench you into their clutches force you to live through the lived experience of depression of gender dysphoria; through queer experiences in their multitudes and a destructieve mothers love; the use of the childbearing body; the horrors of being the monster without being able to help it.
All these great big, strange and overwhelmingly slimy metaphors for human suffering will grip you by the throat and not let you go until the very last page.
I can truly recommend the collection to everyone. I am convinced neigh on every reader will find themselves in one of these tales and they will—like I did—find themselves more understood than ever before. The truly hideous parts of ourselves laid bare in all their vile glory is what this book thrives on.
My deepest gratitude for getting the opportunity to reads this. I’m gonna take a bath now.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This collection is utterly, viscerally unnerving in the best possible way; but the descent in to the depth of the experiences I think the author is trying to depict was quite the trial by fire.
The prose are so very visually stimulating that I felt myself nearing the point of throwing up at multiple points. That being said:
The way in which the stories wrench you into their clutches force you to live through the lived experience of depression of gender dysphoria; through queer experiences in their multitudes and a destructieve mothers love; the use of the childbearing body; the horrors of being the monster without being able to help it.
All these great big, strange and overwhelmingly slimy metaphors for human suffering will grip you by the throat and not let you go until the very last page.
I can truly recommend the collection to everyone. I am convinced neigh on every reader will find themselves in one of these tales and they will—like I did—find themselves more understood than ever before. The truly hideous parts of ourselves laid bare in all their vile glory is what this book thrives on.
My deepest gratitude for getting the opportunity to reads this. I’m gonna take a bath now.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Some of my absolute favorite horror and horror-tinged SFF short stories from the past five years or so! To be honest, I sometimes am envious of Morató because I think we’re often doing very similar things as writers, and I think they often do those things better than I do them. If you enjoy my work, there’s not a chance you won’t also like this collection. “Lithopedion,” which is original to this collection, is a standout even among these uniformly strong pieces: a harrowing, heartbreaking, body horror-filled tale in which an oyster-like alien girl, enslaved by human colonists for her ability to produce luminous, colorful stone stillbirths, discovers the concept of rebellion. It’s strongly reminiscent of my favorite James Tiptree Jr. stories, but it’s also very much its own thing. Gross and haunting, I’m still thinking about it a week later. Other personal favorites are the bittersweet, oceanic, trans, autistic monster romance “Twilight Tide,” the sad and contemplative, magical realist “The Halved World,” and the absolutely Clive Barkerian gay erotic horror novelette “SHRIKE.”
I received an ARC in exchange for writing an honest review.
I received an ARC in exchange for writing an honest review.
Review of advance copy
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Gore Poetics is my most anticipated 2026 book, probably the only one I really knew that is coming out this year, actually. And it did not disappoint. What a collection! I have read some of the stories in their previous incarnations- in magazines and anthologies- but even on a second reading, the stories blow me away. And being all in one book with Samir's collages to start each story, it is such a visual and mental feast.
Samir writes about identity, longing, loss, transformation, and navigating this world in the meat suits we were given with such visceral rawness; these are not stories for the faint of heart. But, give it a chance and you will leave transfigured.
Some of these stories are real gross, I will be real. But, also, it is called Gore Poetics, look at the amazing cover. You should know what you are getting into. It is wearing our insides on the outside, it is discovering we are made up of more than we think we are. That the world may view you as broken, but you aren't. You are just human, living in an inefficient meat suit.
Gore Poetics is my most anticipated 2026 book, probably the only one I really knew that is coming out this year, actually. And it did not disappoint. What a collection! I have read some of the stories in their previous incarnations- in magazines and anthologies- but even on a second reading, the stories blow me away. And being all in one book with Samir's collages to start each story, it is such a visual and mental feast.
Samir writes about identity, longing, loss, transformation, and navigating this world in the meat suits we were given with such visceral rawness; these are not stories for the faint of heart. But, give it a chance and you will leave transfigured.
Some of these stories are real gross, I will be real. But, also, it is called Gore Poetics, look at the amazing cover. You should know what you are getting into. It is wearing our insides on the outside, it is discovering we are made up of more than we think we are. That the world may view you as broken, but you aren't. You are just human, living in an inefficient meat suit.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
• ARC Review •
[Gore Poetics]
🔥 Release Date: Apr 14, 2026 🔥
Thank you to Cursed Morsels Press, Samir Sirk Morato, and BookSirens for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
★★★☆☆
Gore Poetics fully commits to graphic, visceral horror and doesn’t pull any punches. Some pieces hit hard enough that I had to pause for a second and just sit with it like… yeah, okay, that was a lot. The imagery can be intense in a way that really lingers, which I appreciated.
That said, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Some stories feel fully developed and stick with you, while others pass by so quickly they barely leave an impression. Not bad, just… kind of there.
One thing I did enjoy was the variety. Nothing felt repetitive, and I never quite knew what was coming next, which kept things engaging the whole time.
Overall, it’s a solid collection if you enjoy graphic horror and don’t mind a little inconsistency along the way.
[Gore Poetics]
🔥 Release Date: Apr 14, 2026 🔥
Thank you to Cursed Morsels Press, Samir Sirk Morato, and BookSirens for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
★★★☆☆
Gore Poetics fully commits to graphic, visceral horror and doesn’t pull any punches. Some pieces hit hard enough that I had to pause for a second and just sit with it like… yeah, okay, that was a lot. The imagery can be intense in a way that really lingers, which I appreciated.
That said, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Some stories feel fully developed and stick with you, while others pass by so quickly they barely leave an impression. Not bad, just… kind of there.
One thing I did enjoy was the variety. Nothing felt repetitive, and I never quite knew what was coming next, which kept things engaging the whole time.
Overall, it’s a solid collection if you enjoy graphic horror and don’t mind a little inconsistency along the way.
Review of advance copy
I am immediately drawn in by the imagery before the short stories and then completely captivated by the language. There is something about the way the author relates so many different topics to things that are relevant to today. There were a few stories that stood out to me incredibly including: bluebell ovipositor, Colossus, Lithopedion, galactic oracle eulogy, and Twilight Tide.
This was my first exposure to Samir Sirk Morató’s writing, but I definitely will be looking for more.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was my first exposure to Samir Sirk Morató’s writing, but I definitely will be looking for more.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 7, 2026
This was a visceral read, each story delving into something deep…sometimes deep inside someone.
For subject matter that is so goretastic, it’s written beautifully. Everything you read is a juxtaposition of that’s crafted so well and oh my hod what was that.
The stand out stories for me were Lithopedion, Poolhorse, Brainworms, entrada, and Aberration ( aberration is a great way to close out this set of stories)!
For subject matter that is so goretastic, it’s written beautifully. Everything you read is a juxtaposition of that’s crafted so well and oh my hod what was that.
The stand out stories for me were Lithopedion, Poolhorse, Brainworms, entrada, and Aberration ( aberration is a great way to close out this set of stories)!
Review of advance copy
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Morato does a fantastic job at exploring the body as modes of feminist critique of aspects like capitalism, colonization, racism, and queerphobia with gripping prose and voice. Each story different from the last, you will find an ounce of yourself amongst the horrors unravelling.
Morato does a fantastic job at exploring the body as modes of feminist critique of aspects like capitalism, colonization, racism, and queerphobia with gripping prose and voice. Each story different from the last, you will find an ounce of yourself amongst the horrors unravelling.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews