Tapeworm

Praise for Tapeworm “Slow-burning his way to a gnarly, all-consuming deflagration, Thayer’s vividly organic prose shines at the finicky analysis of the body and the mind, their desires and destruction. Throughout Tapeworm, all matter is transformed, and only one thing remains: hunger.” —Edgar Cantero, New York Times bestselling author of Meddling Kids “Tapeworm slowly strangles the reader as it explores loss, lust, and vampirism through an unexpected creature that will literally make you squirm in the best of ways. A.P. Thayer is a must-read Chicano writer for 2026.” ―V. Castro, author of The Haunting of Alejandra “Tapeworm is an eldritch orgy...directed under the loving Lovecraftian eye of John Carpenter. No amount of hand sanitizer will disinfect this book from your consciousness.” —Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes “Tapeworm is a visceral tale of broken hearts and famished monsters. With his delicate prose, a nightmarish atmosphere, and exquisite yearning, A.P. Thayer reveals himself as horror’s discovery of the year.” —J. V. Gachs, author of Epiphany “Tapeworm is a stand-out body horror debut that tackles everything from connection and identity, friendship, and self-doubt. It’s Thayer’s confident use and command of voice channeling the vicious vampiric horror within the novel that conjures a narrative pulse that is equally infectious and irresistible.” —Michael J. Seidlinger, author of Anybody Home? and Brokeula “The discomfort of friend groups growing older smashes right into eldritch body horror in this banger of a story from Thayer. Wrapped myself in a blanket and squirmed my way gleefully through it all. Unputdownable!” —Brent Lambert, author of A Necessary Chaos and co-founder of FIYAH Literary Magazine