Fit for Consumption: Stories Both Queer and Horrifying

by Steve Berman

In Berman's newest short story collection, the phrase "you are what you eat" is taken to heart; these are stories of men facing strange appetites within their own physicality, within a lover or, perhaps, a stranger's hungers. A young athlete attends an exclusive wrestling camp, but some of the campers are more focused on the unwelcome boys they claim lurk inside their bellies. A fixit man on a mission to retrieve a runaway finds himself forced into impersonating a pulp hero by her captor. Life as a pledge at a New Orleans fraternity is made all the worse when a magical--perhaps cursed?--flask that fills with whatever the bearer desires, yet also causes the drinker to desire the pledge. With stories inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, and Ramsey Campbell, the menu has thirteen tales that range from the weird to the humour noir to the monstrous. No digestif is necessary.


Table of Contents

"In Summer Broken"
"Capturing Jove Lunge"
"The Balm of Sperrgebiet is the Krokodil"
"D is for Delicious"
"Passion, Like a Voice—That Buds"
"Unwelcome Boys" (a brand new novelette)
"He's so Tender"
"The Haferbräutigam"
"The Letter That Doomed Nosferatu"
"Poetaster"
"The Unsolved “Case of the Club Tarrare"
"His Mouth Will Taste of Chernobyl"
"Bottom of the Menu"

Genres: Horror, Queer, Fiction, Short Stories, LGBT, Anthologies

219 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2021

About the author

Some tidbits about me...

I turned down a scholarship to Miskatonic University because I heard of the high rate of incidents against the student population.

I briefly worked for Omni Consumer Products in their Marketing Department. Great benefits, nice cafeteria, sadly too prone to executive whim.

Last year I stayed at the noted Mauna Pele resort in Hawaii. The accommodations were impressive but my traveling companion disappeared soon after wanting to attend a pig roast.

I've slept with one minor porn star and with a guy who later became one.

And I happen to have written some fanfic that inspired the memorable holodeck scene in Star Trek: Hidden Frontiers episode "Vigil"

Reviews

[Paige]

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of the book for review.

As we get into the spooky season I always love trying to pick up some horror. It's a genre I sometimes crave randomly in the year but it's always fun to dig right in during October. Fit for Consumption comes out this October, so it's perfect timing if you're looking to add a short story collection to your Halloween reads.

Fit for Consumption contains 13 tales - I hope that number was deliberate. They are all genuinely short stories, usually coming in somewhere around the 10 - 15 page mark, with just one story reaching 40 pages. It's refreshing as sometimes with short story collections you get one really long (for a short story) tale that seems out of place. Not here. They're all the perfect length that each time you pick the book up you'll find yourself finishing at least one of the stories.

The stories vary in narrative voice. The very first tale - In Summer Broken - is told in a wall of text, no paragraphs. I have to admit it's a strange way to begin the collection as it is so different from the rest of the stories. I'm someone who gets confused with names easily so this one was a struggle just because the formatting didn't suit my reading style. However, every other tale was easier for me to follow, so please don't let yourself be put off by this, or if you've picked it up, the first tale in the collection. As with all good short story collections there are links between each tale. Wether it's names or events there seems to be nods to other stories and it's always fun to see.

Every tale in this collection is a queer story. This leads to a lot of sexual tension and a decent amount of sexual content. Some of it uncomfortable & some of it not. It is a collection of horror stories, so the content is as expected. The descriptions aren't graphic or unnecessary, sexual content isn't used as a horror trope as such, which is great as it allows the horror content of the stories to not just focus on the sexual nature.

If you're looking for a good short story collection for this Halloween, this is worth looking into. Some stories are a lot creepier than others, but you'll find a tale that resonates with you in this collection.

[Phobos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gosh, it took me so long to finish this book. Despite the super promising queer horror genre and clever title, this short story collection really wasn’t for me.

Fit For Consumption is a clever titled anthology of 13 queer horror stories written by a single author. Each story varies in its style, perspective, and setting, though they fit well together based on general feel.

I found the choice for the first story odd as it's written as a huge block of text with no dialog formatting, new paragraphs or anything else you'd expect. I honestly thought the ARC was just not formatted properly until I compared it against a sample of the published copy. As and introduction to the book, it didn’t spark much interest right away.

My favorite stories were ‘He’s So Tender’ and ‘Unwelcome Boys’. I totally recommend those- I found them faster paced which I believe is why I didn’t like the book as a whole. And also maybe because the horror aspect failed to resonate with me. It’s more generally creepy than scary.

I think I’d have enjoyed this more it I liked slow paced books, and if I hadn’t come in with any particular expectations. One thing this book certainly is is unique.

Thanks to BookSirens and the author for a free copy of the book! This review is left of my own volition and opinion.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderfully done horror stories, it was what I was looking for in a collection of scary stories. I enjoyed the way Mr. Berman writes, and the characters felt like real people.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Patrick Horrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIT FOR CONSUMPTION by Steve Berman is a collection of 13 horror tales featuring scenes of queer folk ingesting and spewing forth all kinds of food, drink, flesh, and blood. Berman, who is also a prolific editor and the founder of Lethe Press, writes in an impressive range of styles and voices. His brand of horror is often subtle and unexpected. His characters are refreshingly unglamorous and quirky. His prose is knotty, witty, at times sneaky. In one of my favorite stories, "The Haferbrautigam," a self-important, late-nineteenth-century queer photographer and bon vivant, just out of jail, hits on a scruffy, seemingly vulnerable young man in a train station only to discover his prey has wolfish appetites of his own. This is literary fiction masquerading as genre fiction. I highly recommend it.

[Joseph Dante · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection includes a sampling of horror, uncanny, and speculative gay fiction linked by the thematic exploration of appetites: whether it is erotic longing, yearning for companionship, or just the relationship to food and literal hunger. The stories feature gay men (and one woman) contending with their identities while confronting eerie, unknowable forces. My favorite story is the longest one in the collection, "Unwelcome Boys," a coming of age tale with sinister hunger-beings dancing along the periphery. Unsettling, unafraid.

[Andrés Menéndez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is a perfect example of how to combine queer experiences with a horror setting, creating stories that are terrifying but with a heart. The characters are diverse, the subgenres change within stories which makes for a better reading experience, and the ending of each story is scary and will make you think about them when you are done reading. It's an amazing book with entertaining stories, one that every fan of queer horror should read

[Aiden Messer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! The stories all have supernatural/magical elements, but all in very different way. They're very dark and creepy yet still have erotic and sometimes even hopeful/happy elements. My favourites were Unwanted Boys and His Mouth Will Taste of Chernobyl
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[hest]

DNF, maybe i'll try again when i run out of queer horror books

[Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I have the privilege and pleasure of narrating the upcoming audiobook for this collection, but my opinions are my own. If they are biased, they are so by influence of intimacy with a truly amazing collection.

Fit For Consumption is a collection of literary queer horror stories, centered mostly on men with appetites. Some appetites are taboo by type, or by degree. Others are agonizing near-misses, horror we can all relate to. But the quiet starvation gnaws at the reader, until, like the characters, we refuse to hunger any longer.

Steve Berman's prose is puckish, witty, and elusive. There is always a twinkle in the eye, unless that twinkle is better repurposed into a tear - one can die of hunger, after all. Devastating, and I recommend it in any format.

[Josh Buyarski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty disturbing, creepy and kind of a fun collection.

Unwelcome Boys and His Mouth will Taste of Chernobyl we’re by far my favorite stories

[Cavak · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the overall disappointment of BL・オブ・ザ・デッド BL of the Dead , I was wondering how Western literary circles would tackle the gay horror niche.

How delightful to discover Fit for Consumption for this curiosity!

Like other anthologies compiled by Berman, I appreciate the approach taken to address the anthology's creative prompt. Many of the stories contained within are reprints with varied structures, settings, and styles from each author. That uniqueness, along with the welcome trait of please-no-Cuthulu-like-horror-monster rape, grabbed my attention throughout the book.

Horror is a mixed bag with me. If it doesn't scare me (which none of these stories did), then I'd like a good brain teaser of why a particular oddity is included. Hidden commentary or moral. While a few had those elements, some didn't.

Gay sex is occasionally mentioned but not explicit. Seldom did it seem to be the focus. Which challenges readers to interpret the mental inner workings of a gay protagonist, a stark contrast to Berman's other compilations. It's refreshing to have a few stories where it feels like, "Hey, here's the gay star who is not being sexualized."

Fit for Consumption is an entertaining romp while it lasts. I enjoyed this with less intensity as other compilations, although the stories within were written well. Perhaps the balance of gay horror is a difficult niche to fulfill.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Julianne Lett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sick, sweet & twisted!! One of my favorite horror anthologies of all time--You'll find a wonderful mixed bag of 13 grisly little stories of all flavors here, all very different in both writing style and focus-- There's a little here for every (queer) horror fan, and if you don't love a story, you'll probably find yourself loving (or at least intrigued by) the next one. Some are gross, some are scary, all of them fascinating, delightfully tense, weird and poignant in their own right. I enjoyed sampling most all of the stories involved, but those stuck out to me the most. I'll definitely be rereading my favorites. Give this book a try!!

𝐉𝐮'𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬:
•Unwelcome Boys
•He's So Tender
•In Summer Broken

𝐎𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐈 𝐄𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝/𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐥/ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝:
•Taste of Chernobyl
•The Letter That Doomed Nosferatu
•Passion, Like a Voice That Buds
•The Balm of Sperrgebiet is the Krokodil
•D is For Delicious
•The Unsolved "Case of the Club Tarrare"

𝐎𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐈 𝐄𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 ��𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲:
•Capturing Jove Lunge
•Poetaster
•The Haferbräutigam
•Bottom of the Menu

[the vault]

**I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

if we're being I don't know how I even made it past the first story. This one was such a hard read, and not in a "this book was so disturbing and I had to keep putting it down" but instead that the writing was confusing and long unbroken paragraphs that spanned like half a page each. I couldn't tell when a character was actually talking, and when I did finally catch on it would take me multiple sentences afterwards to realize when they stopped.
if you're not going to use quotations, you could at least put a line break to separate inner monolog versus speaking. not to mention it was hard to even tell characters apart; and there was so many mentions of this person is fucking this person but that person is fucking this person so-on and so-on.
It felt like the author was trying to sound poetic, intelligent and scandalous all in one. I felt like I was reading a really long poem with no line breaks or overall flow, but at the same time I was a 5 year old being taught physics by a professor.

The second story was…uhm interesting to say the least. That story was like what I mostly imagined dune to be like based off of the limited descriptions people give when talking about it. I’m really not sure what was going on with it but I had low expectations after that first story anyways, so I didn't care too much about what was going to happen.


If we’re being honest, after a friend had told me ‘He’s so Tender’ and ‘Unwelcome boys’ was their favorite, I just jumped straight to those because if I was going to like anything from this collection, it would be those. And, surprise surprise, I didn’t end up liking either of those either. They were just meh, nothing special, nothing great.

Overall, I was really disappointed. I was interested by the summary provided but it turned out to be nothing like I hoped.

[Count Belchenbarf · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely not worth the time. I got halfway through and tossed it. Reading an asinine self help book like 'A Sensitive Millenial's Guide to Coping With Stress in the Age of Covid' would have been more entertaining. Will just have to pour myself a nice glass of Jack on ice and go back to reading Brian Keene.

[Menion · Rating 1 out of 5]

Borrowed it from a friend, and was happy to send it right back when done. The stories simply aren't entertaining enough.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fit for Consumption is an anthology series of horror stories by Steve Berman. The 13 stories cover obsession, desire, hidden truths, and the cravings of people and inhuman creatures alike. As the tagline says, “You are what you eat.”

I was introduced to this book some time ago, but have only recently sat down to go through the stories. Anthologies are always a mixed bag for me. Within each book, I generally will have a handful of the stories that I find more enjoyable than the rest. But those few will often stick with me. As was the case with this book. The short stories ranged from vampires to creatures of darkness, and good people who make questionable decisions. Of course, there are also a few bad people who enjoy their bad decisions.

The first story in the book was “Summer Broken.” It is the story of a group of kids who are not quite friends but move together as friends would. It is filled with sexual escapades and scandals that they try to keep cover while being pursued by a cop seeking revenge. The story sets the tone for what the remaining short stories have to come.

“Unwelcome Boys” was one of the stories that stood out to me the most. It is about a guy who is attending a sports camp for wrestling. But he struggles while there, trying to keep the fact that he is gay hidden. He meets another player that is also questioning his sexuality and the two form a bond. But dark things are brewing at this camp, that will possibly put them in danger.

There was a tone in the story that pulled me in. It was one of the longer stories, so it took its time to build up. The story starts like any Young Adult style book--The closeted kid in an uncomfortable situation. But as the story goes on, it enters a dark realm where, as a reader, I wondered if the guy was going to make it out of the camp in one piece.

Another story that had me enthralled was “His Mouth Will Taste of Chernobyl.” This story is about a college student who is pledging a fraternity. It is not something he wants to do but is compelled to by his alumni father. As is often the case, he is closeted and does everything he can to keep that to himself. But that is not his only secret. Upon leaving for college his father gives him a flask, that will magically fill with whatever the holder wishes. This magic flask is both a blessing and a curse for the pledge.

Like the other story of a closeted student, this one deals with him meeting a fellow pledge who is questioning his sexuality. But in this story, it goes a different direction. The other boy does not want to believe or accept that of himself. When he gives into his temptation, they are caught by a Brother who threatens to expose them.

This was more of a suspenseful story for me. I could feel the tension build and suspected where it was going. I felt a lot of sympathy for the pledge as he was in a situation, he did not want to be in. He is made to do things, that he is not comfortable with until he finds a way to escape. I was cheering him on and hoping for a happy ending for him. But with horror stories, that is not always guaranteed.

The Final one I want to highlight is “D Is For Delicious.” This was a fun story for me. It is about a school nurse who is on the verge of retirement. But she is not quite ready to walk away. That is until she discovers, she is a witch! In this story, we learn that witches are the women who take care of society but society often overlooks them. The nurses, the teachers, the spinsters. She discovers the power at her fingertips, it only costs her devouring children.

This story was a delight. While it starts off feeling like a tale of morality, it quickly becomes something else. While she may want access to the power, she is not comfortable with the price. That is until she starts to see the world for what it is and wonders if the price would be worth it.

All three of these stories, I would happily reread and still find joy in them. If you are a fan of horror and dark erotic stories, then I would suggest giving this book a read.

I do offer a bit of caution. Like most dark stories one should be aware of content warnings for this book. The ones that stick out to me the most are; several Antagonists who use casual racist and homophobic remarks and a few sexist comments by characters.

It is a good collection of stories and I would recommend giving it a shot. I believe most people will find at least one, if not more, stories within these pages to enjoy.

[James Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This latest collection of short stories from Steve Berman (Lethe Press) takes appetite as its central theme and serves up a feast of deliciously dark tales. As the perspective is thoroughly queer, readers won’t be surprised to find that hunger often serves as a euphemism for desire, both in terms of ambition and sex. There is something here to suit everyone’s tastes, from outright horror to tender romance to the queasily gross. It’s fair to say that the authentically rendered characters between the covers all want something, whether it be love or a more visceral meal. The theme is sustained throughout with dark and moving imagery, and lends ‘Fit For Consumption’ a fresh and compelling cohesion.

In ‘Capturing Jove Lunge’, a noirish tale that harks back to the days of 30s pulp magazines and brings to mind Chandler, a famous painter attempts to recreate his lurid book covers in real life, using living (and reluctant) models to fulfil his ambition with chilling results. There’s a great use of period language and an excellent tone on display. In ‘Poetaster’, a man finds himself bitten by the author in question and undergoes a strange transformation, infected by the man’s florid and ominous prose. Nosferatu goes to the cinema in old Berlin in ‘The Letter That Doomed Nosferatu’, a quirky, shadowy tale with a striking historical detail.

The gothic tradition threads in and out of the collection with clever nods to classic literature (Lovecraft, Du Maurier, Isherwood), but there’s a healthy dollop of the modern too. ‘He’s So Tender’ is a fascinating sketch on religious restraint with a hint of cannibalism while ‘The Balm of Sperrgebiet Is The Krokodil’ is a bleak hallucinatory yarn set in the sands of postapocalyptic Namibia, the survivors finding more than they bargained for when strangers arrive in town. There’s a breadth and variety to the stories on offer that elevates the collection above the mere grotesque, but it’s the sharp and insightful prose that adds the real flavour to the buffet.

For this reader, there were two standout tales in the book. ‘The Haferbräutigam’ references an obscure folk tale on a train journey from Switzerland to Germany. A businessman prospecting for young men falls foul of a charming, yet ravenous, supernatural creature. The setting is exquisitely rendered while Berman delivers the weirdness and ratchets up the tension with aplomb. My kind of story. In such a banquet of dark delights it’s difficult to choose a favourite, though ‘Unwelcome Boys’ provides a gorgeous Salinger-esque coming-of-age tale laced with an undercurrent of secret desire in a teenage college wrestling team. Thanks to the believable characters, there’s an irresistibly heartfelt tone to the piece, reminiscent of a scenario that many gay men will be familiar with. The monstrous, when it arrives, is nigh on en passant to Terry’s fish-out-of-water experience and his longing for the Better Boys – not to mention the bizarre entities that lurk within them. This particular tale holds the resonance of a novel and among the wealth of other atmospheric treats on offer reveals the touch of a gifted and experienced author.

Overall, this collection favours the cultured over straight-up genre fare (no schlock or cheesy tropes at this table, thank you) and it’s all the better for it. Berman often delivers a terrific turn of phrase and delves deeply into his theme, presenting vivid characters, original ideas and shivers by the plateful.

Absorbing, icky and wonderfully weird, ‘Fit For Consumption’ is sure to satisfy the appetites of all lovers of dark literary fiction.

[Ultimate World · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Book Review: *Fit for Consumption: Stories Both Queer and Horrifying* by Steve Berman**

Steve Berman’s *Fit for Consumption: Stories Both Queer and Horrifying* is a mesmerizing collection that deftly blends the macabre with the queer, delivering a series of tales that are as unsettling as they are deeply human. This anthology invites readers into a world where appetites—both literal and metaphorical—drive men to confront the strange and the monstrous, often within themselves or their closest relationships.

The stories in this collection are a rich tapestry of the grotesque and the poignant, inspired by literary giants such as Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, and Ramsey Campbell. Berman’s writing pays homage to these influences while carving out a unique space that explores queer experiences through the lens of horror and dark fantasy.

In one standout story, a high school athlete finds himself at a wrestling camp where the true challenge is not physical prowess, but the eerie, insatiable appetites that seem to consume the campers from within. The tension between the mundane and the monstrous is palpable, creating an atmosphere of creeping dread that lingers long after the story ends.

Another tale follows a fix-it man on a bizarre rescue mission, only to find himself entangled in a twisted role-playing scenario orchestrated by a captor with a penchant for pulp heroes. This story masterfully balances suspense with a surreal humor noir, showcasing Berman’s ability to blend horror with darkly comedic elements.

The anthology also delves into supernatural territory with the story of a New Orleans fraternity pledge who discovers a magical flask. This flask, capable of filling with any desired drink, ensnares its bearer with a growing, uncontrollable thirst. The cursed object becomes a metaphor for the destructive nature of unchecked desires, both intoxicating and terrifying in equal measure.

Berman’s prose is both elegant and eerie, capturing the essence of each tale with a deft hand. The stories are tightly woven, each one delivering a satisfying, often chilling conclusion without the need for a digestif. The thematic exploration of hunger and desire—whether for acceptance, love, or something more sinister—resonates deeply, making this collection not just a series of horror stories, but a profound examination of the human condition.

*Fit for Consumption* is a must-read for fans of queer literature and horror alike. Berman’s ability to infuse traditional horror motifs with contemporary queer issues creates a collection that is both unique and timeless. The thirteen tales offer a range of emotions from the weird to the monstrous, each one leaving an indelible mark on the reader. This anthology is a testament to Berman’s skill as a storyteller, and a chilling reminder of the strange appetites that lurk within us all.

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steve Berman has truly crafted stories that I consumed voraciously and wanted more of!

Fit for Consumption is a fantastic Queer Horror story collection that you will absolutely love! These stories range from moderately innocent to purely terrifying speaking to the versatility and ability of one of my new favorite authors, Steve Berman! His ability to weave words kept me enthralled from the first story to the last!

Some of my favorite stories centered around discovering identity and self-exploration. I think Berman truly honed us as readers into this snapshot of life, and then gave us some extra spice with various terrifying elements. (Seriously, one of these stories following a delightful twist on candy summoning witches (think Hansel & Gretel), had me begging for more within this world.

All in all, CHECK THIS COLLECTION OUT! It is Queer Horror at its most delicious and you'll be begging for me just like me!

[Donald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good but not great

To call the stories "queer" is not wrong, just too colorful for these stories. "Horrifying," on the other hand, did not fit at all.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

These stories just weren't for me. The narrator's voice was a bit bland. Others may enjoy listening. Didn't realize it was LGBTQ.