Eric LaRocca

Eric LaRocca is an American horror and dark fiction author known for their novella "Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke" which gained significant attention after its 2021 release through Weirdpunk Books. Their work frequently explores themes of body horror, queer identity, and psychological trauma. LaRocca's other notable works include the novella "You've Lost A Lot of Blood" and the short story collection "The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales." Their writing has appeared in various horror anthologies and publications focused on speculative fiction. The author's style combines elements of extreme horror with literary fiction, often incorporating epistolary formats and experimental narrative structures. Their stories frequently examine themes of isolation, identity, and human relationships through a dark lens. LaRocca holds an MFA in Creative Writing and continues to produce both long-form and short fiction while maintaining an active presence in the independent horror literature community. Their work has garnered attention for its unflinching approach to disturbing subject matter and psychological complexity.

Readers call LaRocca's work shocking, visceral, and psychologically intense. His novella "Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke" received significant attention on BookTok and horror forums. Positive reviews focus on: - Raw emotional impact - Unique narrative structures - LGBTQ+ representation in horror - Building dread through online conversations - Exploration of isolation and obsession Common criticisms: - Reliance on gore and shock value - Underdeveloped characters - Plot threads left unresolved - Writing style can feel pretentious - Too short/rushed endings Average ratings: Goodreads: "Things Have Gotten Worse" - 3.5/5 (31,000+ ratings) "You've Lost A Lot of Blood" - 3.7/5 (2,000+ ratings) Amazon: "Things Have Gotten Worse" - 3.8/5 Many reviews note his work is "not for everyone" due to extreme content. A frequent reader comment is that his stories leave a lasting psychological impact, even when the execution has flaws.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke - A novella following two women who meet in an online forum and develop an increasingly disturbing relationship through their email exchanges.

You've Lost a Lot of Blood - A dark novella centered on a writer who becomes entangled with a mysterious and dangerous admirer of his work.

The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales - A collection of short stories exploring themes of body horror, transformation, and complex relationships.

We Can Never Leave This Place - A novella about a young girl forced to confront horrific realities when a mysterious stranger arrives at her home during a period of social collapse.

Everything the Darkness Eats - A short story collection examining themes of loss, identity, and transformation through various horror narratives.

Miss Apparatus - A short story following the relationship between a young man and an unusual mechanical entity.