Wretch

Eric LaRocca's 'Wretch: or, The Unbecoming of Porcelain Khaw' blends gothic horror and near-future technology to examine grief and the longing for reunion with the dead.

Centered on a grieving man who discovers an unsettling support group offering simulated final moments with lost partners, the novel probes ethical and psychological ramifications of memory manipulation.

LaRocca explores addiction, identity, and the commodification of mourning as characters confront the limits of technology and desire.

The narrative balances eerie atmosphere with provocative questions about authenticity and the price of holding onto the past.

It reads as a dark, emotionally charged investigation into how people cope with loss in technologically mediated ways.