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Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight: The Derby Cavendish Stories
I'm Derby Cavendish—that's pronounced Derby with an "ar" sound, not an "er": remember it for later. Ever since I was a boy, the forces of the otherworldly have been drawn to me like divas to a spotlight. But I'm ready for them. Bring it on, bitches. It's Supernatural meets Queer Eye for the Straight Guy in this hilarious collection of stories from Wizards of the Coast author Don Bassingthwaite.
220 pages, Paperback
First published October 17, 2016
4 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Don Bassingthwaite
34 books51 followersDon lives with his partner in Toronto, surrounded by gadgets, spice jars, and too many books.
No, I don’t normally refer to myself in the third person. That’s the official author bio from the back of my most recent books. You want some other trivia?
I’m a fan of the serial comma.
I’m a huge fan of breakfast cereal.
I own one (and only one) stuffed animal — a Highland cow from Edinburgh named “Ewan MooGregor.”
I love Edinburgh and London — other large cities visited in the UK include Bath and Plymouth. I’ve also been to Cheddar where I ate a really good cheese sandwich.
I like cheese, especially hard and blue cheeses (Mmmm. Stilton.).
I look terrible in hats with the exception (for unknown reasons) of a few ball caps of particular colour and design.
I look good in rugby shirts, but don’t really own any as I neither play rugby nor follow the sport enough to feel honest buying the shirt of any particular team.
I don’t play or follow soccer either, but that didn’t stop me from choosing a “shirt team” in the last World Cup, wearing their shirt, and cheering for them in pubs. Go Netherlands!
To quote Paul S. Kemp, “Mmm. Beer.”
I have seriously considered buying a kilt. Update March 2008: The kilt has been bought!
Kilt, cow, and fondness for Edinburgh aside, I’m not Scottish.
More to come, I’m sure!
No, I don’t normally refer to myself in the third person. That’s the official author bio from the back of my most recent books. You want some other trivia?
I’m a fan of the serial comma.
I’m a huge fan of breakfast cereal.
I own one (and only one) stuffed animal — a Highland cow from Edinburgh named “Ewan MooGregor.”
I love Edinburgh and London — other large cities visited in the UK include Bath and Plymouth. I’ve also been to Cheddar where I ate a really good cheese sandwich.
I like cheese, especially hard and blue cheeses (Mmmm. Stilton.).
I look terrible in hats with the exception (for unknown reasons) of a few ball caps of particular colour and design.
I look good in rugby shirts, but don’t really own any as I neither play rugby nor follow the sport enough to feel honest buying the shirt of any particular team.
I don’t play or follow soccer either, but that didn’t stop me from choosing a “shirt team” in the last World Cup, wearing their shirt, and cheering for them in pubs. Go Netherlands!
To quote Paul S. Kemp, “Mmm. Beer.”
I have seriously considered buying a kilt. Update March 2008: The kilt has been bought!
Kilt, cow, and fondness for Edinburgh aside, I’m not Scottish.
More to come, I’m sure!
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 5, 2020
Like Tales From the Crypt, but with drag queens
December 20, 2018
Derby Cavendish spends his time fighting supernatural menaces. The otherworldly has been attracted to him since St. Patrick’s Day when he was seven years old, and with his unique collection of very gay friends (yes, Derby is quite gay as well), he protects his little community from things that go bump in the night.
Things that go bump in the night include fruitcake zombies. It’s a bad thing when a fruitcake recipe requires using a particular lucky instrument, which just happens to be a huahua fertility fetish. Zombies ensue. There’s a potluck Christmas season dinner that gets quite rowdy when an evil holiday sweater enters the mix. Then there’s one of my favorite characters in this book: Aaron the fabulously gay Jewish werewolf drag-queen (better known as Miss Mitzy Knish, the original Hebrew Hot Pocket). This anthology’s tales happen in chronological order, and details and characters survive from one story to another. Things that happen in one story become crucial to the characters’ survival in another.
Bethany is Derby’s nemesis. We first see her at the Gay Hockey League Jockstrap Auction and Bake Sale, where Derby uses his knowledge of holidays to summon something to deal with her and her creepy minions. At a fundraiser for an organ, the East Sykes Ladies’ Senior Auxiliary manages to get maneuvered into accidentally invoking an orgy, requiring one of Derby’s friends to get… creative… in fixing the problem.
Please note that there’s some very ribald and adult-oriented humor in here! Not for kids!
The short stories wrap up with one longer novella called “Green,” a multi-holiday extravaganza that brings us back to the collection’s title of “cocktails at seven, apocalypse at eight.” Also, the huahua is back, and so are the zombies (sans fruitcake)!
The stories are oddly inspirational despite the bawdy humor of it all. The characters are fantastic, with plenty of hilarity and depth to them. The world of otherworldly creatures is built well, with a glamour that helps to keep the ordinary people from remembering the strange things that go on around them. So if you’re looking for a gay ol’ holiday read with plenty of fabulous hilarity, be sure to pick this volume up!
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2018/12/r...
Things that go bump in the night include fruitcake zombies. It’s a bad thing when a fruitcake recipe requires using a particular lucky instrument, which just happens to be a huahua fertility fetish. Zombies ensue. There’s a potluck Christmas season dinner that gets quite rowdy when an evil holiday sweater enters the mix. Then there’s one of my favorite characters in this book: Aaron the fabulously gay Jewish werewolf drag-queen (better known as Miss Mitzy Knish, the original Hebrew Hot Pocket). This anthology’s tales happen in chronological order, and details and characters survive from one story to another. Things that happen in one story become crucial to the characters’ survival in another.
Bethany is Derby’s nemesis. We first see her at the Gay Hockey League Jockstrap Auction and Bake Sale, where Derby uses his knowledge of holidays to summon something to deal with her and her creepy minions. At a fundraiser for an organ, the East Sykes Ladies’ Senior Auxiliary manages to get maneuvered into accidentally invoking an orgy, requiring one of Derby’s friends to get… creative… in fixing the problem.
Please note that there’s some very ribald and adult-oriented humor in here! Not for kids!
The short stories wrap up with one longer novella called “Green,” a multi-holiday extravaganza that brings us back to the collection’s title of “cocktails at seven, apocalypse at eight.” Also, the huahua is back, and so are the zombies (sans fruitcake)!
The stories are oddly inspirational despite the bawdy humor of it all. The characters are fantastic, with plenty of hilarity and depth to them. The world of otherworldly creatures is built well, with a glamour that helps to keep the ordinary people from remembering the strange things that go on around them. So if you’re looking for a gay ol’ holiday read with plenty of fabulous hilarity, be sure to pick this volume up!
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2018/12/r...
December 31, 2017
I'm always looking for 'seasonal' reads. Holiday stories revolving around particular days aren't as common in the genre unless we're talking about Halloween - naturally - so when you can find something that centres around Christmas it's a treat. And Derby Cavendish tales are treats which are both sweet and sassy. Mixing bizarre situations with humour, Don Bassingthwaite's collected tales won't disappoint those who like their scares with a heap of laughs, literal laugh-out-loud moments.
From Christmas to St. Patrick's Day to Pride Day, Cavendish fights evil all around our holiday celebrations while remaining cool, collected and cheeky.
Sure, you could read this collection at any time of the year, but I suggest waiting for the calendar to roll into the holidays and then crack out the book.
From Christmas to St. Patrick's Day to Pride Day, Cavendish fights evil all around our holiday celebrations while remaining cool, collected and cheeky.
Sure, you could read this collection at any time of the year, but I suggest waiting for the calendar to roll into the holidays and then crack out the book.
June 26, 2019
This collection was a lot of fun: raunchy, humorous and flamboyant. I wasn't sure about the old-school-detective-style interior monologue at first, but it grew on me quickly. And it was interesting to see how the author's voice changed story to story as they were written over a number of years. Would definitely recommend and read again.
December 25, 2022
“It's Supernatural meets Queer Eye for the Straight Guy in this hilarious collection of stories from Wizards of the Coast author Don Bassingthwaite.” (From the book blurb). I laughed at each of these stories in “Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight”! Absolutely hilarious and over-the-top! I want more Derby Cavendish!!! Favorite zippy little novella!
February 9, 2018
The stories were entertaining, and rather fun, but I quickly found the author's preferred simile style grating. They were invariably sexual, and usually referenced assholes. This was common enough to detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.
January 28, 2020
Fast hilarious read about a gay otherworldly entity hunter. Think Van Helsing meets Queer Eye. So. Much. Fun. All puns, sexual innuendos, and hilarious one-liners.
2020 reading challenge: an underrated book, a hidden gem, or lesser known book
2020 reading challenge: an underrated book, a hidden gem, or lesser known book
August 25, 2025
Not a good read per say but I definitely laughed a couple times throughout. There are some super funny moments which I guess was the point of the book but it was terribly written and there isn’t much of a plot.
January 10, 2019
This compilation of short stories featuring Derby Cavendish, destroyer of supernatural baddies, had me laughing out loud on public transit. Humorously raunchy, and epically flamboyant, this was a perfect light read.
September 5, 2019
Campy, unique and fun :)
October 26, 2019
Hilarious, amazing and fabulous. Cannot recommend enough.
August 20, 2020
What a fun little read. This story made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion.
Everyone should have a friend like Derby Cavendish!!
Everyone should have a friend like Derby Cavendish!!
April 22, 2021
Hilariously written. I laughed so much reading this book. Definitely one of my favorite queer books I have read in a while.
September 18, 2023
Buffy meets Queer Eye meets RuPaul's Drag Race. Gayest little collection of supernatural holiday podcast stories in print. This one is a classic.
December 30, 2020
This was the gayest thing I've ever read and I loved it. Hilarious, irreverant without being ridiculous, and the situations and interactions between characters were an absolute delight.
April 11, 2017
I can see why Don's readings of Derby Cavendish's adventures are so popular. A fun read with some zingers!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews