You Will Speak For The Dead by R.A. Busby

A transformative body horror novella from Shirley Jackson Award winning author R.A. Busby. Coming October 2024.

“I was captivated by YOU WILL SPEAK FOR THE DEAD and its lyrical examination of loss and connectedness. It was poignant, with just the right touches of humor and ick, and so well written that I could feel the words —sensations, scents, emotions. I loved this novella and I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.” — Zoje Stage, USA Today bestselling author of Baby Teeth and Dear Hanna

“R.A. Busby’s You Will Speak For The Dead transcends spore horror and body horror, though both abound, torturing the reader with infectious dread. Protagonist Paul moves through the worst of both to confront the question of how much we’re willing to give up of ourselves to experience connection, if the outermost parameters of grief are this very yearning for loss of self, and if anything is ever truly lost. With its surprisingly happy ending, I’m a little worried that the book is a hoarder’s fantasy and that I’ve been unwittingly converted. Excuse me while I grab the disinfectant.” — Joe Koch, author of The Wingspan of Severed Hands and Invaginies

“No one writes body horror better than R.A. Busby. This book had me shuddering, in full-on cringe mode, wanting to get in the shower and scrub my skin off as I checked every crease of my body for mysterious growths. But this book is more than just its incredibly visceral scenes of shock and disgust. It is also emotional, connecting you to the raw pain and grief of the characters. You suffer with them, become one with them — almost as if you’re part of a mycelial network. An absolutely unforgettable book.” — Jill Girardi, Author and Owner of Kandisha Press

Customers outside of CA/US: due to supply chain issues, worldwide shipping of print books is currently slow and expensive. We recommend shopping with your local indie bookstore. If you do order a print book from us, it will be shipped from the closest print facility to you and will therefore be printed on standard paper and will not include the goodies we send with CA/US orders.