AT DARK I BECOME LOATHSOME
From Eric LaRocca—Bram Stoker Award–nominated and Splatterpunk Award–winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke—comes At Dark, I Become Loathsome, a grim yet gentle, horrifying yet hopeful, intense tale of death, trauma, and love.
“If you’re reading this, you’ve likely thought that the world would be a better place without you.”
A single line of text, glowing in the darkness of the internet. Written by Ashley Lutin, who has often thought the same—and worse—in the years since his wife died and his young son disappeared.
From Eric LaRocca—Bram Stoker Award–nominated and Splatterpunk Award–winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke—comes At Dark, I Become Loathsome, a grim yet gentle, horrifying yet hopeful, intense tale of death, trauma, and love.
“If you’re reading this, you’ve likely thought that the world would be a better place without you.”
A single line of text, glowing in the darkness of the internet. Written by Ashley Lutin, who has often thought the same—and worse—in the years since his wife died and his young son disappeared. But the peace of the grave is not for him—it’s for those he can help. Ashley has constructed a peculiar ritual for those whose desire to die is at war with their yearning to live a better life.
Struggling to overcome his own endless grief, one night Ashley finds connection with Jinx—a potential candidate for Ashley’s next ritual—who spins a tale both revolting and fascinating. Thus begins a relationship that traps the two men in an ever-tightening spiral of painful revelations, where long-hidden secrets are dragged, kicking and screaming, into the light.
Only through pain can we find healing. Only through death can we find new life.
- Blackstone Publishing
- Hardcover
- January 2025
- 240 Pages
- 9798212179027
Buy the Book
$25.99
About Eric LaRocca
Eric LaRocca (he/they) is the author of several works of horror and dark fiction including the viral sensation Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. He is an active member of the Horror Writers Association and currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts with his partner.
Praise
“With LaRocca’s latest, he plunges the depths of depravity and transgressive fiction with a nightmarish tale readers will never forget.” —This Is Horror
“At Dark, I Become Loathsome is a genuinely disturbing matryoshka doll of a novel that honors the tie-binding grief and our darkest impulses. This is LaRocca’s best book yet.” —Paul Tremblay, bestselling author of Horror Movie
“LaRocca is a singular author, and this is a strong, ambitious, intentionally disturbing book filled with lyrical prose, stories within stories, and the title phrase repeated like a mantra.” —Booklist
“Some novels give you nightmares, while others give you scars. With At Dark, I Become Loathsome, LaRocca delivers both without mercy. Full of human darkness, screaming with broken humanity … you may not be ready for this book. But it’s waiting for you. Nobody gets under my skin like Eric LaRocca. At Dark, I Become Loathsome is a book you cannot unread.” —Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of The House of Last Resort and Road of Bones
“A haunting and visceral exploration of identity, guilt, and the body, all wrapped in the author’s signature blend of horror and emotional rawness…For readers who appreciate horror that pushes the envelope and forces them to confront uncomfortable truths, At Dark, I Become Loathsome is an essential work.” —Horror World
Discussion Questions
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Do you agree with the novel’s thesis statement that “all horror stories are about power”?
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Do you think Ashley is a truly loathsome character? Why or why not?
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How does the story that Jinx tells Ashley in the chat room inform the larger story’s narrative?
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How does Ashley’s fascination with the ordeal of Victor and Tandy inform the novel’s larger narrative?
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Do you think there’s a deeper, more nuanced meaning to the title: At Dark, I Become Loathsome? Why or why not?
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Do you believe what happened to Ashley’s son based on Jinx’s testimony near the end of the novel? Is Jinx a reliable source of information? Why or why not?
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Do you think Ashley is a reliable narrator? Why or why not?
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Do you think there’s a possibility that Ashley wanted to deliberately lose his son? Do you think he cared for Bailey?
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How do you interpret the ending of the novel?