Book Series Guide

Author guide

Chelsea G. Summers Books in Order

Chelsea G. Summers is an American writer and former academic whose work has appeared in publications including New York Magazine, Vogue, The New Republic, Racked, The Guardian, and VICE. She is the author of the novel A Certain Hunger and the separately published short work An Excellent Host.

literary fictionhorrorthrillerdark humor

Catalog record updated .

Chelsea G. Summers's Newest Book

Cover of An Excellent Host

An Excellent Host

short story · First published 2024

Printed exclusively for Independent Bookstore Day 2024! Somewhere in Brooklyn, a feast awaits its guests, and newbie realtor Shad cannot believe his great good luck. Callista, the gorgeous woman he's been seeing, has booked an Airbnb for a private party and the invite list is intimate -- just Shad, Calista and a few of her closest, equally gorgeous friends. As the wine begins to flow, he is ready to lose himself in the "date of all dates," but what comes next might undo Shad for good. In An Excellent Host, modern dating goes wildly awry as ancient gods prepare to receive their due in this tantalizing update to Greek myth. From the Author of A Certain Hunger comes a delectable new story of decadence, subversion, and satisfaction worthy of Dionysus himself. Back cover excerpt: "We go to work at our jobs, doing something; we go to sleep in our apartments, living somewhere; we have 'lives,' whatever that means. The truth is that we no longer feel connected to our solo, secular selves. In the outside world, we exist in pastel washes of generalities; we grow vivid only when we are with our sister seekers. You wouldn't clock us as different, not at first, probably not even at last."

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of A Certain Hunger

A Certain Hunger

Chelsea G. Summers's debut novel and principal work.

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (1)
  1. A Certain Hunger

    novel · 2019

    Food critic Dorothy Daniels loves what she does. Discerning, meticulous, and very, very smart, Dorothy’s clear mastery of the culinary arts make it likely that she could, on any given night, whip up a more inspired dish than any one of…

Short fiction (1)
  1. An Excellent Host

    short story · 2024

    Printed exclusively for Independent Bookstore Day 2024! Somewhere in Brooklyn, a feast awaits its guests, and newbie realtor Shad cannot believe his great good luck. Callista, the gorgeous woman he's been seeing, has booked an Airbnb for…

Frequently asked questions about Chelsea G. Summers

Who is Chelsea G. Summers?

Chelsea G. Summers is a writer who describes herself as a recovering academic, former stripper, and woman of a certain age. She lives in Manhattan and writes chiefly about sex.

Source: chelseasummers.com (opens in a new tab)

What did Chelsea G. Summers do before becoming a novelist?

She was an academic and professor with Ph.D. training in eighteenth-century British literature. She also worked as a nonfiction columnist and writer for major culture publications before turning to fiction.

Sources: faber.co.uk (opens in a new tab)pen.org (opens in a new tab)

Which writers influenced Chelsea G. Summers?

Summers has cited Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber as a seminal influence on her development as a writer. She has also pointed to Matthew Lewis’s eighteenth-century Gothic novel The Monk as an important influence.

Source: pen.org (opens in a new tab)

What awards has Chelsea G. Summers won?

Authoritative biographies reviewed here do not identify a major literary award won by Summers. Her publisher notes that she received starred reviews and that A Certain Hunger became a bestseller; the James Beard Award mentioned in some descriptions belongs to the novel’s fictional character, Dorothy Daniels.

Sources: unnamedpress.com (opens in a new tab)kirkusreviews.com (opens in a new tab)

Why is Chelsea G. Summers notable?

Summers is notable for combining feminist anger, sexuality, food culture, dark humor, and body horror in literary fiction. PEN America reports that A Certain Hunger developed a cult following and interprets its cannibalism as a meditation on the pressures of idealized womanhood.

Sources: pen.org (opens in a new tab)unnamedpress.com (opens in a new tab)