A review by howlinglibraries
They Were Here Before Us by Eric LaRocca

dark tense medium-paced

5.0

 
Perhaps "love" wasn't exactly the right word.
In fact, perhaps "love" was far too benign of a word given the intensity of my feelings for her.

Yet again, Eric LaRocca has delivered a piece of horror art that is equal parts disgusting and gorgeous, all wrapped up in a surreal, shocking package. This "novella in pieces" reads similarly to a collection of short stories with an overarching theme, each of them featuring how toxic love gone wrong can be.

We start off with a beetle in love with a corpse, and I knew immediately that They Were Here Before Us was going to offer the same unpredictable, wild ride that Eric's other works have—in the very best way, of course. I love Eric's writing and am forever singing their praises, so it's no surprise that I was totally enraptured with this new release and devoured it all in one quick go.

If you enjoy bizarre, beautiful, quietly (but, at times, extremely) violent horror unlike anything you've ever read before, you can't go wrong with Eric LaRocca's writing, and They Were Here Before Us is no exception. Much like many of my other favorite pieces of surreal horror media, this is the sort of story I plan to revisit time and time again, and I'm sure I'll find something new to love every single time.

✨ Representation: multiple queer characters 
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