Bury Your Gays Summary, Characters and Themes
Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle is a genre-bending, thought-provoking novel that blends satire, sci-fi, and horror to explore the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry.
Centered on Misha Byrne, a jaded, openly gay screenwriter navigating Hollywood’s exploitative practices, the story dives deep into the systemic erasure of queer identities in media. When pressured to kill off a beloved gay character “for the algorithm,” Misha uncovers a sinister conspiracy where corporate greed manipulates not just stories but reality itself. With biting wit, emotional depth, and a defiant heart, Tingle’s novel is a bold critique of commodified trauma and the radical power of queer resilience.
Summary
Misha Byrne is a sharp-tongued, openly gay screenwriter working in Hollywood, best known for his work on the hit TV show Travelers. Jaded by years of navigating an industry that often exploits and marginalizes queer voices, Misha’s career reaches a high point with an Oscar nomination.
However, his success comes with strings attached. The studio executives, led by the charismatic yet manipulative Jack Hays, pressure Misha to kill off two of his show’s beloved queer characters, Agent Lexa and Agent Naomi. Their reasoning? “The algorithm says it’ll boost ratings.”
At first, Misha chalks this up to the usual Hollywood nonsense—corporate greed disguised as creative notes.
But his defiant refusal to perpetuate the harmful “bury your gays” trope triggers a chain of bizarre and unsettling events. He starts noticing people dressed as characters from his show following him, their behavior robotic and unnerving.
These aren’t just obsessed fans; they seem… wrong. His best friend, Tara Ito, a brilliant, cynical tech expert, helps him investigate. Together, they uncover a disturbing conspiracy rooted in the heart of the industry.
Misha and Tara discover that Harold Brothers Studios has been using a cutting-edge AI algorithm designed not just to predict audience preferences but to manipulate them—and reality itself.
This algorithm feeds on trauma, particularly the suffering of marginalized characters, and influences both on-screen narratives and real-world perceptions. The executives’ push to kill queer characters isn’t just about ratings; it’s about sustaining a system that commodifies queer pain for profit.
The algorithm thrives on the emotional resonance of tragic stories, subtly reinforcing harmful stereotypes and erasing authentic queer joy.
As Misha delves deeper, he confronts his own traumatic past: a childhood marked by neglect, abandonment, and survival after being left alone in his uncle’s car.
His internal struggles with shame, grief, and the lingering scars of his upbringing mirror the external battle he faces against the industry’s erasure of queer identities.
His relationship with Zeke, his loving and grounded boyfriend, becomes both a sanctuary and a reminder of what’s truly at stake—not just stories, but the right to exist fully and unapologetically.
With Tara and Zeke by his side, Misha launches a daring plan to dismantle the algorithm. Their mission leads them to the studio’s sleek, dystopian data center, where reality is literally being rewritten.
The trio faces both physical and psychological threats, battling not only corporate security but the algorithm’s surreal manifestations—distorted echoes of characters from Misha’s own scripts, now twisted into monstrous forms.
The climax is a chaotic, emotionally charged confrontation between Misha and Jack Hays. Jack embodies the soulless corporate ethos, arguing that stories are products and emotions commodities to be packaged and sold.
Misha counters with a fierce declaration of the intrinsic value of authentic narratives, refusing to let his identity—or the identities of those like him—be reduced to marketing metrics.
In a final, desperate act of rebellion, Misha sacrifices his career, triggering the algorithm’s collapse.
The fabric of reality fractures—timelines glitch, buildings crumble, and fictional characters flicker in and out of existence. Amidst this apocalyptic chaos, Misha, Tara, and Zeke manage to survive.
The world is irrevocably changed, but there’s a sense of hope amid the ruins. The algorithm’s oppressive influence is gone, leaving space for genuine stories to flourish.
In the aftermath, Misha reflects on the cost of their victory: friendships lost, a career in tatters, but an undeniable triumph in reclaiming narrative agency.
The final scene is poignant and understated—Misha and Zeke standing together as the sun rises over the wreckage of Hollywood, holding each other amidst the debris. It’s not a traditional happy ending, but it’s honest, raw, and filled with quiet triumph.
At its core, Bury Your Gays is more than a critique of the entertainment industry; it’s a celebration of queer resilience, the radical power of authentic storytelling, and the refusal to be erased. Through Misha’s journey, Chuck Tingle crafts a meta-narrative about grief, resistance, and the enduring strength of chosen family and queer joy in the face of systemic erasure.
Characters
Misha Byrne
Misha Byrne is the protagonist of Bury Your Gays, a successful screenwriter in Hollywood who struggles with the pressure of the entertainment industry, particularly its treatment of queer characters. Misha is a complex character, defined by both his career achievements and the emotional baggage he carries from his past.
Growing up in an abusive and neglectful environment, including being abandoned in his uncle’s car, Misha’s early life shaped his resilience and drive to succeed, but it also left him with deep psychological scars. His experiences with trauma, internalized homophobia, and the weight of personal guilt are central to his character’s journey.
Despite his tough exterior and sharp wit, Misha is not immune to the emotional toll of being asked to erase queer identities for profit, which ultimately leads him to confront both the external corporate manipulation and his own demons. His resistance to the “bury your gays” trope and his fight for authentic queer representation in media make him a symbol of rebellion against the commodification of marginalized identities.
By the novel’s end, Misha’s journey becomes not just one of self-discovery, but also a fight for the survival of queer voices in a world that seeks to silence them.
Tara Ito
Tara Ito is Misha’s best friend and a brilliant tech expert who plays a crucial role in helping him uncover the sinister corporate conspiracy at the heart of the narrative. Tara is characterized by her cynicism and intelligence, often providing a pragmatic and analytical perspective on the chaos that unfolds.
As a supportive ally to Misha, she acts as the anchor that helps him stay grounded during their investigation into the AI algorithm that manipulates both media and reality. Tara’s resourcefulness is key to navigating the technological aspects of the plot, using her skills to help expose the true nature of the algorithm.
However, her cynicism doesn’t diminish her loyalty or her commitment to fighting for what’s right. Tara’s role is central not just as a friend and ally, but also as a counterbalance to Misha’s emotional turmoil.
Together, they represent a partnership that transcends the superficial, underlining the importance of chosen family in times of crisis.
Zeke
Zeke is Misha’s boyfriend, and his role in the story is both supportive and deeply personal. A grounded and understanding figure, Zeke helps Misha navigate the emotional and psychological chaos caused by both the industry’s demands and Misha’s past.
He provides a sense of stability in Misha’s turbulent world, offering both emotional support and practical help when necessary. Zeke’s character is defined by his calm demeanor and his willingness to stand by Misha through the storm.
Although not as central to the unraveling of the conspiracy as Tara, Zeke’s importance lies in his emotional presence and the bond he shares with Misha. He becomes the person Misha can rely on when all other aspects of his life seem to be falling apart.
Zeke’s relationship with Misha underscores the novel’s broader themes of love, loyalty, and resistance against systemic oppression. His love serves as a foundation for Misha to confront the overwhelming forces at play in the narrative, and together they find strength in the face of an uncertain future.
Jack Hays
Jack Hays is a manipulative studio executive who embodies the corporate greed and creative compromise that are central to the novel’s critique of the entertainment industry. As the figurehead of the studio’s decision to erase queer representation in Misha’s show, Jack represents the cold, calculated business model that views stories and characters merely as commodities to be exploited for profit.
Charismatic yet morally bankrupt, Jack pressures Misha to comply with the studio’s demands, manipulating both data and emotions to ensure that the show conforms to the algorithm’s demands. His insistence on killing off queer characters is not just about increasing ratings, but about feeding a system that thrives on the commodification of marginalized experiences.
Throughout the story, Jack’s character serves as the antagonist, a symbol of the industry’s toxic focus on profit over authenticity, and a direct challenge to Misha’s creative and personal values. His confrontation with Misha at the climax of the novel is a moment of ideological battle, where Misha’s belief in the power of storytelling and authentic representation stands in direct opposition to Jack’s commodifying worldview.
Themes
The Commodification of Queer Trauma in the Entertainment Industry
One of the core themes of Bury Your Gays is the commercialization of queer trauma, which the novel critiques through its portrayal of an algorithm-driven entertainment industry. The story delves into how the media systematically exploits marginalized identities, particularly queer individuals, for profit.
The “bury your gays” trope becomes emblematic of this exploitation, where the tragic deaths of queer characters are not just narrative choices, but calculated moves to heighten drama and engagement. The novel reveals that this trope is not a relic of outdated storytelling but a deliberate strategy to cater to mainstream sensibilities and profit from the emotional impact of queer suffering.
By framing the demand to kill off queer characters as a corporate decision motivated by ratings and profit, Bury Your Gays critiques how the pain of marginalized groups is commodified for consumption. This theme is explored further as the algorithm in the novel not only shapes the narratives in entertainment but also extends its influence to control reality, showing how deeply ingrained the exploitation of queer trauma has become in shaping cultural norms.
The Reclamation of Queer Identity in the Face of Systemic Erasure
At the heart of Bury Your Gays is the journey of reclaiming queer identity in a world that continuously seeks to erase it. The novel tackles the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly within the entertainment industry, where authentic queer representation is often sacrificed in favor of harmful tropes or erased altogether.
Misha, the protagonist, represents the struggle of maintaining artistic integrity while navigating the pressures of an industry that demands conformity to heteronormative expectations. The insistence on killing off queer characters symbolizes the broader societal tendency to marginalize queer voices, often relegating them to tragic or secondary roles.
However, Misha’s defiance against this industry demand becomes a symbol of resistance, where he risks his career to ensure that queer characters are portrayed in a way that is authentic and full of agency. This theme underscores the importance of not just visibility but meaningful representation, and how reclaiming the narrative is an act of survival in a world that seeks to diminish queer voices.
The Dystopian Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Cultural Control
Another significant theme in Bury Your Gays is the dystopian intersection of artificial intelligence and cultural control. Through the sinister algorithm that manipulates both entertainment and reality, the novel explores the dark potential of technology when it is wielded by powerful corporations to shape cultural perceptions and narratives.
The AI algorithm’s ability to predict and manipulate audience reactions introduces a terrifying concept—technology not just responding to cultural trends but actively creating and controlling them. In the world of Bury Your Gays, this algorithm doesn’t simply cater to existing biases; it amplifies them, turning queer trauma into a consumable product that fuels the system.
The dystopian setting highlights the dangers of allowing technological advancements to be driven purely by profit motives, devoid of ethical considerations. This theme serves as a cautionary tale about the extent to which technology could be used to manipulate public perception and rewrite history, and how this could lead to the erasure of marginalized identities from the cultural consciousness.
The Radical Power of Queer Solidarity and Chosen Family in the Face of Destruction
One of the most poignant themes in Bury Your Gays is the radical power of queer solidarity and chosen family in the face of systemic destruction. Throughout the novel, Misha’s journey is not one of solitary struggle but of collective resistance alongside his friends and loved ones, particularly Tara and Zeke.
Their bond represents the strength that queer individuals find in each other when the world around them seeks to tear them apart. In a system that thrives on exploitation and erasure, their solidarity becomes a revolutionary act.
This theme is particularly resonant in the novel’s climactic moments, where Misha, Tara, and Zeke confront the algorithm that has re-written their reality. Their unity, born from shared experiences of marginalization, is the only force capable of dismantling the oppressive system.
The ending of the novel, which sees Misha and Zeke standing together amidst the ruins of Hollywood, reinforces the idea that even in the face of unimaginable loss and destruction, queer joy, love, and solidarity remain powerful forces for change. This theme champions the importance of queer communities coming together, not just for survival, but for the reclamation of their identities and narratives.
The Existential Conflict Between Artistry and Commercialism in the Creative Industries
A recurring theme in Bury Your Gays is the existential conflict between artistry and commercialism within the creative industries. Misha, as a screenwriter, represents the tension between personal artistic vision and the demands of an industry driven by profit and commercial success.
The novel explores how creative professionals often face the difficult choice of compromising their integrity to appease corporate interests or sticking to their vision and facing professional and personal consequences. Misha’s refusal to kill off his queer characters highlights this conflict—his determination to uphold the integrity of his stories becomes a form of resistance against a system that reduces art to a commodity.
The novel ultimately critiques how capitalism not only impacts the stories being told but also the artists behind them, who are often pressured to align their work with the demands of an algorithmic, profit-driven system. This theme presents a powerful commentary on the value of authentic, unfiltered expression and the sacrifices artists make when they choose to resist the overwhelming forces of commercialization.