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Psychological Breakdown
Within this tome lies eighteen tales of mind-bending terror, as Hughes delves into the human psyche and dishes out stories of what becomes of the broken minded, spirited and downright irked. Part these blood-drenched pages at your own peril, for you will find diseased minds geared towards revenge and bloody chaos, with a few twists, turns and surprises thrown in for good measure. Keep the lights on!
315 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2017
2 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
David Owain Hughes
106 books106 followersDavid Owain Hughes is a word-slinger of horror and crime fiction, who grew up on trashy b-movies from the age of five which helped rapidly instil in him a vivid imagination. He’s had multiple short stories published in various online magazines and anthologies, along with articles, reviews and interviews. He’s written for This Is Horror, Blood Magazine, and Horror Geeks Magazine.
Hughes is the author of six horror novels, four short story collections and a plethora of novellas. Although he predominately writes within the bracket of horror and its multiple sub-genres, he’s recently branched out into crime fiction and is slowly carving out a superb series of crime/noir thrillers under the umbrella title of South Wales.
Hughes is the author of six horror novels, four short story collections and a plethora of novellas. Although he predominately writes within the bracket of horror and its multiple sub-genres, he’s recently branched out into crime fiction and is slowly carving out a superb series of crime/noir thrillers under the umbrella title of South Wales.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 24, 2017
Review: PSYCHOLOGICAL BREAKDOWN by David Owain Hughes
{Collection}
Going into any work by this talented and driven Welsh horror writer, readers are guaranteed extreme horror, viscera, and the wide-eyed unconscious fascination with which we slow to gaze at accident victims. You really don't want to, you know you shouldn't, you realize you're courting nightmares...but you still stare.
"Picture Not So Perfect". This story made me furious, repeatedly. Really, it's humans who can be the worst monsters. There is poetic justice operating here, but oh, at what an astronomical price!!
"Blackout". I have never feared the darkness outdoors, but I've always feared the darkness indoors, for that is where we encounter horror, in the place we consider our safest. From domestic violence to home invasion, from an angrily psychotic returned ex-, to a restless spirit who wants to evict us, to a home built on sacred burial ground...Many are the horrors potentially encountered indoors. Tons of kudos to Mr. Hughes: in "Blackout" he creates a wildly imaginative, subtly terrifying different possibility.
"Rooms for Rent". The Peeping Tom-landlord-neighbor-stowaway has been tackled ad infinitum, as far ago as Herbert Lieberman' s scary novel CRAWLSPACE for example. I don't remember it ever getting this particular approach, though, nor should I be surprised given this author of the transgressive. Yuckky landlord, horrifying outcomes.
"A Mirror Never Lies." Well! I wasn't expecting THAT! Gore, yes. Bloodthirstiness, yes, of course. I just wasn't expecting this particular mode of character evolution.
"Caution: Slippery When Wet." It's a certain assumption that bullies behave as they do because they expect impunity. Well, sometimes even a trapped animal fights back; and after years of vile insults, the retaliation may be a lot uglier than just a workplace lawsuit.
"Scrapbook." Some people keep their memories pasted on paper, between cardboard covers. Some maintain theirs diligently. This gentleman keeps his souvenirs inside his panel van.
"Dark Woods." The poet Robert Frost wrote "the woods are lovely, dark, and deep." He'd never met Welshman David Owain Hughes. Hughes' woods are always dark, and they're certainly always deep--but they're certainly never lovely
They're isolated, impenetrable, and scary; and they're filled with subhuman unwashed cannibals.
"Dacchas." No, not a story about expensive Russian villas [dachas]. Instead, a story of vicious flesh-eating creatures in the Welsh hills, who remind me of rabid cannibalistic Yetis.
"Filial Cannibalism." This one gets a cautionary warning: if your disposition is at all sensitive, you are advised to pass over this story. Then again, if your disposition is sensitive, why are you reading David Owain Hughes in the first place?? Carry on.
This story was earlier published in the 2017 anthology HOW TO COOK A BABY AND OTHER CANNIBAL CUISINE.
"Faggot." Pork sausage recipe from Wales.
"Magic Beans." Pride goeth before a fall. So does egotism and hubris.
"Sorry No Service -- Technological Disturbance." It could hardly have happened to a better guy [unless it was the villain in "Magic Beans"]. {Just wait till the military get wind of what this device can do.} One of my favourites in this collection.
"Sleigh Sisters." St. Nick' s not the only dude providing Christmas wishes this year...
"For The Love of Shakespeare." Somehow, I don't think this is what the Bard had in mind. Robert Louis Stevenson, however...
"Diverted." Be assured, your crimes will find you out.
".".Techno Tendencies." Be careful what you wish for: a cautionary tale for the 21st century.
"Thighs Maketh the Woman." And the man. All hail poetic justice.
"Recognition." An author stops at nothing to promote his novels.
"A Box Full of Kinks." It really is true that any fascination eventually fades and requires more intensity to thrill.
Review: PSYCHOLOGICAL BREAKDOWN by David Owain Hughes
Review: PSYCHOLOGICAL BREAKDOWN by David Owain Hughes
{Collection}
Going into any work by this talented and driven Welsh horror writer, readers are guaranteed extreme horror, viscera, and the wide-eyed unconscious fascination with which we slow to gaze at accident victims. You really don't want to, you know you shouldn't, you realize you're courting nightmares...but you still stare.
"Picture Not So Perfect". This story made me furious, repeatedly. Really, it's humans who can be the worst monsters. There is poetic justice operating here, but oh, at what an astronomical price!!
"Blackout". I have never feared the darkness outdoors, but I've always feared the darkness indoors, for that is where we encounter horror, in the place we consider our safest. From domestic violence to home invasion, from an angrily psychotic returned ex-, to a restless spirit who wants to evict us, to a home built on sacred burial ground...Many are the horrors potentially encountered indoors. Tons of kudos to Mr. Hughes: in "Blackout" he creates a wildly imaginative, subtly terrifying different possibility.
"Rooms for Rent". The Peeping Tom-landlord-neighbor-stowaway has been tackled ad infinitum, as far ago as Herbert Lieberman' s scary novel CRAWLSPACE for example. I don't remember it ever getting this particular approach, though, nor should I be surprised given this author of the transgressive. Yuckky landlord, horrifying outcomes.
"A Mirror Never Lies." Well! I wasn't expecting THAT! Gore, yes. Bloodthirstiness, yes, of course. I just wasn't expecting this particular mode of character evolution.
"Caution: Slippery When Wet." It's a certain assumption that bullies behave as they do because they expect impunity. Well, sometimes even a trapped animal fights back; and after years of vile insults, the retaliation may be a lot uglier than just a workplace lawsuit.
"Scrapbook." Some people keep their memories pasted on paper, between cardboard covers. Some maintain theirs diligently. This gentleman keeps his souvenirs inside his panel van.
"Dark Woods." The poet Robert Frost wrote "the woods are lovely, dark, and deep." He'd never met Welshman David Owain Hughes. Hughes' woods are always dark, and they're certainly always deep--but they're certainly never lovely
They're isolated, impenetrable, and scary; and they're filled with subhuman unwashed cannibals.
"Dacchas." No, not a story about expensive Russian villas [dachas]. Instead, a story of vicious flesh-eating creatures in the Welsh hills, who remind me of rabid cannibalistic Yetis.
"Filial Cannibalism." This one gets a cautionary warning: if your disposition is at all sensitive, you are advised to pass over this story. Then again, if your disposition is sensitive, why are you reading David Owain Hughes in the first place?? Carry on.
This story was earlier published in the 2017 anthology HOW TO COOK A BABY AND OTHER CANNIBAL CUISINE.
"Faggot." Pork sausage recipe from Wales.
"Magic Beans." Pride goeth before a fall. So does egotism and hubris.
"Sorry No Service -- Technological Disturbance." It could hardly have happened to a better guy [unless it was the villain in "Magic Beans"]. {Just wait till the military get wind of what this device can do.} One of my favourites in this collection.
"Sleigh Sisters." St. Nick' s not the only dude providing Christmas wishes this year...
"For The Love of Shakespeare." Somehow, I don't think this is what the Bard had in mind. Robert Louis Stevenson, however...
"Diverted." Be assured, your crimes will find you out.
".".Techno Tendencies." Be careful what you wish for: a cautionary tale for the 21st century.
"Thighs Maketh the Woman." And the man. All hail poetic justice.
"Recognition." An author stops at nothing to promote his novels.
"A Box Full of Kinks." It really is true that any fascination eventually fades and requires more intensity to thrill.
{Collection}
Going into any work by this talented and driven Welsh horror writer, readers are guaranteed extreme horror, viscera, and the wide-eyed unconscious fascination with which we slow to gaze at accident victims. You really don't want to, you know you shouldn't, you realize you're courting nightmares...but you still stare.
"Picture Not So Perfect". This story made me furious, repeatedly. Really, it's humans who can be the worst monsters. There is poetic justice operating here, but oh, at what an astronomical price!!
"Blackout". I have never feared the darkness outdoors, but I've always feared the darkness indoors, for that is where we encounter horror, in the place we consider our safest. From domestic violence to home invasion, from an angrily psychotic returned ex-, to a restless spirit who wants to evict us, to a home built on sacred burial ground...Many are the horrors potentially encountered indoors. Tons of kudos to Mr. Hughes: in "Blackout" he creates a wildly imaginative, subtly terrifying different possibility.
"Rooms for Rent". The Peeping Tom-landlord-neighbor-stowaway has been tackled ad infinitum, as far ago as Herbert Lieberman' s scary novel CRAWLSPACE for example. I don't remember it ever getting this particular approach, though, nor should I be surprised given this author of the transgressive. Yuckky landlord, horrifying outcomes.
"A Mirror Never Lies." Well! I wasn't expecting THAT! Gore, yes. Bloodthirstiness, yes, of course. I just wasn't expecting this particular mode of character evolution.
"Caution: Slippery When Wet." It's a certain assumption that bullies behave as they do because they expect impunity. Well, sometimes even a trapped animal fights back; and after years of vile insults, the retaliation may be a lot uglier than just a workplace lawsuit.
"Scrapbook." Some people keep their memories pasted on paper, between cardboard covers. Some maintain theirs diligently. This gentleman keeps his souvenirs inside his panel van.
"Dark Woods." The poet Robert Frost wrote "the woods are lovely, dark, and deep." He'd never met Welshman David Owain Hughes. Hughes' woods are always dark, and they're certainly always deep--but they're certainly never lovely
They're isolated, impenetrable, and scary; and they're filled with subhuman unwashed cannibals.
"Dacchas." No, not a story about expensive Russian villas [dachas]. Instead, a story of vicious flesh-eating creatures in the Welsh hills, who remind me of rabid cannibalistic Yetis.
"Filial Cannibalism." This one gets a cautionary warning: if your disposition is at all sensitive, you are advised to pass over this story. Then again, if your disposition is sensitive, why are you reading David Owain Hughes in the first place?? Carry on.
This story was earlier published in the 2017 anthology HOW TO COOK A BABY AND OTHER CANNIBAL CUISINE.
"Faggot." Pork sausage recipe from Wales.
"Magic Beans." Pride goeth before a fall. So does egotism and hubris.
"Sorry No Service -- Technological Disturbance." It could hardly have happened to a better guy [unless it was the villain in "Magic Beans"]. {Just wait till the military get wind of what this device can do.} One of my favourites in this collection.
"Sleigh Sisters." St. Nick' s not the only dude providing Christmas wishes this year...
"For The Love of Shakespeare." Somehow, I don't think this is what the Bard had in mind. Robert Louis Stevenson, however...
"Diverted." Be assured, your crimes will find you out.
".".Techno Tendencies." Be careful what you wish for: a cautionary tale for the 21st century.
"Thighs Maketh the Woman." And the man. All hail poetic justice.
"Recognition." An author stops at nothing to promote his novels.
"A Box Full of Kinks." It really is true that any fascination eventuall
{Collection}
Going into any work by this talented and driven Welsh horror writer, readers are guaranteed extreme horror, viscera, and the wide-eyed unconscious fascination with which we slow to gaze at accident victims. You really don't want to, you know you shouldn't, you realize you're courting nightmares...but you still stare.
"Picture Not So Perfect". This story made me furious, repeatedly. Really, it's humans who can be the worst monsters. There is poetic justice operating here, but oh, at what an astronomical price!!
"Blackout". I have never feared the darkness outdoors, but I've always feared the darkness indoors, for that is where we encounter horror, in the place we consider our safest. From domestic violence to home invasion, from an angrily psychotic returned ex-, to a restless spirit who wants to evict us, to a home built on sacred burial ground...Many are the horrors potentially encountered indoors. Tons of kudos to Mr. Hughes: in "Blackout" he creates a wildly imaginative, subtly terrifying different possibility.
"Rooms for Rent". The Peeping Tom-landlord-neighbor-stowaway has been tackled ad infinitum, as far ago as Herbert Lieberman' s scary novel CRAWLSPACE for example. I don't remember it ever getting this particular approach, though, nor should I be surprised given this author of the transgressive. Yuckky landlord, horrifying outcomes.
"A Mirror Never Lies." Well! I wasn't expecting THAT! Gore, yes. Bloodthirstiness, yes, of course. I just wasn't expecting this particular mode of character evolution.
"Caution: Slippery When Wet." It's a certain assumption that bullies behave as they do because they expect impunity. Well, sometimes even a trapped animal fights back; and after years of vile insults, the retaliation may be a lot uglier than just a workplace lawsuit.
"Scrapbook." Some people keep their memories pasted on paper, between cardboard covers. Some maintain theirs diligently. This gentleman keeps his souvenirs inside his panel van.
"Dark Woods." The poet Robert Frost wrote "the woods are lovely, dark, and deep." He'd never met Welshman David Owain Hughes. Hughes' woods are always dark, and they're certainly always deep--but they're certainly never lovely
They're isolated, impenetrable, and scary; and they're filled with subhuman unwashed cannibals.
"Dacchas." No, not a story about expensive Russian villas [dachas]. Instead, a story of vicious flesh-eating creatures in the Welsh hills, who remind me of rabid cannibalistic Yetis.
"Filial Cannibalism." This one gets a cautionary warning: if your disposition is at all sensitive, you are advised to pass over this story. Then again, if your disposition is sensitive, why are you reading David Owain Hughes in the first place?? Carry on.
This story was earlier published in the 2017 anthology HOW TO COOK A BABY AND OTHER CANNIBAL CUISINE.
"Faggot." Pork sausage recipe from Wales.
"Magic Beans." Pride goeth before a fall. So does egotism and hubris.
"Sorry No Service -- Technological Disturbance." It could hardly have happened to a better guy [unless it was the villain in "Magic Beans"]. {Just wait till the military get wind of what this device can do.} One of my favourites in this collection.
"Sleigh Sisters." St. Nick' s not the only dude providing Christmas wishes this year...
"For The Love of Shakespeare." Somehow, I don't think this is what the Bard had in mind. Robert Louis Stevenson, however...
"Diverted." Be assured, your crimes will find you out.
".".Techno Tendencies." Be careful what you wish for: a cautionary tale for the 21st century.
"Thighs Maketh the Woman." And the man. All hail poetic justice.
"Recognition." An author stops at nothing to promote his novels.
"A Box Full of Kinks." It really is true that any fascination eventually fades and requires more intensity to thrill.
Review: PSYCHOLOGICAL BREAKDOWN by David Owain Hughes
Review: PSYCHOLOGICAL BREAKDOWN by David Owain Hughes
{Collection}
Going into any work by this talented and driven Welsh horror writer, readers are guaranteed extreme horror, viscera, and the wide-eyed unconscious fascination with which we slow to gaze at accident victims. You really don't want to, you know you shouldn't, you realize you're courting nightmares...but you still stare.
"Picture Not So Perfect". This story made me furious, repeatedly. Really, it's humans who can be the worst monsters. There is poetic justice operating here, but oh, at what an astronomical price!!
"Blackout". I have never feared the darkness outdoors, but I've always feared the darkness indoors, for that is where we encounter horror, in the place we consider our safest. From domestic violence to home invasion, from an angrily psychotic returned ex-, to a restless spirit who wants to evict us, to a home built on sacred burial ground...Many are the horrors potentially encountered indoors. Tons of kudos to Mr. Hughes: in "Blackout" he creates a wildly imaginative, subtly terrifying different possibility.
"Rooms for Rent". The Peeping Tom-landlord-neighbor-stowaway has been tackled ad infinitum, as far ago as Herbert Lieberman' s scary novel CRAWLSPACE for example. I don't remember it ever getting this particular approach, though, nor should I be surprised given this author of the transgressive. Yuckky landlord, horrifying outcomes.
"A Mirror Never Lies." Well! I wasn't expecting THAT! Gore, yes. Bloodthirstiness, yes, of course. I just wasn't expecting this particular mode of character evolution.
"Caution: Slippery When Wet." It's a certain assumption that bullies behave as they do because they expect impunity. Well, sometimes even a trapped animal fights back; and after years of vile insults, the retaliation may be a lot uglier than just a workplace lawsuit.
"Scrapbook." Some people keep their memories pasted on paper, between cardboard covers. Some maintain theirs diligently. This gentleman keeps his souvenirs inside his panel van.
"Dark Woods." The poet Robert Frost wrote "the woods are lovely, dark, and deep." He'd never met Welshman David Owain Hughes. Hughes' woods are always dark, and they're certainly always deep--but they're certainly never lovely
They're isolated, impenetrable, and scary; and they're filled with subhuman unwashed cannibals.
"Dacchas." No, not a story about expensive Russian villas [dachas]. Instead, a story of vicious flesh-eating creatures in the Welsh hills, who remind me of rabid cannibalistic Yetis.
"Filial Cannibalism." This one gets a cautionary warning: if your disposition is at all sensitive, you are advised to pass over this story. Then again, if your disposition is sensitive, why are you reading David Owain Hughes in the first place?? Carry on.
This story was earlier published in the 2017 anthology HOW TO COOK A BABY AND OTHER CANNIBAL CUISINE.
"Faggot." Pork sausage recipe from Wales.
"Magic Beans." Pride goeth before a fall. So does egotism and hubris.
"Sorry No Service -- Technological Disturbance." It could hardly have happened to a better guy [unless it was the villain in "Magic Beans"]. {Just wait till the military get wind of what this device can do.} One of my favourites in this collection.
"Sleigh Sisters." St. Nick' s not the only dude providing Christmas wishes this year...
"For The Love of Shakespeare." Somehow, I don't think this is what the Bard had in mind. Robert Louis Stevenson, however...
"Diverted." Be assured, your crimes will find you out.
".".Techno Tendencies." Be careful what you wish for: a cautionary tale for the 21st century.
"Thighs Maketh the Woman." And the man. All hail poetic justice.
"Recognition." An author stops at nothing to promote his novels.
"A Box Full of Kinks." It really is true that any fascination eventually fades and requires more intensity to thrill.
{Collection}
Going into any work by this talented and driven Welsh horror writer, readers are guaranteed extreme horror, viscera, and the wide-eyed unconscious fascination with which we slow to gaze at accident victims. You really don't want to, you know you shouldn't, you realize you're courting nightmares...but you still stare.
"Picture Not So Perfect". This story made me furious, repeatedly. Really, it's humans who can be the worst monsters. There is poetic justice operating here, but oh, at what an astronomical price!!
"Blackout". I have never feared the darkness outdoors, but I've always feared the darkness indoors, for that is where we encounter horror, in the place we consider our safest. From domestic violence to home invasion, from an angrily psychotic returned ex-, to a restless spirit who wants to evict us, to a home built on sacred burial ground...Many are the horrors potentially encountered indoors. Tons of kudos to Mr. Hughes: in "Blackout" he creates a wildly imaginative, subtly terrifying different possibility.
"Rooms for Rent". The Peeping Tom-landlord-neighbor-stowaway has been tackled ad infinitum, as far ago as Herbert Lieberman' s scary novel CRAWLSPACE for example. I don't remember it ever getting this particular approach, though, nor should I be surprised given this author of the transgressive. Yuckky landlord, horrifying outcomes.
"A Mirror Never Lies." Well! I wasn't expecting THAT! Gore, yes. Bloodthirstiness, yes, of course. I just wasn't expecting this particular mode of character evolution.
"Caution: Slippery When Wet." It's a certain assumption that bullies behave as they do because they expect impunity. Well, sometimes even a trapped animal fights back; and after years of vile insults, the retaliation may be a lot uglier than just a workplace lawsuit.
"Scrapbook." Some people keep their memories pasted on paper, between cardboard covers. Some maintain theirs diligently. This gentleman keeps his souvenirs inside his panel van.
"Dark Woods." The poet Robert Frost wrote "the woods are lovely, dark, and deep." He'd never met Welshman David Owain Hughes. Hughes' woods are always dark, and they're certainly always deep--but they're certainly never lovely
They're isolated, impenetrable, and scary; and they're filled with subhuman unwashed cannibals.
"Dacchas." No, not a story about expensive Russian villas [dachas]. Instead, a story of vicious flesh-eating creatures in the Welsh hills, who remind me of rabid cannibalistic Yetis.
"Filial Cannibalism." This one gets a cautionary warning: if your disposition is at all sensitive, you are advised to pass over this story. Then again, if your disposition is sensitive, why are you reading David Owain Hughes in the first place?? Carry on.
This story was earlier published in the 2017 anthology HOW TO COOK A BABY AND OTHER CANNIBAL CUISINE.
"Faggot." Pork sausage recipe from Wales.
"Magic Beans." Pride goeth before a fall. So does egotism and hubris.
"Sorry No Service -- Technological Disturbance." It could hardly have happened to a better guy [unless it was the villain in "Magic Beans"]. {Just wait till the military get wind of what this device can do.} One of my favourites in this collection.
"Sleigh Sisters." St. Nick' s not the only dude providing Christmas wishes this year...
"For The Love of Shakespeare." Somehow, I don't think this is what the Bard had in mind. Robert Louis Stevenson, however...
"Diverted." Be assured, your crimes will find you out.
".".Techno Tendencies." Be careful what you wish for: a cautionary tale for the 21st century.
"Thighs Maketh the Woman." And the man. All hail poetic justice.
"Recognition." An author stops at nothing to promote his novels.
"A Box Full of Kinks." It really is true that any fascination eventuall
October 15, 2017
Psychological Breakdown is a new short story collection, and boy, does it deliver some serious punches.
The book starts off with a story I've read previously in another anthology: Shadows and Teeth. The story, Picture Not So Perfect, is fantastic. It's a tale of revenge, but it's so much more than that. I enjoyed it even more the second time around.
Then we have Blackout, which I decided I was going to read at like 3 AM. Bad idea. It sent my anxiety through the roof. I don't like being in the dark, because my imagination runs wild, so this story is something one should read in the daytime.
The third story, Rooms for Rent, was crazy. It reminded me of this story I read as a kid in a collection called Twisted Tales. It also sort of reminded me a little of The Moving Finger by Stephen King. That's all I'm gonna say about that.
A Mirror Never Lies is story number four, and it's a bit strange. It definitely gave off a sort of Norman Bates sort of vibe.
Story five is my favorite. It's called Caution: Slippery When Wet. A very loyal janitor who takes his job quite seriously decides he's had enough with the newer, younger management at the establishment he works in. All I can say is, this one is pretty amazing.
I'm not going to give too much more away, but I want to add in a few other stories I enjoyed.
Dark Woods was just one big ball of nope. I have some odd fears (deer, sheep, goats, mutated bunnies, giant rats, werewolves, etc), and the premise of this story is terrifying. I was like, uh...no. The story is really good, but it scared me.
Filial Cannibalism is a story that bothered me. If you know the definition of the word Filial, you'll probably understand what the story is about. And, as a mother, it horrified me. That's all I'm going to say. It's sick. But it's also well-written and is meant to shock. It's not bad. It just bothered me.
Magic Beans was pretty great. I love fairytale retellings, and this one is seriously disturbed. Drugs, kink, and murder. That's all I can tell you.
Sleigh Sisters amused me. I liked the direction it went. That's a fun Christmas read.
And the last story, A Box Full of Kinks, was probably my second favorite. Jodie is into some really odd things. A first she thinks she's a pervert and there's something wrong with her, but then she decides to own it. The ending is one that will either make you cheer or cringe. I guess it depends on who you are.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection of crazy, messed up horror stories. If you're into delving into the dark psyches of human beings, definitely pick up a copy of Psychological Breakdown. You won't be disappointed.
I give it 4.5 stars.
The book starts off with a story I've read previously in another anthology: Shadows and Teeth. The story, Picture Not So Perfect, is fantastic. It's a tale of revenge, but it's so much more than that. I enjoyed it even more the second time around.
Then we have Blackout, which I decided I was going to read at like 3 AM. Bad idea. It sent my anxiety through the roof. I don't like being in the dark, because my imagination runs wild, so this story is something one should read in the daytime.
The third story, Rooms for Rent, was crazy. It reminded me of this story I read as a kid in a collection called Twisted Tales. It also sort of reminded me a little of The Moving Finger by Stephen King. That's all I'm gonna say about that.
A Mirror Never Lies is story number four, and it's a bit strange. It definitely gave off a sort of Norman Bates sort of vibe.
Story five is my favorite. It's called Caution: Slippery When Wet. A very loyal janitor who takes his job quite seriously decides he's had enough with the newer, younger management at the establishment he works in. All I can say is, this one is pretty amazing.
I'm not going to give too much more away, but I want to add in a few other stories I enjoyed.
Dark Woods was just one big ball of nope. I have some odd fears (deer, sheep, goats, mutated bunnies, giant rats, werewolves, etc), and the premise of this story is terrifying. I was like, uh...no. The story is really good, but it scared me.
Filial Cannibalism is a story that bothered me. If you know the definition of the word Filial, you'll probably understand what the story is about. And, as a mother, it horrified me. That's all I'm going to say. It's sick. But it's also well-written and is meant to shock. It's not bad. It just bothered me.
Magic Beans was pretty great. I love fairytale retellings, and this one is seriously disturbed. Drugs, kink, and murder. That's all I can tell you.
Sleigh Sisters amused me. I liked the direction it went. That's a fun Christmas read.
And the last story, A Box Full of Kinks, was probably my second favorite. Jodie is into some really odd things. A first she thinks she's a pervert and there's something wrong with her, but then she decides to own it. The ending is one that will either make you cheer or cringe. I guess it depends on who you are.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection of crazy, messed up horror stories. If you're into delving into the dark psyches of human beings, definitely pick up a copy of Psychological Breakdown. You won't be disappointed.
I give it 4.5 stars.
January 8, 2018
Reviewed by Demetrius Svette
*This book was provided for an honest review
I have been wanting to read this book for a while; actually, ever since I read Puckered (which features Mr. Hughes and also Peter Oliver Wonder). It was incredible storytelling that made me wonder what else can come from these two demented minds; I wasn’t let down with this masterpiece by David Owain Hughes. Psychological Breakdown is a masterstroke because it is compiled of a collection of shorts that give you the insight into many different points of the breakdown process. A state of madness dwells within us, capable of reaching anyone at any time. A psychological breakdown. Perhaps the darkness takes over, ushering you to the brink of holding back the abuse or from wanting a taste of revenge. Maybe it’s a fascination of electronics that sends you into a tailspin. Then, there are the kinky needs of sexual desires. You start to wonder if maybe you are precariously balancing that line between ‘normal’ and utter chaos.
You may even wonder, as I did, if David himself was on the edge of tearing everyone to pieces while shouting ‘die, die, die’! When you start reading Psychological Breakdown, it will grab you by the soul while starting out in the wonderfully constructed world that Mr. Hughes has brought to the reader’s by letting you taste the apple in a twist of Adam and Eve. Further into the book, there is a twist of Jack and the Beanstalk in a short called Magic Beans; that one is in the top three of my favorites in this collection. My favorite short in Psychological Breakdown, by far, is Fillial Cannibalism with Caution: Slippery When Wet following in very closely. Both are set around vengeance and you do not know who- or what- is in the darkest pits of someone you royally stabbed in the back.
If you love the disturbing, grotesque, erotic and extreme, then David Owain Hughes is right for you. The start of the mayhem draws you in and never releases you until you reach the end. It will linger with you for a while- there is even a wonderful recipe that you will never forget. Some of what occurs inside will damage your mental state, it could turn into pleasure for some, or it can be very resourceful to others. There will be people who just thought it would be fun to read this book because it has serial killers, skulls and the word KILL all over it. Are you ready to feast your eyes on some pleasurable moments of blood splatter and enough death that would give the Angel of Death a massive hard on? Why are you still reading this review then? Go get a copy and start reading for yourself! I should warn you though it is quite descriptive.
David Owain Hughes, you are one of the best in the horror genre. I want to thank you for your work. Mr. Hughes plants you into the scene right from the first sentence and keeps you ensnared by your gut while you continue to build the relationships with the characters he provides. He will either shock, awe, twist your mind or make you laugh. Psychological Breakdown is the perfect book for anyone who wants a taste of Hughes writing style. You get twenty shorts- eleven of which have been in various anthologies- to experience the different situations Hughes sets for his characters. It was an absolute pleasure to read this and I will be waiting to see more from David in the future. If anyone calls themselves a horror-fanatic, avid extreme horror reader or loves books about death and blood and you are sitting there, staring at your shelves and see that you don’t own a book by David Owain Hughes, then you should be ashamed of yourself.
*This book was provided for an honest review
I have been wanting to read this book for a while; actually, ever since I read Puckered (which features Mr. Hughes and also Peter Oliver Wonder). It was incredible storytelling that made me wonder what else can come from these two demented minds; I wasn’t let down with this masterpiece by David Owain Hughes. Psychological Breakdown is a masterstroke because it is compiled of a collection of shorts that give you the insight into many different points of the breakdown process. A state of madness dwells within us, capable of reaching anyone at any time. A psychological breakdown. Perhaps the darkness takes over, ushering you to the brink of holding back the abuse or from wanting a taste of revenge. Maybe it’s a fascination of electronics that sends you into a tailspin. Then, there are the kinky needs of sexual desires. You start to wonder if maybe you are precariously balancing that line between ‘normal’ and utter chaos.
You may even wonder, as I did, if David himself was on the edge of tearing everyone to pieces while shouting ‘die, die, die’! When you start reading Psychological Breakdown, it will grab you by the soul while starting out in the wonderfully constructed world that Mr. Hughes has brought to the reader’s by letting you taste the apple in a twist of Adam and Eve. Further into the book, there is a twist of Jack and the Beanstalk in a short called Magic Beans; that one is in the top three of my favorites in this collection. My favorite short in Psychological Breakdown, by far, is Fillial Cannibalism with Caution: Slippery When Wet following in very closely. Both are set around vengeance and you do not know who- or what- is in the darkest pits of someone you royally stabbed in the back.
If you love the disturbing, grotesque, erotic and extreme, then David Owain Hughes is right for you. The start of the mayhem draws you in and never releases you until you reach the end. It will linger with you for a while- there is even a wonderful recipe that you will never forget. Some of what occurs inside will damage your mental state, it could turn into pleasure for some, or it can be very resourceful to others. There will be people who just thought it would be fun to read this book because it has serial killers, skulls and the word KILL all over it. Are you ready to feast your eyes on some pleasurable moments of blood splatter and enough death that would give the Angel of Death a massive hard on? Why are you still reading this review then? Go get a copy and start reading for yourself! I should warn you though it is quite descriptive.
David Owain Hughes, you are one of the best in the horror genre. I want to thank you for your work. Mr. Hughes plants you into the scene right from the first sentence and keeps you ensnared by your gut while you continue to build the relationships with the characters he provides. He will either shock, awe, twist your mind or make you laugh. Psychological Breakdown is the perfect book for anyone who wants a taste of Hughes writing style. You get twenty shorts- eleven of which have been in various anthologies- to experience the different situations Hughes sets for his characters. It was an absolute pleasure to read this and I will be waiting to see more from David in the future. If anyone calls themselves a horror-fanatic, avid extreme horror reader or loves books about death and blood and you are sitting there, staring at your shelves and see that you don’t own a book by David Owain Hughes, then you should be ashamed of yourself.
April 5, 2023
First off, this is a collection of horror tales, extreme horror at that. So if you have picked this book up and unprepared...well you have been warned. There's triggering, offensive debauchery in all of these tales.
David barely lets up.
However that being said most of these stories contained are some of the more eclectic narratives, sure you have David's flair for the s@xually perverted, gore to the padded walls violence but each one flows different.
Whether it's a writer losing his mind, a woman who gets her buzz from inanimate objects or a hi-tech phone...some have homage feels to the classic tropes, just twisted and mangled within David Owain Hughes mind.
Luckily, it's only coming out to tell stories...we hope
David barely lets up.
However that being said most of these stories contained are some of the more eclectic narratives, sure you have David's flair for the s@xually perverted, gore to the padded walls violence but each one flows different.
Whether it's a writer losing his mind, a woman who gets her buzz from inanimate objects or a hi-tech phone...some have homage feels to the classic tropes, just twisted and mangled within David Owain Hughes mind.
Luckily, it's only coming out to tell stories...we hope
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews