Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman is a horror novella about haunted, stolen voices. Winston, a quiet church janitor, believes he is on a mission from God to kill women and send their souls to fight a battle in the Nether Realm. In simpler terms, Winston is deeply unwell.
The novella works as a character study of a fractured and disturbed mind. It takes an interesting approach to the idea of battling oneself, or more specifically, battling for control of one’s own mind.
Chapman is a talented writer because, as unhinged as Winston is, his past is so heartbreaking that it is hard not to feel some level of empathy for him.
The book is an amalgamation of literary and horror influences. Chapman includes a list of works at the end that inspired this homage. The ones that stood out to me were The Collector by John Fowles, Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, and The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. It is a wild combination, but it fits the tone of this novel perfectly.
The voices are a central element of the story. After Winston kills these women, he preserves their final words in jars, and their voices continue to live inside his head, fighting their own battle. These voices act as a kind of commentary on the events of the story, but they also begin to break through Winston’s mental barriers, haunting him for what he has done.
The narrative moves between present day events, Winston’s childhood through flashbacks, and the story he tells himself about the battle in the Nether Realm.
The ending was strong and included a twist I did not see coming. My only issue was during the haunting sequences, where the voices mostly repeat Winston’s name. Given how distinct and expressive these voices were earlier, I wanted more variety in what they said.
Bodies of Work will be published on April 7, 2026, by Titan Books.
Why did I read Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman?
I discovered Clay McLeod Chapman last year through a short story collection titled Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night. His story, “Booger Sugar,” was about a booger witch, which sounds ridiculous, but it balanced horror and humor extremely well. Since then, I have read three of his books, and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
I also had the chance to meet Clay at AuthorCon, where he was selling early copies of Bodies of Work. I already had an ARC through Titan Books and NetGalley, but I picked up a signed copy as well.
I attended a live reading of his short story “Baby Carrots” from his collection Acquired Taste. If you ever get the chance to see him read live, I highly recommend it. He puts a lot of energy and passion into both his writing and his performances.
Plot Summary:
Winston is a quiet janitor at a small, mostly empty church. He believes he has been chosen by God to take women from this world and send them into battle in the Nether Realm. He documents his actions and collects the voices of his victims.
So far, he has collected six voices, but he believes he needs a seventh. The women he has taken still speak to him, and as their numbers grow, so does their strength. Their voices become harder to ignore, slowly breaking through the walls of Winston’s mind.
What I Liked:
The flashbacks are incredibly well written. Chapman manages to make the reader empathize with someone who is objectively a terrible person. The use of brief, vivid snapshots within the story works very well.
The story within the story reminded me of the film Welcome to Marwen, where a man uses fantasy to process trauma. Winston’s tale of the Butterfly Girls and their war against evil is a creative and revealing way to explore his psyche.
I enjoyed how the voices of the women comment on Winston’s present day actions and his memories. It adds another layer to the narrative.
The descriptions, especially during the cocoon hatching scenes, are vivid and unsettling. Chapman has a way of writing that makes these moments feel tactile and real.
The ending includes a twist that I found effective and satisfying.
What I Disliked:
During the final haunting sequences, the voices mostly repeat Winston’s name. I wanted more variation, especially since the voices had such strong personalities earlier in the book.
It could also be difficult at times to distinguish which voice was speaking since the dialogue is not always clearly attributed. This might work better in an audiobook format where each voice could be differentiated.
Recommendation:
Bodies of Work pulls from many familiar ideas but combines them into something that still feels fresh. Chapman’s storytelling style is unique and memorable.
If I had to compare it to films, I would say it feels like Sucker Punch mixed David Cronenberg’s Spider meets Welcome to Marwen.
I recommend this novella to readers looking for a quick, unsettling horror story with a strong psychological core.
Rating:
Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman
4 out of 5 stars
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