Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
by Eric LaRocca
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Description
Sadomasochism. Obsession. Death. A whirlpool of darkness churns at the heart of a macabre ballet between two lonely young women in an internet chat room in the early 2000s -- a darkness that threatens to forever transform them once they finally succumb to their most horrific desires. What have you done today to deserve your eyes?Tags
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Member Reviews
Lots of buzz about this online last year — I am forever late to the party. For some, it’s pure exploitation — lesbian self-harm schlock engineered to titillate a gawking audience of straights. For others, it’s a meditation on obsession and self-loathing, taken to its extreme. For me, unfortunately it felt like the former. There’s a certain immaturity to some horror properties, particularly those that deal in extremes, and I fear this falls into that. There are those who defend extremity — and I agree with them — but it needs to stand for something, to say something other than “Dude, this is so fucked up. Look! Look! She’s cutting her eyes out, dude!”
A twisted little tale of two bad people, each with their own unsettling types of badness going on, meeting online and having a death spiral into madness. What made this novella so impactful is that it feels like something right off the headlines in our digitalized world, and I don't say that in a cliché way. Technology intensifying our most base desires and motivations is nothing new in horror, but what this work did is add a nice layer of queerness mixed with cyber-psychology. Demons don't really come from deep in the earth, hell, or some other theological idea like night air. They are here with us, behind computer screens and our smartphones, waiting patiently to see who can be tempted into depravity and new lows of self-destruction.
"Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke" by Eric LaRocca is a literary work that plunges readers into a nightmarish and surreal journey of obsession, loneliness, and digital connection. LaRocca's novella is a striking blend of psychological horror, dark humor, and existential dread.
The story revolves around two women, Isabella and Prentice, who become entangled in a macabre online relationship. The novella is structured as a series of chat logs, emails, and text messages, immersing readers in the fragmented and disorienting world of these characters. As the narrative unfolds, it explores themes of isolation, the alluring and destructive power of online connections, and the fine line between reality and delusion.
LaRocca's writing show more is both poetic and disturbing, creating an atmosphere that is at once beautiful and grotesque. The characters are deeply flawed and engaging, and their descent into obsession is depicted with unflinching precision. The novella's unique format and narrative style make it a compelling and unsettling read, leaving you with a sense of unease long after you've finished.
"Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke" is a short but impactful work that showcases Eric LaRocca's talent for weaving complex and disturbing tales. If you're a fan of psychological horror and experimental storytelling, this novella is a must-read, offering a thought-provoking exploration of the darker aspects of human connection in the digital age. show less
The story revolves around two women, Isabella and Prentice, who become entangled in a macabre online relationship. The novella is structured as a series of chat logs, emails, and text messages, immersing readers in the fragmented and disorienting world of these characters. As the narrative unfolds, it explores themes of isolation, the alluring and destructive power of online connections, and the fine line between reality and delusion.
LaRocca's writing show more is both poetic and disturbing, creating an atmosphere that is at once beautiful and grotesque. The characters are deeply flawed and engaging, and their descent into obsession is depicted with unflinching precision. The novella's unique format and narrative style make it a compelling and unsettling read, leaving you with a sense of unease long after you've finished.
"Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke" is a short but impactful work that showcases Eric LaRocca's talent for weaving complex and disturbing tales. If you're a fan of psychological horror and experimental storytelling, this novella is a must-read, offering a thought-provoking exploration of the darker aspects of human connection in the digital age. show less
What have you done today to deserve your eyes?
Eric LaRocca has a way with words that I find disturbing, enthralling, and endlessly enjoyable to read. He's easily an auto-buy author for me, and he's just getting started!
With this story Eric turns his talents to the epistolary form; a medium that is underutilized, likely because it's so hard to get right. I mean how well can one create complex characters, inspire awe and dread in the reader, and convey a full range of emotions only through written correspondences (in this case emails and chat messages)? In this case, the answer is VERY well. Very well indeed.
The basic premise is that one character is wanting to sell an antique apple peeler, and the other character is an interested buyer. show more What follows is a tale of loneliness, codependency, and sadism that starts out innocently enough and turns into something truly horrific by the end. Eric takes his time with the pacing, allowing us to really get to know these characters and be pulled into their web of communication. And the times he shows restraint from graphic details only serve to make the times he doesn't that much more disgusting and alarming. Seriously, there is one scene in particular where I almost put the book down.
I loved this story, loved the way it was written, loved these sad characters, and loved the disturbing twists along the way. Highly recommend! show less
Eric LaRocca has a way with words that I find disturbing, enthralling, and endlessly enjoyable to read. He's easily an auto-buy author for me, and he's just getting started!
With this story Eric turns his talents to the epistolary form; a medium that is underutilized, likely because it's so hard to get right. I mean how well can one create complex characters, inspire awe and dread in the reader, and convey a full range of emotions only through written correspondences (in this case emails and chat messages)? In this case, the answer is VERY well. Very well indeed.
The basic premise is that one character is wanting to sell an antique apple peeler, and the other character is an interested buyer. show more What follows is a tale of loneliness, codependency, and sadism that starts out innocently enough and turns into something truly horrific by the end. Eric takes his time with the pacing, allowing us to really get to know these characters and be pulled into their web of communication. And the times he shows restraint from graphic details only serve to make the times he doesn't that much more disgusting and alarming. Seriously, there is one scene in particular where I almost put the book down.
I loved this story, loved the way it was written, loved these sad characters, and loved the disturbing twists along the way. Highly recommend! show less
Odd, depraved, tremendously grotesque and beating with a heart of true creative peculiarity. I thought this was a wondrous little book with a bloody demented heart. Truly unique.
A quick read (I finished it in about an hour)
Written in email and messenger format taking place in in a span of about three months, this novella takes a sharp turn south within the first few pages.
An interesting take on mental illness and what some people will do out of selfishness and loneliness. There is a very real acknowledgement of the poor use of BDSM and mental illness between two obviously troubled women that definitely leaves an odd 'what the fuck' taste in your mouth. The relationship between the Sponsor and the Drudge is sadomasochism at its very core, using money as an in to starting a relationship between two people who have never met in person and obsession that goes so beyond the line of too far that it stomps on every show more semblance of odd. A fever dream that leaves a molten rock in your stomach to burn to your very core.
Body horror and animal cruelty are talked about in graphic detail and readers should beware.
Overall an interesting book for those with iron stomachs and those that like slasher type reads heavy on the shock value.
My full review here:
https://ellelikestoread.blogspot.com/2022/07/things-have-gotten-worse-since-we-l... show less
Written in email and messenger format taking place in in a span of about three months, this novella takes a sharp turn south within the first few pages.
An interesting take on mental illness and what some people will do out of selfishness and loneliness. There is a very real acknowledgement of the poor use of BDSM and mental illness between two obviously troubled women that definitely leaves an odd 'what the fuck' taste in your mouth. The relationship between the Sponsor and the Drudge is sadomasochism at its very core, using money as an in to starting a relationship between two people who have never met in person and obsession that goes so beyond the line of too far that it stomps on every show more semblance of odd. A fever dream that leaves a molten rock in your stomach to burn to your very core.
Body horror and animal cruelty are talked about in graphic detail and readers should beware.
Overall an interesting book for those with iron stomachs and those that like slasher type reads heavy on the shock value.
My full review here:
https://ellelikestoread.blogspot.com/2022/07/things-have-gotten-worse-since-we-l... show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- As-tu mérité tes yeux ?
- Original title
- Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
- Original publication date
- 2021
- People/Characters*
- Agnes Petrella; Zoe Cross
- Dedication*
- Pour Ali, mon amour
Tout s'est amélioré depuis notre rencontre.
Tu m'aides à me sentir moins monstrueux. - First words*
- Compte tenu de l'avalanche de conjectures et de commentaires haineux — particulièrement dans le domaine des discussions en ligne — qu'à engendré le décès prématuré d'Agnes Petrella, à l'âge de vingt-quatre ans... (show all), l'auteur de ce texte a compilé avec intelligence et sensibilité le contenu qui va suivre, dans l'espoir d'éclairer le public en publiant le détail de sa correspondance avec Zoe Cross lors des mois précédant sa mort.
- Last words*
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Je ferme les yeux et, l'espace d'un instant, je me demande si je les mérite vraiment aujourd'hui.
- Original language*
- Anglais américain
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- Reviews
- 35
- Rating
- (2.98)
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- English, French
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- ISBNs
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