# This Thing Between Us

By Gus Moreno

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/this-thing-between-us-73957946/

After Vera's death, Thiago Alvarez finds that the strange activity in their Chicago home won't leave him alone. Their Itza smart speaker is part of the trouble. Moving to Colorado offers no reliable escape from the presence pursuing him.

## What makes it funny?

At Vera's funeral, Thiago has to contend with his bladder and relatives who can't agree where the flowers go. He also remembers the couple's jokes about disastrous ways to dispose of their remains, including ashes meeting a plane engine.

### The comedy at work

Thiago addresses his dead wife directly, keeping their shared jokes inside an account of mourning. His practical irritations puncture the solemnity around him without making his loss easier to bear.

### Try this if…

This is for readers who welcome dry, macabre observations inside disturbing cosmic horror. The uncertainty between dreams and waking life matters as much as the haunted technology.

### Good to know

Bereavement and severe distress drive the story, which includes suicidal thoughts. The recurring humor accompanies an intensely bleak account of grief.

## What to expect

- Genre: Horror
- On the shelf: Cosmic horror
- Kind of humor: Dark comedy · Dry wit
- The atmosphere: Bleak
- Format: Novel
- Length: 272 pages
- Published: 2021

## A few distinguishing details

- A bereaved husband's address to his dead wife
- Haunted smart technology and cosmic dread

## Sources & further reading

- Publisher: [Macmillan Academic identifies the same ISBN 9780374539238 as a trade paperback and lists 272 pages.](https://academic.macmillan.com/academictrade/9780374539238/thisthingbetweenus)
- Review: [Kirkus review](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/gus-moreno/this-thing-between-us)
- Publisher: [Publisher](https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374539238/thisthingbetweenus)
- Review: [Review and author commentary](https://dailynexus.com/2022-05-08/literature-in-review-the-future)