A new Chuck Tingle classic - it's a beautifully written thriller with hauntingly good characters.
As witty and entertaining as a Tingle novel should be.

This was a surprise in the very best way. Bury Your Gays is exactly the kind of thriller I love. It was a really suspenseful read that kept me absorbed.

This book was incredible!

I am very familiar with the bury your gays trope and have been affected by it many, many times on screen. It has left me angry, disappointed and upset and it doesn't seem to be getting any better either.

This book uses the trope as the main plot point when Misha, a scriptwriter and producer is told to kill off his gay characters in the season finale because 'gay tragedy sells'! (I was so angry reading his conversation with the executive but it captures the real life views of TV perfectly).

Of course Misha refuses and what follows is an incredible and INSANE story that I could not put down. The blurb did not prepare me at all for what happens in this book and whatever you think you are expecting, you are going to be surprised. This is so much more than a story about the trials and erasure we still have to face in the TV industry and it is created in such a dark horror way that you will love every second.

I loved the main characters Misha and his boyfriend Zeke and best friend Tara and there are also themes of acceptance and identity throughout that feels so comforting to read as Misha comes to terms with being out and proud.

This is simply an outstanding book and I really wish I could read it for the first time again.

Chuck Tingle does it again, with amazing queer horror!

What's it about?

"Misha is a jaded scriptwriter who has been working in Hollywood for years and has just been nominated for his first Oscar. But when he's pressured by his producers to kill off a gay character in the upcoming season finale―"for the algorithm"―Misha discovers that it's not that simple.

As he is haunted by his past, and past mistakes, Misha must risk everything to find a way to do what's right―before it's too late."

What did I think of it?

- After reading and loving Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle I knew I needed to read their new book ASAP!

- And I was not disappointed! Tingle writes gripping horror that marries psychological fear, body horror, and creepiness alongside satirical commentary on society, social injustice, capitalism, AI and LGBTQ+ representation. It's sooooooo clever!

- Tingle's characters are amazingly diverse and well-developed and this time there is a character (Tara) who is both ACE and ARO which I adored!!!

- This is more than just a horror story though, it tackles queer rep in the media and Misha's (the MC's) own internal battles of being 'out' in certain social/professional circles and not others.

- As well as being a horror that challenges societal issues it also has perfect horror tropes in the terrifying "baddies" that haunt Misha and his friend - I saw another review say they gave them X-Files villain vibes and that's the best description for them!

A fun, terrifying, impressive horror that's like nothing I've read before. I loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley, Tor Nightfire and the author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of Camp Damascus I was looking forward to the second horror novel from Chuck Tingle, a writer with an incredible pseudonym and an exceptional Wikipedia entry!

Published amidst a trend of horror novels set within or about the film or TV industry, Bury Your Gays is a lot of fun and for the most part succeeds in everything it is trying to do. It’s definitely one of the better novels from the genre that I’ve read recently.

Bury Your Gays is set in Hollywood and follows Misha, an experienced scriptwriter who has been nominated for his first Oscar. He’s feeling pretty pissed off and conflicted because he’s been told by his producers that he needs to kill off a gay character in a season finale of a show that he has been writing for long-term, and that has been important to him as a gay man. As he battles to decide about what to do, he starts to find himself pursued by monsters from him own filmography.

Tingle is a good writer; the characters in Bury Your Gays feel far more three dimensional than some of the other titles I’ve read recently, where they very much feel like LGBTQI+ stereotypes. Misha is a compelling protagonist; he’s believable, sympathetic, and you can really emphasise with his struggle.

The broader narrative tackles topical issues around AI, corporate pride and ongoing problems with the representation of queer characters in the media. I really enjoyed the premise of Misha’s fictional monsters materialising from his back catalogue – they were playful but a couple were genuinely creepy too! They were unique inventions.

A book that addresses and plays on the ‘bury your gays’ trope was probably not going to end on a dark note, and although I do quite like my stories sick and twisted, it made sense for this to come together in an empowering and heartening way.

Funny, compelling, occasionally creepy and with something to say – Bury Your Gays is definitely worth your time if you’re looking for a lighter dose of horror storytelling!

In the lead up to the Oscar ceremony, first-time nominee and closeted scriptwriter, Misha, is given an ultimatum in regards to his current series, Travelers: kill off your gay characters or make them straight. Nothing personal, the producers tell him, this is simply to benefit the ratings. When Misha refuses, the queer tragedy that the algorithm hungers for slowly starts leaking into the real world. Tormented by the monsters he’s created for the screen, Misha and his friends start a race against time, and the Hollywood suits, in order to do what’s right.

Bury Your Gays follows two different timelines: Misha in the present interspersed with flashbacks to the past. Sections titled ‘inspiration’ are snippets of his childhood that have shaped his writing — we get to meet the real monsters that Misha’s fictional ones are based on. Those were my favourite passages as Tingle writes about young queer experiences with such care and precision; it left me wanting more.

There is something Gaiman-esque about Tingle’s monsters, too — an underbelly of creatures who should not exist in our world but do. Unfortunately, I found that Tingle missed the mark ever so slightly. The novel borders on magical realism and sci-fi but never fully commits to either one. As every monster comes from a different story, and therefore follows different rules, there is a lack of cohesion.

Overall, this was a fun read! I love how cinematically Tingle writes, enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek references for the queer media cognoscenti, and the strong social commentary on the commodification of Pride — how Rainbow Capitalism only cares about queer stories as long as they are profitable. Queer tragedy sold for decades, but big corporations are now realising that queer joy may sell even more.

How do we hold on to our authentic experiences? How do we portray both the tragedy and the joy? Bury Your Gays attempts to answer these questions as Chuck Tingle gives us queer horror from the inside — taking control of our own narratives.

I think this is actually the best book I’ve read so far this year. It was absolutely perfect. It drew me in, kept me reading in a state of hyperfocus and had me rushing to write this review the moment I finished so I can outpour my love for it. It was a beautiful piece of art where every seemingly insignificant detail got tied together in a neat little bow and left me gasping for breath at all the twists and turns along the way.

If you like horror movies, especially ones with queer subtext, this book was written for you. It was bursting with love for the horror genre, going deep into the themes and tropes of the genre. It also had very strong opinions on AI and queer storytelling, that could be seen throughout.

The blurb above calls Tara a queen. I agree wholeheartedly with that statement but what it leaves out is that she is asexual. She is undoubtedly an asexual icon who was given the plot line she deserves. I loved her so much. And I loved the ending of the book even more.

Honestly I have nothing more to say other than just read it.

I loved this so much! Camp Damascus was okay but Chuck's second novel blew the last out of the water.
Chuck Tingle is back with another horror novel! Bury Your Gays is incredibly entertaining and campy set in the Hollywood Hills. But it also has something to say about relevant issues in Hollywood, especially AI with the strikes that have just ended.

This is the novel to read for all those Supernatural fans out there who were gutted by the ending!
I feel like it's best to go into this without knowing too much, but it follows a semi-closeted screenwriter who has made his name within the queer horror genre and writing a police procedural. But now, the studio wants him to change a script and kill off his queer characters, and 'bury his gays'. Then things start to get weird...

I found parts quite scary, but mostly this was a cracking read!

Fast-paced, queer and a lot of fun!

The author does a great job at creating a tense atmosphere that fully emerses the reader. A perfect blend of horror, thriller, and camp made it such a fun read. Also, I appreciated all the nostalgic references littered throughout.

Thank you, NetGalley, for my ARC copy of this amazing book.

Gay Characters, thoughtful horror, intruiging twists.
I loved everything about this book.

More detailed review to follow after my exams.

I loved the themes explored and enjoyed the story, but I couldn't get past my dislike of the writing style. It feels very detached and repetitive, with lots of unnecessary overdescription of exposition and telling rather than showing. I also felt the monsters were a little silly and underdeveloped, which is a shame because I wanted to love it.

After reading Camp Damascus I was excited to read Bury Your Gays and let me tell you Tingle does not disappoint. A scary thriller with elements of horror that takes us behind the silver screen and exposes what really happens in Hollywood. Being a bit of a geek I adored the pop culture references throughout for a start. Secondly Tingle took several things that are relevant right now, particularly the use of AI in arts by corporations and turned it into a chilling horror.

Of course it would be remise to not consider the title, Bury Your Gays, which most who have an interest in media will have heard and understand. The idea that gay or LGBTQIA characters are often fodder for storylines or killed off before they can get a happily ever after. This ties in perfectly to Misha who is seemingly a closeted gay screen writer in Hollywood facing a corporation and establishment with very set and antiquated views of homosexuality and the like. As always Tingle is brilliant at bringing real life to their horror and fixing their characters firmly in the middle of it.

But Bury Your Gays is a lot more than that. In fact in a relatively short space Tingle manages to combine several aspects into one book while making it all work. If you love horror that is a bit meta, characters that are well developed and written this one is definitely for you.

Bury Your Gays is a sharp-tongued and no holds barred horror novel that skewers the titular trope and rainbow capitalism in a bloody hellscape of a book that I throughly enjoyed.

This was a terrifingly good book. It explores the titular trope, queer joy and pinkwashing, while also exploring creative freedom and the exploitation of creativity and representation by huge corporations. There is this excellent balance of satire and comedy with biting social commentary and a plea to focus on the stories above all. Tingle highlights the importance of representation and giving voice to your own story, but as an integrated part of the narrative. It asks for us to put our efforts into uplifting stories of all kinds that show us representation in all the messiness of humanity – rather than having some idyllic and unrealistic standard to live up to.

Essentially, we need more underrepresented voices all around story-telling, but to tell stories that show all facets of that experience and the rest of their lives. It asks us to go beyond a pigeonholed expectation. For me, I found this thought-provoking, especially as that focus is particuarly wielded against the rise of AI influence on the creative industries. It adds a new layer to the corporate draining of creativity within the narrative and another horror that is all too recognisable.

As expected Tingle drenches it in blood and guts and gore. The horror in this book is so well-executed. There were some nightmarish sequences that got creative with the violence and the kills, with one pointedly campy and cartoonish one early on that got a proper chuckle out of me. The different monsters of Misha’s back catlogue are well-imagined and genuinely got under my skin. Without any spoilers, there is a particular being that really made my skin crawl (the plane scene in particular). They were all just such great concepts and underpinned by very human monstrosities, explored in both the past and present.

Bury Your Gays is both a timely and timeless celebration of queer horror, pushing against rainbow capitalism and exploitation of trauma at the same time. It is bombastic and brilliant.

A twisting character-driven thriller that throws us into its protagonists world. I loved seeing behind the curtain of the silver screen through Misha’s eyes.

This was a phenomenal read! Funny and meta and harrowing the whole way through! I felt deeply, deeply attached to Misha and how he, one, came to be where he was at the beginning of the book, and his journey onwards. This was a raw, honest portrayal of what it's like to be marginalised in society, and the ways that structural and social inequalities can be just as horrific as the horror movies we love to watch! I think it might be accurate to call this campy horror, but it doesn't mean it doesn't say a lot, not just about being gay in Hollywood, but Hollywood's treatment of queer people and queerness in general, about being expendable and working and struggling in a capitalistic, greedy society. There's also so much here about authorial intent and control and the role that artificial intelligence plays in creative media, which is so relevant and terrifying in a different way. I also really liked the mixed media and the flashbacks interspersing the narrative, which I felt made it a rounded story!

En los últimos meses hemos visto cómo empresas y millonarios avalaban el uso de la inteligencia artificial, una herramienta con la que pretenden ahorrarse unos centimillos, echar a la calle a un montón de gente y, de paso, destruir más rápido el planeta. La gente de a pie se ha subido al carro de la IA con despreocupación al ver las imágenes tan monas que se puede hacer con dos clics. Y, mientras tanto, artistas de diversa índole (dibujantes, escritores, traductores, actores, etc.) presencian impotentes cómo las empresas roban su arte y lo convierten en algo nimio y sin valor.
¿Y qué tiene que ver esto con Bury Your Gays, una novela de terror queer que ha escrito Chuck Tingle y que yo me he leído para reseñarla?
Pues mucho, la verdad.
En «Bury Your Gays» aparecen monstruos capaces de cortarte las extremidades en un suspiro, arrancarte los huesos del cuerpo uno a uno o infundirte un terror cósmico que te dejará como un muerto en vida. Sin embargo, ninguno de estos monstruos son los villanos de la historia. Los empresarios, los grandes estudios cinematográficos y el uso amoral y poco ético de las inteligencias artificiales son los auténticos malos de la película. Una película que, por cierto, estamos viviendo ya ahora mismo.
La prosa de Chuck Tingle es amena, directa y veloz. En pocas páginas nos adentramos en Hollywood de la mano de Misha, un guionista de terror queer a quien le obligan a matar a los personajes LGBTQIA+ de su última serie. Misha se niega en redondo y, de repente, empiezan a perseguirlo los monstruos que él mismo ha creado a lo largo de la carrera.
Seguimos a Misha durante su lucha por la supervivencia, pero también tenemos la oportunidad de profundizar más en su pasado, en los traumas que lo han hecho ser quien es y que ha ido explorando a través de su actividad creativa como guionista. Hay escenas, tanto en el presente como en el pasado, muy fuertes, con mucho gore, violencia, sangre, vísceras, desmembramientos y gusanos carnívoros. Esta es, al fin y al cabo, una novela de terror con todas las de la ley.
Después de disfrutar mucho de Camp Damascus, la anterior novela de terror de Chuck Tingle, esperaba pasarlo de miedo con Bury Your Gays, pero reconozco que se me hizo un poco pesada. Creo que, en parte, fue porque no acababa de hacerme una imagen completa del protagonista. Desde el primer momento, Misha aparece como un personaje estresado que lucha por sobrevivir. No tenemos la oportunidad de verlo en su día a día normal, sin tener que cargar con un miedo constante. Creo que los dos personajes secundarios, Tara y Zeke, están mejor retratados pese a salir menos. Sin embargo, después de leer a Chuck Tingle decir que esta historia es muy personal para él, algo hizo clic en mi mente y leí la segunda mitad de la novela con más presteza.
En definitiva, que si os mola el terror dadle una oportunidad a Bury Your Gays (y a Chuck Tingle en general), y más si os gustan las películas de terror, ya que hay muchos guiños a la industria. Además, es muy destacable la crítica que hace al capitalismo, sobre todo a las empresas que se suben a cualquier carro que venda más, las típicas que se ponen el logo con la bandera arcoíris en junio y luego, en la vida real, no mueven ni un dedo por las personas LGBTQIA+. Necesitamos más libros de terror queer anticapitalista, porque nuestro enemigo real es el capitalismo rampante en el que vivimos ahora mismo.

This was my first Chuck Tingle's book and I will definitely come back for more of his stories. This one was properly scary and full of pop culture references at the same time. If Misha horror creations were real movies, I would definitely want to watch them! I loved how the story gave me real chills and at the same time it was drawing from real fears and mainstream discussions going on about using AI and disdain for human creativity, which loses the fight against corporate greed and run for profit. This is what a proper horror should do - it should reflect our current fears through metaphor.
I wouldn't say that the book was perfect, though. The final act of sacrifice from Misha was very predictable, almost too easy and somewhat cheesy. Also I'm not sure about those parts imitating a real movie script - what was their purpose? If there was one, it was not clear from the text.

4.5/5

This was amazing! I enjoyed literally every moment, even the ones where I could feel my heart in my mouth. This was just so good, I don't even know where to start.
I loved the bordering-satirical, terrifying-in-its-absurdity tone of this book. I adored how meta it was, it's a book about horror and the tropes and themes of that genre, and it does an expert job of exploring them with nuance and fascination.

Our main character, Misha, is the writer of a show that instantly brings to mind X-Files and Supernatural and Buffy, and I loved seeing those influences in this depiction. Misha is given an ultimatum by the suits who run the studio; either don't make the two lead characters of his show gay, or make them gay and kill them off because 'queer tragedy sells'. Misha doesn't want to do either of these things, he's actually pretty pissed at being forced to choose between these two options. But what if fighting for a happy ending will cost him everything?

I don't want to give anything away because part of the excitement is slowly discovering what the hell is going on, it makes the book unputdownable, but I am dying to talk to someone about how absolutely genius this book is! It's the perfect story for me that I didn't even know I wanted!
I adored seeing the battle Misha had to fight to find his way out of a horror story of his own creation, I adored how meta and insightful it was. It's blatantly clear how well-versed Tingle is in horror tropes and themes, I adored all the in-world horror movies and villains he constructed, the villains of Misha's stories were full of so much intrigue and—for all their horror—vibrant life. They were so creative and so essential to the story Tingle wanted to tell.

I loved how crucial queerness was in so many aspects of this story. I adore queer horror, I think it is so necessary and speaks to such nuanced pain and forced concealment and painted-upon villainy, but I love the fact that queerness was able to play an important part in many other subsequent themes. It introduced a lot of complexity to Misha as a character that not only delved into his shame but also his acceptance, without demanding from him trauma. We were also able to explore queer joy and queer friendship and the importance stories like these hold. Queer people deserve more than just one type of story. I adored how intelligently Tingle handled this, in his skilled writing we were able to see the capitalistic greed of corporations above all else. Whether homophobic or pinkwashed, corporations prioritised money above everything.

This takes me neatly to the crux of the story: corporations are not your friends and they do not care about your art or your joy or your lives! So true, Chuck Tingle (he says it in a much more eloquent and slightly more subtle way), so true! There is theme after theme after theme packed into this rather short novel and I adored that about it because it handles each one with cleverness and wit and rage. It's a book that has so much to say and never fumbles the point. There is so much to discover in this story and I know it's one that will stay with me for a very long time, I don't imagine I'll ever stop thinking about it or that it'll ever not be relevant.

Do yourself a favour and pick up this book! I am so excited to read Camp Damascus and any other horror novels Chuck Tingle bestows upon us! I have been converted, I am a true Tingler (I have no idea if I just made that up or if that is potentially what Chuck Tingle fans already call themselves, but if they don't they absolutely should)!

I will not be able to look at any worm-shaped creature for a very long time! (Tingle writes incredible gore and body horror, I'm as in awe of it as I am disgusted by it! But, oh my goodness, check the trigger warnings if either of those things affect you!) Also, point zero zero three one six two will haunt me just as badly as the worm, now that is horror!
What a fun, terrifying, powerful and phenomenal book!

Thank you so much Netgalley and Titan Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. If you couldn't tell, I loved it!

The phrase Bury Your Gays will mean a lot to people who spend some time learning about media, especially for the queer community. A writing trope that began thanks to the Hays Code and their mandate that all forms of homosexuality must be portrayed as evil, and those who engage in it must be punished, fiction has become filled with examples of queer characters being killed off. Even today, with very different approaches to queer representation, where you can find mainstream film, television, and other entertainment that puts queer characters and their stories at the forefront you still often find numerous examples of queer love and life being seen not only as expendable, but needing of punishment. As such, a book by a notable queer author, who has engaged in parody, pornography, and the profound across their career certainly makes you pay attention.

Bury Your Gays is the latest book from Chuck Tingle that leaves the more humorous side of his writing behind, engaging in 'serious' writing. It tells the story of Misha, a writer who has managed to make it big in the world of LA film and television, having created a number of hit horror films, and being the lead writer of a popular television series. He's even in consideration for an Oscar for a short film he made. His star is very much on the rise, and he's a voice that the studio he works for wants to keep; as such, he's somewhat taken aback when he's called in for a meeting with the head of the studio and is told that he needs to remove the kiss in the season finale. Not only is Misha angry that he's being told what direction to take his story, but he's outraged because the lesbian love story he has spent years building to is about to be cut down. He's presented with two choices, make them straight, or out them and kill them.

As any good writer who has a clear vision of their story and the nerve to stick to their convictions would do Misha tells the studio to go to hell, refusing to bury his queer characters. Knowing that he could face serious legal action for this due to a breach of contract, Misha has a week to either do what the studio wants, or to hold true to his heart. However, his week is not filled with opportunities to think deep on the issue or to try to write his way out of the problem, as strange events begin to happen to Misha. When people dressed as some of the monsters he's created in the past start to show up in his everyday life, tormenting him and making threats, Misha's already frayed emotional state gets worse, leading to him being smeared in the tabloids as an unstable writer. But when things become harder to explain away, when more bizarre and horrific things start happening, Misha must face up to a truly terrifying realisation, his monsters are real, and they're coming for him.

Bury Your Gays is a number of different books rolled into one. It's a horror story about a man being chased by some truly twisted monsters, creatures that are out to kill him in terrible ways and aren't afraid of hurting others to do so. It's also a critique about queer erasure in media and how outdated values and misconceptions are still held in place by those in power in the quest for wealth. It's a story about trauma, how it shapes you as a person and how that can be transformed into art. It's about rainbow capitalism and how false support and empty representation can be meaningless. And it's a warning about AI being used in creative fields in order to replace writers and artists to cut costs and further maximise profits. All of this, wrapped up in a story about a man having to deal with his past traumas, his feelings of self doubt about being openly queer, and his desire to help others in similar situations.

This all sounds like a lot, and it is a lot to fit into one book, especially one that's only 350 pages, and you'd expect it to feel messy and bloated, yet Tingle manages to not only make it all work, but to make it work wonderfully. Bury Your Gays is an incredibly easy read, despite the often heavy subject matter because first and foremost you're made to care about Misha. One of the ways in which Tingle does this is with a number of flashbacks to key points in his life, moments of trauma that shaped who he is today. We see him learning to understand his queerness, in a time and a community where it was unacceptable. We see how these moments caused him pain that would ripple on for decades to come. This pain not only becomes the seeds of his creativity, with creations from his career tying directly back into these moments, but it also shows why he's afraid to live openly.

These are moments that I think most queer people will recognise. There are numerous moments from my life that stick out in my mind, moments tied to having to deal with homophobia and transphobia, long before I became an openly queer trans woman. They left a mark on me because it was people around me telling me that those feelings I had were wrong, that I shouldn't talk about them, that they were something that I should feel ashamed about. It kept me in the closet for a long, long time, and I recognised a lot of that struggle and pain in Misha. It's uncomfortable, and these scenes are often more horrific than those with monsters and ghosts in them, but that's because it's true, and it's tied to a lot of real trauma. I think with Chuck Tingle having become famous for books such as My Pool Gets Me Wet in a Completely Platonic Way and Now We Are Close Friends, and This Handsome Sentient Bowling Pin Splits My Ass Also He Is A Ghost you can easily come to think of him as a writer who can only do comedy, but these scenes prove that he's more than got the skill to deliver heartfelt, hard hitting scenes too.

There's a lot more that I could say about Bury Your Gays, a lot more story and characters that I can talk about for a lot longer than I already have, but doing so would spoil a great deal of the book. Bury You Gays is a twisting narrative filled with surprises, so it needs to be experienced yourself, and as such I won't say much more about it other than if you love queer fiction, biting commentary, pop culture references, and horror, then this is absolutely a book for you. Don't miss out.

Thanks to Netgalley, Tor and Chuck Tingle for a complimentary e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Taking on the world of the cutthroat business of Hollywood in his latest book, Chuck Tingle does a great job of portraying the flaws and hypocrisies of the film industry. In a world even more so these days obsessed with turning a profit, with the rise of AI and exploiting minorities, this book comes at the perfect time and whilst there is definitely parody and comedy here to be found, there is also a whole lot of heart and social commentary.

We follow closeted gay screen-writer Misha in the lead up to the Oscars where he's been nominated for the writer of the Best Short. However, that's the last thing on his mind right now as he's just been told by his boss that he needs to axe the two main characters of his current tv show - right after they finally come out as being gay in the season finale. The trope of 'bury your gays' is well known and a tired one at this point - something which Misha has seen happen many times himself and so is understandable angry and refuses to kill off his characters in this stereotype. But when, terrifying figures from his previous horror movies start appearing for real in his life, with very real threats to his life, it looks like the film studio are not taking his refusal well.

This book was a tightly written and entertaining story that delves fully into the politics and ridiculousness of Hollywood both past and present, along with exploring Misha's own past and traumas which have let to him remaining still partially in the closet in his life despite his fame for writing queer horror. The use of AI in this book was a great twist and one which is all the more terrifying because give it ten years or so in our current world, could be seen as something entirely possible - if AI can truly emulate humans as well as it is appearing to more and more these days, how long before this case of identity theft is used to turn a profit? We start this book under the digitised eyes of a famous actor on a billboard who is up for the Best Actor award at the Oscars - except said actor actually died years ago and this is a purely digital performance made by the company who hold the right to use him posthumously.

Overall, I found this book to be really fun and a thoughtful take on Horror and Hollywood - I think there was a f ew scenes which were perhaps unnecessary, and a few of the emotional beats didn't quite hit for me but the ending was very satisfying and I did enjoy seeing the origin of the horror movie antagonosts from Misha's own life - a very real re-creation of his past trauma.