Reading Pathways

Reading Pathways: Chuck Tingle

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Amanda Diehl

Staff Writer

Amanda Diehl escaped to Boston to get her MA in Publishing & Writing. Though she loves her new home in the Northeast, she will forever mourn the loss of Publix and sweet tea. As for Amanda’s voracious love of reading, she got it from her mama, though her favorite genres are romance, horror, and the occasional memoir. She reviews romance novels for Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, and when she’s able to scrounge together some free time, you can find her napping in front of the TV with the latest trashy reality show or scarfing down brunch-related foods. Twitter: _ImAnAdult

Chuck Tingle illustrated author photo of him in Tae Kwon Do attire, riding a triceratops with a top hat and monocle. Tingle is holing a sign that says, "Love is Real."

An illustrated depiction of Chuck Tingle

Niche erotica author, Chuck Tingle, has been a name in the romance community for quite some time, but after his recent Hugo nomination and announcement that Zoe Quinn will be attending the Hugos to accept his award, all types of readers want to know more about the enigmatic writer of dinosaur erotic romances. But Tingle doesn’t just limit himself to tyrannosaurus rexes and velociraptors. Inanimate objects also get the Tingle treatment: jet planes, Oscar statues, and even inclusive holiday coffee cups.

Recent interviews with Tingle help give readers a look inside his creative process. His chief message is that “LOVE IS REAL” and the key to starting the day right is with a spaghetti breakfast. According to his Twitter account, writing is not his only love, as he as a PhD from DeVry University in holistic massage. Tingle also revealed that he has a deep love for Hans Zimmer during a Reddit AMA. It’s important to understand the author before taking a dive into a rather deep backlist.

With over seventy books published, it’s hard to figure out where to start in the Tingleverse. But these three books are a great start to get a feel for the Tingle.

Space Raptor Butt Invasion by Chuck TingleSpace Raptor Butt Invasion

Dinosaurs are Chuck Tingle’s bread and butter, so it’d be remiss to put together a Reading Pathways post without including at least one dino-centric work. Space Raptor Butt Invasion is the Hugo Short Story nominee, and given that it’s up for an award, it should definitely be on your radar. Lance is stationed on the planet Zorbus and it’ll be a year before he can return home. How can he survive the loneliness? Enter a velociraptor astronaut. An erotic journey about finding someone—nay, a dinosaur—to love in the isolation of space.

 

Pounded by the Gay Color Changing Dress by Chuck TinglePounded by the Gay Color Changing Dress

Several of Tingle’s erotic stories tap into the cultural zeitgeist of popular memes and news headlines. This may have been the first of these types of erotic romances that Tingle published and I’m sure we all remember where we were when the debate of the color changing dress landed in our Twitter feed. Channing, the gay color changing dress, achieved internet fame, but he’s struggling with whether or not fame is all there is to life. Until he meets Kent, a man who doesn’t care what color Channing really is. If you want to read more pop culture-influenced Tingle erotica, some other titles include Oppressed In The Butt By My Inclusive Holiday Coffee Cups and Pounded In The Butt By My Irrational Bigoted Fear Of Humans Who Were Born As Unicorns Using A Human Restroom.

 
Pounded in the Butt by My Own Butt by Chuck TinglePounded in the Butt by My Own Butt

Some people question whether Chuck Tingle is a real person, and for those people who love a good conspiracy theory, I introduce you to the meta portion of Tingle’s backlist. Kirk is a scientist working on a cloning project. His team has gradually been using his DNA from his butt and brains and combining that with the DNA of a hawk, ultimately creating a butt-hawk hybrid. What Kirk wasn’t expecting was his own butt to be so charming. Kirk readily agrees to a romantic dinner with his own butt. This book is truly a lesson in loving yourself. And if you want to take this butt-ception even deeper, there’s Pounded In The Butt By My Book “Pounded In The Butt By My Own Butt”.