Book Review: Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes, by Eric LaRocca (2022)

Eric LaRocca is very much a rising star on the contemporary horror scene. The author of a number of novellas and short story collections, his work is popular on Instagram and TikTok, with thousands of users recommending his work. ‘Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke’ is by far his best-known story, amassing over 38,000 ratings on Goodreads. It is collected in the book of the same name along with two other pieces, ‘The Enchantment’ and ‘You’ll Find It’s Like That All Over’.

•   ‘Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke’: It’s not hard to see why this has gone viral. First is the unconventional framing device of two queer women forming a connection over email and instant messaging. These kind of formal experimentations can feel somewhat gimmicky, but LaRocca manages to pull it off. Once I started, I was quickly absorbed into their ongoing conversation and keen to find out what happened next. Second is the extremes to which LaRocca pushes the relationship. It’s no spoiler to say that the women develop a mutual attraction which becomes something else altogether, and where it ends up is completely unexpected and very disturbing. I found it to be a fascinating insight into obsession, manipulation, and toxic relationships. However, there are a number of criticisms I would level at the story. One is that the way the two of them communicate is too stilted and formal to be believable, and felt artificial and unnatural. Another is that the ideas aren’t explored in much depth, which given the originality of the concept is a shame. Otherwise, though, this was the strongest piece out of the three, and a showcase of LaRocca’s originality and imagination. 4/5
  
• ‘The Enchantment’: Exploring more metaphysical territory than ‘Things’, this is the story of a couple who take a job as caretakers on a remote island. This follows the death of their son several years previously, and the story tackles how they cope with both their grief and the arrival of a mysterious stranger. While the writing itself was clumsy, I thought this was another very original concept. Unlike ‘Things’, this features the supernatural, and the way LaRocca handled it was bold and intriguing. He creates some strong and memorable imagery and builds up to a grand and operatic finale. The ideas are explored in more depth than ‘Things’, but the character development was somewhat lacking, and some of what happened stretched credibility. 3.5/5
  
• ‘You’ll Find It’s Like That All Over’: This was the best-written story in the collection, but unfortunately I also found it the weakest overall. It had a good setup, with a man getting drawn in by his neighbour to a series of escalating bets, but if ‘The Enchantment’ stretched credibility, this one broke it. The plot and resolution just didn’t ring true, and while it had some interesting ideas about the limits of politeness, they didn’t add up to a great story. Still, I enjoyed reading it, and found some of the macabre elements entertaining. 2/5
  

What I liked most about this collection was the originality. Eric LaRocca is a born horror writer, capable of capturing the reader’s attention and not letting up until the end. He has a unique style and voice, and more importantly uses them to say something. Where he’s lacking is technique; these stories would have benefited from being tightened up and refined, and the ideas explored in greater depth. But he undeniably has talent, and I’m looking forward to delving further into his body of work.

​Review by Charlie Alcock