Acquired Taste by Clay McLeod Chapman
304 pages, Hardcover
Published September, 2025 by Titan Books
I have an interesting relationship with this author as a reader. My personal experience with Chapman is limited; we met briefly when Stokercon was here in San Diego. I was familiar with his work and enjoyed interviews with him on various podcasts. Once, a friend asked if I had read his work, and I said not much, but he has been on my podcast. In my memory, I have a distinct memory of talking with him. I clearly remembered a story he told about working at Dairy Queen there is just one problem. He was never on my podcast. I did hear him on other podcasts, for some reason I was convinced I spoke with him at length when I didn’t.
I know that is weird. But it is what it is. CMC has a very intense persona, and it feels like he is always putting on a show. This is a great way to stand out as a writer, I enjoy writers like Harlan Ellison, Cody Goodfellow, or Brian Keene who have made larger-than-life personas about themselves. What is important is that they are natural about it. I get the sense from CMC that he loves all this business, and that love comes off the page in interesting ways.
Horror in mundane things, and lots of horrible things happening to babies. Baby Carrots was my favorite, and I also enjoyed the very political pieces like Spew of the News. And the last story about Nathan Ballingrud I liked the stories that had real personality, and I think that is what makes this collection stand out. Tales like Baby Carrots feel very one of a kind, the work of a unique voice. What more can you ask for in a collection?
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