November 2025: Things Were Easier Before You Became a Giant Fucking Mantis > Likes and Comments

Here's the topic for discussing the winner of our monthly reading poll: Things Were Easier Before You Became a Giant Fucking Mantis by Matthew A. Clarke.

Please avoid spoilers.

Happy reading 🙃

I started tonight!

42%: After what felt like too much effort at the beginning, the story found its pace and I got into it. I don't know where it's going, but I'm having fun so far 🙃

I can't wait to find out where are Jacoboby and Millie going!

Seb wrote: "I started tonight!

42%: After what felt like too much effort at the beginning, the story found its pace and I got into it. I don't know where it's going, but I'm having fun so far 🙃

I can't wait ..."

Really? I loved the beginning. So fun and silly. Douglas Adams level of absurdity.

@Jubilee: It felt like trying to cram a lot into the first pages to entice the reader, but I wasn't into the story yet. This feeling didn't last long, mind 😜

76%: I'm having quite the time! I really like the world-building and the social commentary on racism.

Is anyone else reading this book right now? Or has read it before? Care to share some thoughts?

What do you think of it so far, @Jubilee?

@Seb, I'm halfway through, and I love it! It was a good pick.

Even through the violence, it's hilarious. I feel like I've read a lot of gruesome splatterpunk lately - stuff with heavy emotions. This makes me want to read lighter, funnier bizarro!

Any recommendations?

I’m planning to read this one over the weekend — we’ve got a long weekend here in Poland because of a national holiday, so I’m spending it with books, coffee, and a blanket.

@Jubilee: If you're looking for funny bizarro stories, the first books that come to mind are Jurassichrist, Impossible James, The Hottest Gay Man Ever Killed in a Shark Attack, Dodgeball High and The Electric Lunatic.

@Eliza: I hope you'll enjoy your reading weekend ^^

Just finished! I give it four stars! Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Can't wait to read your opinions!

Seb wrote: "@Jubilee: If you're looking for funny bizarro stories, the first books that come to mind are..."

I would add Snap! Crackle! Fuck You!. It was moderately funny, especially at first.

@Seb @Jubilee I finally finished it, and I’m still processing that mix of absurdity and discomfort.

For me, Mantis works best not as a story about racism (though it flirts with that surface) but as a body-horror coming-of-age. It’s really about the fear of transformation — sexual, emotional, biological — and about men who panic when women have their own desires. Jacoboby (seriously, what kind of name is that? it sounds like Jacoby that mutated mid-sentence) isn’t just confused; he’s terrified of being consumed, literally and symbolically. The whole “she might eat my face after sex” thing is funny until you realize it’s every fragile masculinity nightmare rolled into one.

I could’ve done without the gnome (cheap chaos, zero depth), but the rest? Ridiculous and filthy — yet sharper than it pretends to be.

The gnome part is indeed useless.

It is a body horror story, there's no denying that, but it's at the service of a critical message about racism, for me.

Sexuality is often part of bizarro (especially with CM3) so I might be less impacted by its presence, but your analysis of it makes sense here 👍

Hoping to finish this tonight. Man is this hilarious! Great pick, I love mantids and seeing them in this new light is interesting to say the least.

nightmares.of.eliza wrote: "The whole "she might eat my face after sex" thing is funny until you realize it’s every fragile masculinity nightmare rolled into one..."

@Eliza I didn't think of that but you're right! I like what you said about the fear of transformation.

I'd even say it could represent a male's fear of transformation in marriage. All the main mantises are married females. Dangerous females that shed and get bigger! While the human men who love them, well... no spoilers. Yesmin’s human husband, Ray, could be the patron saint of men who fear marriage.

I just finished. I thought the first half was hilarious and oh-so-fun! Then it meandered into straight up horror. I love when a book can make me shiver! But I did like the funny tone better.

PS l liked the gnome. I appreciate a little random agent of chaos.

@Seb Thanks so much for the recommendations! They all look so good.

I was so impressed with Matthew A. Clarke, I started Butchered.

Great read. Not only was it about defeating racism and the boundaries that has, but also defeating body standards

@Jubilee: You're most welcome! Another book by Matthew A. Clarke that I can recommend is Winter Wonderland and it will fit the coming season ^^

@DaniPhantom: It seems that each of us has a slightly different interpretation of what the book is about, and they all combine together. It's great to have that kind of versatility!

Jubilee wrote: "@Seb, I'm halfway through, and I love it! It was a good pick.

Even through the violence, it's hilarious. I feel like I've read a lot of gruesome splatterpunk lately - stuff with heavy emotions. Th..."

Jubilee, if you want lighter, funnier Bizarro, I highly, highly recommend Flushboy by Stephen Graham Jones and Lick Your Neighbor by Chris Genoa! Two of my all time favorites. Especially the second one.

Jeremy wrote: "Jubilee, if you want lighter, funnier Bizarro, I highly, highly recommend Flushboy by Stephen Graham Jones and Lick Your Neighbor by Chris Genoa! Two of my all time favorites. Especially the second one."

@Jeremy, thanks so much! Those look great.

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for picking my book as the read this month. It's been lovely to hear all of your thoughts :)

Matthew wrote: "Hey everyone! Thanks so much for picking my book as the read this month. It's been lovely to hear all of your thoughts :)"

Matthew, thanks for stopping by! I really had so much fun reading this. I'm reading Butchered next.