It’s a painting by Kim Jakobsson called Passing Oxygen, which Richard and LaRocca agreed “was perfect.” That wind, here, could more accurately be called “the algorithm”-but before we get there, let’s talk about that hard-to-forget cover. “But beyond that-and those are all things I can say about any of the authors I’ve worked with and titles I’ve published-I just think it hit that wind that every author and publisher hopes to hit.” And he adds that the story has an interesting premise. He points to the “incredible and haunting” cover, which he thinks drew lots of readers in, especially on platforms as visual as TikTok or Instagram. Richard says author Eric LaRocca is “an amazing writer” on the rise. “Well, I have some idea, but the answer has less to do with anything I did.”
“Here’s the hard truth: I have no idea,” he says. And Richard… well, he doesn’t really know. It’s a question Weirdpunk gets from other indie writers and publishing houses all the time. So why-and how-did this independently published epistolary novel gain so much recognition? Their next best-selling title has sold around 500 or 600 copies. Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, released this June, was the indie publisher’s seventh short and spooky release. Last year, with Richard at the helm, Weirdpunk started publishing horror novellas. Shortly after, Johnson parted with Weirdpunk, leaving sole ownership to Richard. Mo was a huge supporter of the press, and after some time away, Richard returned to complete the anthology Zombie Punks Fuck Off in 2018. In 2017, Richard’s wife Mo unexpectedly passed away. Things Have Gotten Worse has sold more than 20,000 copies, making it by far the most successful release to date for Weirdpunk Books, the Minneapolis-based DIY horror imprint that published it.įounded in 2015 by Emma Alice Johnson and Sam Richard, Weirdpunk Books initially focused on anthologies like The New Flesh: A Literary Tribute to David Cronenberg and Blood For You: A Literary Tribute to GG Allin. Critics agree: It’s not for the faint of heart. One lonely woman sells a family heirloom to another, and the two dive into a whirlwind of toxic self-disclosure. It’s a short horror story that takes place exclusively online, in chatrooms of the early 2000s. The book in question is Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, a 2021 title from author Eric LaRocca. The image is often paired with an equally haunting line: “What have you done today to deserve your eyes?” Its cover features a painting of a person resembling a gory, melted crayon-a stark contrast to the pleasant pastels and scenery typical to book posts on the platform. A gruesomely beautiful book has bombarded my Instagram feed for the last few months.
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