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Perpetual Dread
A mother’s diabolical son plans a school massacre while her daughter battles brain cancer. A murdered dog returns to haunt the house in which it died. A lovelorn woman seeks eternal revenge through black magic. An assassin falls for a prostitute and attempts to kill her inhuman pimp. These scenarios and more fill this terrifying collection—sixteen tales of horror that will linger in your mind long after you’ve turned off the lights.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2020
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November 24, 2021Writing this up for SCREAM. Detailed review in the print magazine next year
January 2, 2021
Updated as now live on STORGY
Horror – an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust.
Perpetual Dread is the perfect title for this books as with each turn of the page I was unsure what would face me. It is one of the darkest and most depraved books I’ve ever read – it is full on extreme horror – this is the first of many warnings…
It had me living in a constant state of perpetual dread – whether this was due to the graphic drug taking depicted on the page, bloody gory horror, the depravity of man expertly rendered by Bowyer; animal abuse, child abuse, rape, murder or brutal butchery – the dread I felt whilst reading pumped through my veins forcing me on my quest to the journey’s end.
This book is hard hitting and comes with many, if not every trigger warning known to man or woman – it’s excessive, it’s graphic and for some readers this may be a step to far in their quest of all things horror (there is nothing pretty about this) – you’ve been warned – but if you are wanting to be horrified then this might just be the book for you – it’s depraved and desolate, devoid of anything good and hopeful.
There were a few stories and many times that I thought bloody hell I can’t do this, twisting my head away from the page, and wrinkling my face up as I read the horrors on the page – but the ease of the prose, the non frills style that Bowyer deploys goes some way to helping the reader get through the most macabre and sinister offerings. Bowyer’s prose is easy on the mind, I wouldn’t call it simplistic, I’d call it stripped back, bleached prose that just states the facts and the horrors with no finery necessary to get his point across, it’s needed and offers a tiny bit of comfort especially when the things your reading are heavy on the soul – trust me this is NOT a collection for the faint of heart (this is your fourth of fifth warning now!)
There were a couple of stories that I didn’t get on with – maybe because of the subject matter and maybe own hookups on those issues. One of the issues I had in particular was around heroin use – this ones personal, my aunty who disappeared when I was one returned to our lives when I was sixteen and she was an addict. Addicted to heroin. She was reaching out to make amends for her life, for leaving us, for disappearing all those years. What we didn’t know then, was that she would only be back in our lives for two years before she died of a heroin overdose. So many of these scenes with heroin brought me to the edge, I know what this life is like, I’ve witnessed it and I work alongside addicts day-in-day-out. Bowyer does a great job at showing this depravity but for me I feel that those wounds I’d experienced a while ago are still quite raw and I felt that Bowyer (no fault of his own) was fingering those festering wounds of old and I couldn’t help picturing my aunt’s face.
There is also a great deal of child abuse in this collection (appearing in several of the stories) – and again I should note that Bowyer doesn’t detail it in HD, we are more hearing about it rather than watching it, but nevertheless it still doesn’t make it palatable – it’s horrendous but Bowyer goes there, he showcases that whole abhorrent business and gets the anger, the injustice of it and the pain, it’s powerful but also sickening too.
I’ve tried to judge this collection on what it is and not my own hookups about these issues above, I read horror to be horrified and this does exactly that, and I’ll be checking out more of Bowyer’s work and have a novel of his to get around to soon.
Now on with the stories…
Terminal – This centres around a dysfunctional family. We have an alcoholic single mother who is the soul carer of two oddball sons and a daughter who’s been self mutilating. The family and daughter are dealt some bad news that is becomes the catalyst for their entire world to fall apart.
Death Valley – A road trip that is worthy of Donald Ray Pollock’s ‘The Devil All The Time’ our protagonist is trying to distance himself from a familial issue and picks up a hitchhiker and soon discover a Small Town America underground fight club. Brutal and disturbing.
Body Snatcher – Ghouls, grave robbers and necrophiliacs – this one goes there and you can’t escape the butchery on show.
Family Chapel – Wow this one is all kinds of messed up. Abuse, a crazed pastor, family torment and years of abuse – you need a strong mind and stomach to get through this. The pets in this story is one of the sickest and depraved things I’ve read.
Bath-Salt Zombie – Sex and Rohypnol and death and drugs and a tonne of blood – a late night meeting ends in a bloodbath and a friendship you’d never expect.
Tattoo Magic – A jilted lover decides to get a tattoo of her ex from a strange tattoo shop after getting her palm read, things are not as they seem.
Gift and a Curse – A soon to be mother writes a letter to her unborn child, detailing the horrors she’s witnessed and been a part of – the baby is almost here and so she must continue to write whatever the cost.
Like Father, Like Son – A familial tale of a son reflecting back on his recently deceased father, the strains that broke the family unit apart and the depths the son must go to to say one last goodbye.
Drago’s Crib – A daughter slowly comes to deal with the abuse inflicted on her by her father and grandfather – her father recently died and her grandfather is slowly turning to the grave too, but at least she’s getting his house, and the stuff that lurks in there too.
Teacher’s Pet – A bullied boy finds a companion within a book which was lodged in a crack in his house. His neglectful mother and abusive stepfather and his school bullies have no idea of the reckoning to come – this one had a very Lovecraftian vibe in its execution.
Black-Cat Bones – A mother and daughter escape from an ex-lover who was also a drug dealer – when getting to the safety of a cabin, life descends further and unravels around them, addiction and starvation lead to drastic actions that turn the stomach and mind alike.
Scorpio – An assassin attempts to kill a prostitutes pimp but bad news for the assassin is that he’s a scorpion… far out crazy story go into it with an open mind.
Spyder Queen – A murderous mother and daughter head to their late grandmothers house to clear out her regrets but what they find is one regret that needs righting. Great idea with regards to a physical representation of regret and how this manifests itself.
Night Parade – A husband and wife unwillingly get tangled up in a parade that is heading right into the gates of hell.
Countdown to Oblivion – The end of the world with strippers, murder and crystal meth. This one is deplorable – with a young girl smoking meth, there is blood, violence all shaped within the backdrop of an end of the world event.
Scarlett – A haunted painting that had been made with the blood of a murdered child speaks to its new owner and tells her that the artist is planning another painting.
Perpetual Dread is dark, macabre and horrific, if you want to be horrified, if you want to push the very boundaries of horror then this might be for you, just remember you can’t un-see the things that Bowyer paints vividly on the page. Right I need to go and wash my eyes out and watch some funny animal montage videos to rid myself of the horrors I’ve just witnessed.
Horror – an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust.
Perpetual Dread is the perfect title for this books as with each turn of the page I was unsure what would face me. It is one of the darkest and most depraved books I’ve ever read – it is full on extreme horror – this is the first of many warnings…
It had me living in a constant state of perpetual dread – whether this was due to the graphic drug taking depicted on the page, bloody gory horror, the depravity of man expertly rendered by Bowyer; animal abuse, child abuse, rape, murder or brutal butchery – the dread I felt whilst reading pumped through my veins forcing me on my quest to the journey’s end.
This book is hard hitting and comes with many, if not every trigger warning known to man or woman – it’s excessive, it’s graphic and for some readers this may be a step to far in their quest of all things horror (there is nothing pretty about this) – you’ve been warned – but if you are wanting to be horrified then this might just be the book for you – it’s depraved and desolate, devoid of anything good and hopeful.
There were a few stories and many times that I thought bloody hell I can’t do this, twisting my head away from the page, and wrinkling my face up as I read the horrors on the page – but the ease of the prose, the non frills style that Bowyer deploys goes some way to helping the reader get through the most macabre and sinister offerings. Bowyer’s prose is easy on the mind, I wouldn’t call it simplistic, I’d call it stripped back, bleached prose that just states the facts and the horrors with no finery necessary to get his point across, it’s needed and offers a tiny bit of comfort especially when the things your reading are heavy on the soul – trust me this is NOT a collection for the faint of heart (this is your fourth of fifth warning now!)
There were a couple of stories that I didn’t get on with – maybe because of the subject matter and maybe own hookups on those issues. One of the issues I had in particular was around heroin use – this ones personal, my aunty who disappeared when I was one returned to our lives when I was sixteen and she was an addict. Addicted to heroin. She was reaching out to make amends for her life, for leaving us, for disappearing all those years. What we didn’t know then, was that she would only be back in our lives for two years before she died of a heroin overdose. So many of these scenes with heroin brought me to the edge, I know what this life is like, I’ve witnessed it and I work alongside addicts day-in-day-out. Bowyer does a great job at showing this depravity but for me I feel that those wounds I’d experienced a while ago are still quite raw and I felt that Bowyer (no fault of his own) was fingering those festering wounds of old and I couldn’t help picturing my aunt’s face.
There is also a great deal of child abuse in this collection (appearing in several of the stories) – and again I should note that Bowyer doesn’t detail it in HD, we are more hearing about it rather than watching it, but nevertheless it still doesn’t make it palatable – it’s horrendous but Bowyer goes there, he showcases that whole abhorrent business and gets the anger, the injustice of it and the pain, it’s powerful but also sickening too.
I’ve tried to judge this collection on what it is and not my own hookups about these issues above, I read horror to be horrified and this does exactly that, and I’ll be checking out more of Bowyer’s work and have a novel of his to get around to soon.
Now on with the stories…
Terminal – This centres around a dysfunctional family. We have an alcoholic single mother who is the soul carer of two oddball sons and a daughter who’s been self mutilating. The family and daughter are dealt some bad news that is becomes the catalyst for their entire world to fall apart.
Death Valley – A road trip that is worthy of Donald Ray Pollock’s ‘The Devil All The Time’ our protagonist is trying to distance himself from a familial issue and picks up a hitchhiker and soon discover a Small Town America underground fight club. Brutal and disturbing.
Body Snatcher – Ghouls, grave robbers and necrophiliacs – this one goes there and you can’t escape the butchery on show.
Family Chapel – Wow this one is all kinds of messed up. Abuse, a crazed pastor, family torment and years of abuse – you need a strong mind and stomach to get through this. The pets in this story is one of the sickest and depraved things I’ve read.
Bath-Salt Zombie – Sex and Rohypnol and death and drugs and a tonne of blood – a late night meeting ends in a bloodbath and a friendship you’d never expect.
Tattoo Magic – A jilted lover decides to get a tattoo of her ex from a strange tattoo shop after getting her palm read, things are not as they seem.
Gift and a Curse – A soon to be mother writes a letter to her unborn child, detailing the horrors she’s witnessed and been a part of – the baby is almost here and so she must continue to write whatever the cost.
Like Father, Like Son – A familial tale of a son reflecting back on his recently deceased father, the strains that broke the family unit apart and the depths the son must go to to say one last goodbye.
Drago’s Crib – A daughter slowly comes to deal with the abuse inflicted on her by her father and grandfather – her father recently died and her grandfather is slowly turning to the grave too, but at least she’s getting his house, and the stuff that lurks in there too.
Teacher’s Pet – A bullied boy finds a companion within a book which was lodged in a crack in his house. His neglectful mother and abusive stepfather and his school bullies have no idea of the reckoning to come – this one had a very Lovecraftian vibe in its execution.
Black-Cat Bones – A mother and daughter escape from an ex-lover who was also a drug dealer – when getting to the safety of a cabin, life descends further and unravels around them, addiction and starvation lead to drastic actions that turn the stomach and mind alike.
Scorpio – An assassin attempts to kill a prostitutes pimp but bad news for the assassin is that he’s a scorpion… far out crazy story go into it with an open mind.
Spyder Queen – A murderous mother and daughter head to their late grandmothers house to clear out her regrets but what they find is one regret that needs righting. Great idea with regards to a physical representation of regret and how this manifests itself.
Night Parade – A husband and wife unwillingly get tangled up in a parade that is heading right into the gates of hell.
Countdown to Oblivion – The end of the world with strippers, murder and crystal meth. This one is deplorable – with a young girl smoking meth, there is blood, violence all shaped within the backdrop of an end of the world event.
Scarlett – A haunted painting that had been made with the blood of a murdered child speaks to its new owner and tells her that the artist is planning another painting.
Perpetual Dread is dark, macabre and horrific, if you want to be horrified, if you want to push the very boundaries of horror then this might be for you, just remember you can’t un-see the things that Bowyer paints vividly on the page. Right I need to go and wash my eyes out and watch some funny animal montage videos to rid myself of the horrors I’ve just witnessed.
December 27, 2023
I'm not sure anyone else writes quite like Brian Bowyer. His stories are so stripped down, so unhinged, so bleak. Sometimes I feel like they shouldn't work, but they do, again and again and again.
October 10, 2022
Haha this is everything I love about Brian's work. Booze soaked horror and fun as hell!
June 30, 2021
Perpetual
Never ending or changing.
Occurring repeatedly; so frequently as to seem endless and uninterrupted.
Dread
Anticipate with great apprehension or fear.
PERPETUAL DREAD is the perfect title to describe what readers are getting themselves into with this collection of short stories from the mind of Brian Bowyer. A continuous sense of unease knowing that nothing good is to come. Just waiting for that next hammerblow of awfulness to come crashing down. There are no happy endings here, barely even a glimmer of hope to be found. Bad people performing unsavory deeds. Bowyer is like the older sibling dunking your head under the water and holding it there while you desperately struggle to catch your breath. The darkness and depravity captured within these tales is unrelenting. Just when you think it can’t get any worse, Bowyer twists that literary knife just a little bit deeper.
Have I mentioned that these are some darkly twisted stories yet? If you can think of a trigger warning this book probably has it. Even though PERPETUAL DREAD is full of sensitive subject matter Bowyer does an excellent job of placing the reader into these grim scenarios without being graphically gratuitous in the process. Hinting at the sexual abuse and other debaucheries without going into every disturbing detail which I think worked in the book's favor. It allowed the reader’s imagination to linger and fill in those horribly vile gaps, making you feel slimy and gross just for reading it. Bowyer was able to convey a lot of the loathsomely heinous events without having to spell it all out for you.
Now, all that is not to say that Bowyer’s storytelling is toned down and tame, exactly the opposite in fact. The violence is swift, extreme, and bloody. Anyone (and yes I mean anyone) and everything is fair game to be shot, stabbed, decapitated, crucified (yes, I said crucified) and more. Every story is bone crunchingly brutal in its execution (pun intended). Bowyer’s writing style is methodical. A stripped down, bare bones, cut throat prose that is down and dirty wasting no time on frills and filler.
Below are the stories contained within PERPETUAL DREAD and my brief thoughts on each.
TERMINAL - A mother of a family with a history of violence takes matters into her own hands when she has nothing left to lose. Kicks of the collection with a dark bang.
DEATH VALLEY - A cautionary tale of why you should never go hitchhiking and why you should never pick up a hitchhiker. Didn’t your parents ever tell you not to talk to strangers, let alone let them ride in your car?
BODY SNATCHER - Something or someone seems to be digging up graves. Bleak, bloody, and brutal. I dug it (no pun intended).
FAMILY CHAPEL - Jaysus. Religious extremes. Blood on the cross. Sacrificed for the sins of another. A devastatingly desolate story.
BATH-SALT ZOMBIE - You remember those news headlines from back in 2012 about the guy who ate the face off a homeless man. Yea that, but somehow worse.
TATTOO MAGIC - A little black magic, maybe? They say diamonds are forever, well tattoos can be forever too.
Gift AND A CURSE - To play off of the title of the story, life can be both a gift and a curse, monumentally joyous and heartbreakingly tragic. The shattered dreams of one becoming the endless possibilities of another.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON - The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. A tad less dark (though still a dark tale) and a bit more bittersweet.
DRAGO’S CRIB - Man’s best friend and some Godfather style revenge.
TEACHER’S PET - You tell your kids not to talk to strangers but do you tell them not to listen to the voices in their heads? Comeuppance all around.
BLACK-CAT BONES - This story was out there. From portals and talking heads to drugs and abuse. A bit of alluded to cosmic horror and eating rabbit meat while hiding out in a cabin in the woods.
SCORPIO - A gory little creature feature. An assassin, mutant pimp, and a prostitute walk into a dusty roadside bar. Is there a joke in there somewhere?
SPIDER QUEEN - A mob boss journey’s home to confront the ghosts of her dead mother’s past and maybe confront her some of her own along the way.
NIGHT PARADE - Going through the motions of life. No new beginnings, no ends, just rinse and repeat. Take a chance, try something new before it’s too late and you get caught up in the parade to oblivion.
COUNTDOWN TO OBLIVION - Doomsday. The end of the world. What would you do if you knew the world was coming to an end in just a few hours time? Unfathomable cosmic entities from the void hurtling towards Earth.
SCARLETT - True crime mixed with bits of the supernatural. A haunted painting, a serial killer, and a mother who is looking to put the tragic last year of her life behind her.
PERPETUAL DREAD by Brian Bowyer is bleak bleak bleak bleak bleak. No, my keyboard didn’t just malfunction, it really is that bleak of a collection. A bloody, grim, filthy, grindhouse style of storytelling. The good guy doesn't come out victorious, if there was even a good guy to be found in the first place. No saving the damsel in distress, no riding off into the sunset. Nope, none of that. The good guys get their brains blown out across the pavement without a second thought while the bad guys die a horrible death not long after.
I received a copy of this book from the author for review consideration.
Video review: Coming soon.
Never ending or changing.
Occurring repeatedly; so frequently as to seem endless and uninterrupted.
Dread
Anticipate with great apprehension or fear.
PERPETUAL DREAD is the perfect title to describe what readers are getting themselves into with this collection of short stories from the mind of Brian Bowyer. A continuous sense of unease knowing that nothing good is to come. Just waiting for that next hammerblow of awfulness to come crashing down. There are no happy endings here, barely even a glimmer of hope to be found. Bad people performing unsavory deeds. Bowyer is like the older sibling dunking your head under the water and holding it there while you desperately struggle to catch your breath. The darkness and depravity captured within these tales is unrelenting. Just when you think it can’t get any worse, Bowyer twists that literary knife just a little bit deeper.
Have I mentioned that these are some darkly twisted stories yet? If you can think of a trigger warning this book probably has it. Even though PERPETUAL DREAD is full of sensitive subject matter Bowyer does an excellent job of placing the reader into these grim scenarios without being graphically gratuitous in the process. Hinting at the sexual abuse and other debaucheries without going into every disturbing detail which I think worked in the book's favor. It allowed the reader’s imagination to linger and fill in those horribly vile gaps, making you feel slimy and gross just for reading it. Bowyer was able to convey a lot of the loathsomely heinous events without having to spell it all out for you.
Now, all that is not to say that Bowyer’s storytelling is toned down and tame, exactly the opposite in fact. The violence is swift, extreme, and bloody. Anyone (and yes I mean anyone) and everything is fair game to be shot, stabbed, decapitated, crucified (yes, I said crucified) and more. Every story is bone crunchingly brutal in its execution (pun intended). Bowyer’s writing style is methodical. A stripped down, bare bones, cut throat prose that is down and dirty wasting no time on frills and filler.
Below are the stories contained within PERPETUAL DREAD and my brief thoughts on each.
TERMINAL - A mother of a family with a history of violence takes matters into her own hands when she has nothing left to lose. Kicks of the collection with a dark bang.
DEATH VALLEY - A cautionary tale of why you should never go hitchhiking and why you should never pick up a hitchhiker. Didn’t your parents ever tell you not to talk to strangers, let alone let them ride in your car?
BODY SNATCHER - Something or someone seems to be digging up graves. Bleak, bloody, and brutal. I dug it (no pun intended).
FAMILY CHAPEL - Jaysus. Religious extremes. Blood on the cross. Sacrificed for the sins of another. A devastatingly desolate story.
BATH-SALT ZOMBIE - You remember those news headlines from back in 2012 about the guy who ate the face off a homeless man. Yea that, but somehow worse.
TATTOO MAGIC - A little black magic, maybe? They say diamonds are forever, well tattoos can be forever too.
Gift AND A CURSE - To play off of the title of the story, life can be both a gift and a curse, monumentally joyous and heartbreakingly tragic. The shattered dreams of one becoming the endless possibilities of another.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON - The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. A tad less dark (though still a dark tale) and a bit more bittersweet.
DRAGO’S CRIB - Man’s best friend and some Godfather style revenge.
TEACHER’S PET - You tell your kids not to talk to strangers but do you tell them not to listen to the voices in their heads? Comeuppance all around.
BLACK-CAT BONES - This story was out there. From portals and talking heads to drugs and abuse. A bit of alluded to cosmic horror and eating rabbit meat while hiding out in a cabin in the woods.
SCORPIO - A gory little creature feature. An assassin, mutant pimp, and a prostitute walk into a dusty roadside bar. Is there a joke in there somewhere?
SPIDER QUEEN - A mob boss journey’s home to confront the ghosts of her dead mother’s past and maybe confront her some of her own along the way.
NIGHT PARADE - Going through the motions of life. No new beginnings, no ends, just rinse and repeat. Take a chance, try something new before it’s too late and you get caught up in the parade to oblivion.
COUNTDOWN TO OBLIVION - Doomsday. The end of the world. What would you do if you knew the world was coming to an end in just a few hours time? Unfathomable cosmic entities from the void hurtling towards Earth.
SCARLETT - True crime mixed with bits of the supernatural. A haunted painting, a serial killer, and a mother who is looking to put the tragic last year of her life behind her.
PERPETUAL DREAD by Brian Bowyer is bleak bleak bleak bleak bleak. No, my keyboard didn’t just malfunction, it really is that bleak of a collection. A bloody, grim, filthy, grindhouse style of storytelling. The good guy doesn't come out victorious, if there was even a good guy to be found in the first place. No saving the damsel in distress, no riding off into the sunset. Nope, none of that. The good guys get their brains blown out across the pavement without a second thought while the bad guys die a horrible death not long after.
I received a copy of this book from the author for review consideration.
Video review: Coming soon.
July 3, 2024
Wow! This one was even more brutal than Bowyer’s “Sinister Mix” collection 😳
Perpetual Dread is a collection of short stories that are EXTREMELY dark and violent. Some of these stories will truly fuck with your head and leave you reeling afterwards…😵💫
Bowyer comes up with some of the most mind altering and disturbing stories that I’ve ever come to read and I never know what to expect when diving into one of his works of fiction. If you love extreme horror then this is the collection for you! This one will definitely leave a heavy impression on you for quite some time upon finishing it.
Highly Recommend!
Perpetual Dread is a collection of short stories that are EXTREMELY dark and violent. Some of these stories will truly fuck with your head and leave you reeling afterwards…😵💫
Bowyer comes up with some of the most mind altering and disturbing stories that I’ve ever come to read and I never know what to expect when diving into one of his works of fiction. If you love extreme horror then this is the collection for you! This one will definitely leave a heavy impression on you for quite some time upon finishing it.
Highly Recommend!
August 19, 2021
I studied Theatre as a degree, and as a part of that degree I had to study past masters and styles of theatre, and a part of that study was Epic theatre – as advocated by Bertolt Brecht. Why am I mentioning this here? Because that is exactly the style of writing that Brian Bowyer employs to best convey his own style of extreme horror. It is a deliberate removal of extravagance, of unrequired description, and a focus on the minimalistic conveyance of an idea. Taking the core element of any sentence, and stripping it down to the basic fact of what it needs to say, as a blunt representation of exactly the idea it needs to convey. So – Brian strips all of his sentences down to minimal statements, so as to best convey horror – extreme horror – by removing the reader (to an extent) of emotional empathy.
And it is brilliant.
Admittedly, I am very new on the scene, and I am still finding my place at the horror table, but I knew, even before I attempted to read a book by Brian, that he wrote extreme horror. It was, in fact, one of the main reasons I took so long to attempt to read him – I thought – am I ready for this? So, I can’t say that all of Brian’s book as written in Epic Theatre style (or should we now call this “Epic Horror style?”), but the series of short stories here follow that rule. It works so well because it makes reading the unreadable, possible. It allows us to read the true horrors Brian showcases, with a layer of emotional removal. We are horrified at the thing happening before us on the page, but are somewhat softened from the full blow of it landing on us because of the cold unemotional presentation of that horror, and the fact that we are not emotionally committed to the characters? Make any sense?
Another thing Epic Theatre/Horror does, is remove any other possibility – everything that happens is the only way it can happen. There is no other choice given – characters accept their fates because there is no other possibility. Brian’s short – “Body snatcher”, is a great example of this – the presentation of the culprit being a “Ghoul” is taken straight away as fact – no other possibility exists, and the opinion of the father is taken as fact, it IS a ghoul, it can be nothing else, and his limited knowledge of what a ghoul is and can do is then gospel. There is no room for any other interpretation – Brecht’s theatre and Bowyer’s Horror demand – it is dictatorial – and we lap it up, it is always easiest to be told something than to question it. Even the MC in the story is robbed of emotion at his own death, it happens to him as if it is happening to someone else, presented as fact.
Brilliant.
It’s quite unlike anything I have read from any other author and sets Bowyer on his own pedestal. It allows Bowyer to examine elements of horror unexplorable by other writers. All of the stories are covered in trigger warnings, there isn’t a story here that doesn’t deal with trauma and repeated trauma. This is not an easy read. But it remains readable.
Tattoo magic was a break from the Epic style, it flowed more like a normal short, and was welcome in the middle of the book as a breather, one of the highlights for me. Other highlights were Gift and a curse, Like father, like son, and Scarlett.
I can recommend this book, tentatively, on the understanding that all of the trigger warnings are represented in it. You have to know what you are setting yourself up for, but Brian has managed to explore the unexplorable, represent the unrepresentable, and deliver the undeliverable. It is not a book you can claim as emotionally gratifying, but horror has so many faces, and this creature cannot be ignored.
Brian, hats off to you, mate. 4⭐ ‘s out of 5.
And it is brilliant.
Admittedly, I am very new on the scene, and I am still finding my place at the horror table, but I knew, even before I attempted to read a book by Brian, that he wrote extreme horror. It was, in fact, one of the main reasons I took so long to attempt to read him – I thought – am I ready for this? So, I can’t say that all of Brian’s book as written in Epic Theatre style (or should we now call this “Epic Horror style?”), but the series of short stories here follow that rule. It works so well because it makes reading the unreadable, possible. It allows us to read the true horrors Brian showcases, with a layer of emotional removal. We are horrified at the thing happening before us on the page, but are somewhat softened from the full blow of it landing on us because of the cold unemotional presentation of that horror, and the fact that we are not emotionally committed to the characters? Make any sense?
Another thing Epic Theatre/Horror does, is remove any other possibility – everything that happens is the only way it can happen. There is no other choice given – characters accept their fates because there is no other possibility. Brian’s short – “Body snatcher”, is a great example of this – the presentation of the culprit being a “Ghoul” is taken straight away as fact – no other possibility exists, and the opinion of the father is taken as fact, it IS a ghoul, it can be nothing else, and his limited knowledge of what a ghoul is and can do is then gospel. There is no room for any other interpretation – Brecht’s theatre and Bowyer’s Horror demand – it is dictatorial – and we lap it up, it is always easiest to be told something than to question it. Even the MC in the story is robbed of emotion at his own death, it happens to him as if it is happening to someone else, presented as fact.
Brilliant.
It’s quite unlike anything I have read from any other author and sets Bowyer on his own pedestal. It allows Bowyer to examine elements of horror unexplorable by other writers. All of the stories are covered in trigger warnings, there isn’t a story here that doesn’t deal with trauma and repeated trauma. This is not an easy read. But it remains readable.
Tattoo magic was a break from the Epic style, it flowed more like a normal short, and was welcome in the middle of the book as a breather, one of the highlights for me. Other highlights were Gift and a curse, Like father, like son, and Scarlett.
I can recommend this book, tentatively, on the understanding that all of the trigger warnings are represented in it. You have to know what you are setting yourself up for, but Brian has managed to explore the unexplorable, represent the unrepresentable, and deliver the undeliverable. It is not a book you can claim as emotionally gratifying, but horror has so many faces, and this creature cannot be ignored.
Brian, hats off to you, mate. 4⭐ ‘s out of 5.
December 26, 2020
Review copy provided by author Brian Bowyer.
These short stories are very disturbing, get under the reader's skin immediately and remain lodged there. Addiction, abuse both physical and psychological, the paranormal and supernatural, insanity and revenge are all featured in this collection. What makes the stories all the more chilling is the matter-of-fact tone in which they are narrated. Only one story seems to reach above and beyond the interminable struggle between good and evil.
These short stories are very disturbing, get under the reader's skin immediately and remain lodged there. Addiction, abuse both physical and psychological, the paranormal and supernatural, insanity and revenge are all featured in this collection. What makes the stories all the more chilling is the matter-of-fact tone in which they are narrated. Only one story seems to reach above and beyond the interminable struggle between good and evil.
December 31, 2020
This is a collection of short stories by Brian Bowyer. And these stories are dark. I will tell you upfront, these stories aren’t for everyone. There are quite a few trigger warnings in these stories. But what sets these stories apart from other books and stories with trigger warnings is the fact that Brian doesn’t use these trigger warnings as the main focal point for each story. They happen, and sit in the background while the rest of each story plays out.
Some may say this collection is considered “Extreme Horror.” I would argue that these deal more with the horrors of life, and we know real life can be much more scary than any horror book or film.
The stories are short, but each packs a mean punch, mainly to the groin area. Be ready for the punch, and even the kick. The world in which these stories take place is dark and bleak. Don’t think you’re going to see the sun again. Also, don’t get attached to anyone.
What I enjoy most about this collection is the “matter-of-fact” prose throughout. The events happen, and those involved have a nonchalant reaction to those events, like they expected it, or they’ve been so fried, the action had no affect on them.
I definitely suggest, and urge you to not read all of these stories in one sitting.
This collection provides plenty of dirty, nasty, hurtful, what the “F” moments, and most you don’t see coming. Trust me when I say, there is no glimmer of hope anywhere in this. And just remember, if you are reading a story and you feel like there may be a slight glimmer of hope for the characters in the story, stop right there and walk away, because you aren’t going to like what happens next.
I’m giving this a 4. I enjoyed it for the most part. It was a change of pace from what I normally read. I can look past a couple of the parts because of how they were presented, but overall I enjoyed it.
Just let it be known you’ve been warned before diving in about some of the things I’ve said about it today.
Some may say this collection is considered “Extreme Horror.” I would argue that these deal more with the horrors of life, and we know real life can be much more scary than any horror book or film.
The stories are short, but each packs a mean punch, mainly to the groin area. Be ready for the punch, and even the kick. The world in which these stories take place is dark and bleak. Don’t think you’re going to see the sun again. Also, don’t get attached to anyone.
What I enjoy most about this collection is the “matter-of-fact” prose throughout. The events happen, and those involved have a nonchalant reaction to those events, like they expected it, or they’ve been so fried, the action had no affect on them.
I definitely suggest, and urge you to not read all of these stories in one sitting.
This collection provides plenty of dirty, nasty, hurtful, what the “F” moments, and most you don’t see coming. Trust me when I say, there is no glimmer of hope anywhere in this. And just remember, if you are reading a story and you feel like there may be a slight glimmer of hope for the characters in the story, stop right there and walk away, because you aren’t going to like what happens next.
I’m giving this a 4. I enjoyed it for the most part. It was a change of pace from what I normally read. I can look past a couple of the parts because of how they were presented, but overall I enjoyed it.
Just let it be known you’ve been warned before diving in about some of the things I’ve said about it today.
April 30, 2023
This was is my second time to dive into the works of Brian Bowyer, and I’m already dead excited to return for more.
This collection of short stories hits hard. They are relentlessly dark and contain many a grin twist and shocking moment. Also, some of these tales pack an emotional kick to the heart. There were definitely a few times I had a lump in my throat, as well as a racing heartbeat.
Favourite stories were Terminal (what a way to open a collection!), A Gift and A Curse, and Scarlett.
I also have to mention Night Parade and Countdown to Oblivion for their absolute bleakness! Oh, how I loved them!
In all honesty, there’s not one moment of weakness in this collection. All the tales are truly awesome.
I bloody loved this very.
This collection of short stories hits hard. They are relentlessly dark and contain many a grin twist and shocking moment. Also, some of these tales pack an emotional kick to the heart. There were definitely a few times I had a lump in my throat, as well as a racing heartbeat.
Favourite stories were Terminal (what a way to open a collection!), A Gift and A Curse, and Scarlett.
I also have to mention Night Parade and Countdown to Oblivion for their absolute bleakness! Oh, how I loved them!
In all honesty, there’s not one moment of weakness in this collection. All the tales are truly awesome.
I bloody loved this very.
December 6, 2021
Brian Bowyer has a knack for starting a story "ugly," kicking you in the teeth for a few pages and then twisting his knife to close things out. After the first few stories, I found myself looking forward to the ending of the next one wondering how bad (read: good) things would get...and he never disappointed. This book is a lot of grotesque FUN.
March 31, 2025
Stories short and salty like the popcorn you eat during a Rob Zombie movie. Minimalist but w/ evocative themes and slasher violence. The ironic threats before killings always make me laugh. Even after the obvious sadness of kid cancer or women tied up & tortured. That’s not to say there’s no justice.
Liked how the girl popping off Barbie heads related to her brain tumor. The fight to the death like female gladiator theater reminded me some of Sebastian Vice’s Greatest Show on Earth. The grave robber story had the nice imagery of a coat flapping like bat wings and the nod to the cover with eyes like fire. I also learned the definition of a nimbus and ghoul, which normally isn’t in my genere but it felt strangely comfy like a black and white movie, with the matter of fact author father. The moon a silver sickle: another nice line.
The story themes bleed into one another (literally) like with sibling rivalries or being a writer or of course there are always whiskey fiends. There are pedo priests, necros, bathsalt sniffers, a teen mom who avenges her father who was snubbed for his writing, lots of fam suicides and step-incest, strange pets and various big city settings instead of West Virginia as I expected. Each story is better crafted than the last pretty much.
Don’t expect much emotion from anybody nor super graphic detail. He’s really good at describing highs. I’d like to see more of that in other works and less writer characters because far too many books in general do that. Additionally, the ledger comparison to an accountant’s love was good. That story had the most detail from scuffed soda machines, rubies traded for tattoos, and shop construction sounding like dueling swords. That was the most creative.
The story Black Cat Bones sounds very r/NoSleep in a good or Stephen Kingy way. I know Brian has other stories named like that, IDK if they’re the exact same. Hopefully it goes on because it felt like it was getting exciting all over again at the end. Spyder Queen also relates to the Kill Factor novella. Wonder if plane crashes are a big fear of the author cause that was visceral, ahaha.
Liked how the girl popping off Barbie heads related to her brain tumor. The fight to the death like female gladiator theater reminded me some of Sebastian Vice’s Greatest Show on Earth. The grave robber story had the nice imagery of a coat flapping like bat wings and the nod to the cover with eyes like fire. I also learned the definition of a nimbus and ghoul, which normally isn’t in my genere but it felt strangely comfy like a black and white movie, with the matter of fact author father. The moon a silver sickle: another nice line.
The story themes bleed into one another (literally) like with sibling rivalries or being a writer or of course there are always whiskey fiends. There are pedo priests, necros, bathsalt sniffers, a teen mom who avenges her father who was snubbed for his writing, lots of fam suicides and step-incest, strange pets and various big city settings instead of West Virginia as I expected. Each story is better crafted than the last pretty much.
Don’t expect much emotion from anybody nor super graphic detail. He’s really good at describing highs. I’d like to see more of that in other works and less writer characters because far too many books in general do that. Additionally, the ledger comparison to an accountant’s love was good. That story had the most detail from scuffed soda machines, rubies traded for tattoos, and shop construction sounding like dueling swords. That was the most creative.
The story Black Cat Bones sounds very r/NoSleep in a good or Stephen Kingy way. I know Brian has other stories named like that, IDK if they’re the exact same. Hopefully it goes on because it felt like it was getting exciting all over again at the end. Spyder Queen also relates to the Kill Factor novella. Wonder if plane crashes are a big fear of the author cause that was visceral, ahaha.
July 25, 2023
A few days ago I finished reading a collection of short stories called Perpetual Dread by Brian Bowyer.
I’m on vacation right now in my home state of Virginia. I haven’t had the normal amount of time I usually devote to reading. This book has been a perfect read for my vacation schedule. Each story is a quick gut punch that kept me engaged and wanting more. I was able to read one here or there, whenever time permitted, and probably knocked out five or six a day. The funny thing is, whenever I found myself out and about doing recreational vacation type stuff, my mind kept returning to this book, looking forward to the next opportunity to read another story or two.
Every story is engrossing, with amazing characters and completely unpredictable storylines. Even though these were short stories, everything about them was substantial and well crafted. Many would make off the wall feature length movies. Hands down one of the best collections I’ve ever read. All killer, no filler!
I’m on vacation right now in my home state of Virginia. I haven’t had the normal amount of time I usually devote to reading. This book has been a perfect read for my vacation schedule. Each story is a quick gut punch that kept me engaged and wanting more. I was able to read one here or there, whenever time permitted, and probably knocked out five or six a day. The funny thing is, whenever I found myself out and about doing recreational vacation type stuff, my mind kept returning to this book, looking forward to the next opportunity to read another story or two.
Every story is engrossing, with amazing characters and completely unpredictable storylines. Even though these were short stories, everything about them was substantial and well crafted. Many would make off the wall feature length movies. Hands down one of the best collections I’ve ever read. All killer, no filler!
January 5, 2022
'Perpetual Dread' is a wildly inventive collection of short stories. Each tale starts pretty 'work-a-day' but soon smashes you over the head, leaving you gasping for breath and disoriented as it races towards an often blooded denouement that will outfox you. I tried to second guess a few of the stories but was totally off-track.
The writing is beautiful. The stories are really well constructed. Bowyer certainly knows how to spin a yarn.
Word of warning: some taboo subjects are popped under the magnifying glass...but if you're open-minded it will pay off.
I'd give this 6 stars for the inventiveness and the grasp of craft.
Thank you to @wellreadbeard book reviews for flagging up a cracking collection. I'll definitely dig out more by Mr. Bowyer.
The writing is beautiful. The stories are really well constructed. Bowyer certainly knows how to spin a yarn.
Word of warning: some taboo subjects are popped under the magnifying glass...but if you're open-minded it will pay off.
I'd give this 6 stars for the inventiveness and the grasp of craft.
Thank you to @wellreadbeard book reviews for flagging up a cracking collection. I'll definitely dig out more by Mr. Bowyer.
May 29, 2022
Sometimes, people are just bad. They're cruel, and even when they attempt to do good, they leave a trail of dead and dying in their wake. Welcome to the world of Perpetual Dread, where Bowyer spins gruesome, memorable tales of horror, each one devoid of hope or mercy. There are supernatural elements sure, but the real horror is how just a few stories in you understand there will be no happy endings, no tied up loose ends, only a gut punch ending a sense of perpetual dread. Never has a title been so apt.
October 31, 2022
Perpetual Dread by Brian Bowyer isn’t your average collection of short stories. It drops characters into the middle of a dark alley and surrounds them with addicts, despair, and pain. His compact prose lends to the feel of this collection, and it’s as short and sharp as the stories within. The characters seem devoid of hope, and you won’t see happy endings. The good guy might typically win, but there aren’t many good guys in these tales. You’ll get a wide range from body horror to cosmic horror and everything in the middle. Be ready, though. These aren’t for the faint of heart. They’re brutal, dark, and shocking. Here are a few that stood out most to me:
“Terminal” - Void of emotion, this sets the perfect tone for the rest of the book. Bowyer presents the story as it is, with no frills or purple prose.
“Death Valley” - This one gave me From Dusk TIll Dawn vibes. Just when you thought the characters would breathe for a minute, something else crazy happens.
“Family Chapel” - I loved this ending
“Tattoo Magic” - Fantastic tale of revenge and unique ways of keeping your loved one’s close.
“Gift and a Curse” - “We saw the world as a stovetop, and everywhere we looked, people were being cooked alive.” One of my favorites. So much packed into so little, as is the case with all of these. There’s a bit of a poetic ending to this that I really enjoyed.
“Teacher’s Pet” - Cool cosmic horror. “They’re not laughing anymore.”
“Scorpio” - Really liked this take on a monster story. Very cool.
“Terminal” - Void of emotion, this sets the perfect tone for the rest of the book. Bowyer presents the story as it is, with no frills or purple prose.
“Death Valley” - This one gave me From Dusk TIll Dawn vibes. Just when you thought the characters would breathe for a minute, something else crazy happens.
“Family Chapel” - I loved this ending
“Tattoo Magic” - Fantastic tale of revenge and unique ways of keeping your loved one’s close.
“Gift and a Curse” - “We saw the world as a stovetop, and everywhere we looked, people were being cooked alive.” One of my favorites. So much packed into so little, as is the case with all of these. There’s a bit of a poetic ending to this that I really enjoyed.
“Teacher’s Pet” - Cool cosmic horror. “They’re not laughing anymore.”
“Scorpio” - Really liked this take on a monster story. Very cool.
September 10, 2023
The reviews I’d read for Brian Bowyer’s work were all positive, but often conveyed a tone of warning. His work is ultraviolent, with spare writing that can feel like quick jabs from a knife. But if you can get through all the bloodshed and pain, there’s also a still beating heart in there somewhere.
I’m happy to report that all of the above is true. The characters in Perpetual Dread wander through a doomed world (literally, in the case of “Countdown to Oblivion”). Sometimes their death march is truly just that, as in “Night Parade”, but more often it’s the result of the wrong turns these damaged characters have made in their lives. Lots of them don’t make it. At least many of them have it coming.
The story that stood out the most for me was “Black-Cat Bones”, in which a nine year old girl named Alicia befriends Darnell, a homeless man who is either insane or really on to something. Darnell believes the bones of black cats are everywhere, and they’re full of dark magic. He warns Alicia about them. He’s always looking out for them.
Alicia and Darnell wander the city together; she is looking for bugs, maybe a spider. Darnell wants to burn the zoo down. They hit the donut shop, and a pet shop with some unusual inventory, depending on your point of view. They go to a witch’s apartment. All the while, Darnell is worried about those black-cat bones. Alicia is worried about her mom, dying slowly from drugs, and mom’s boyfriend, who rapes Alicia. Alicia’s and Darnell’s friendship is just so weird and compelling. I realized how happy I was to be invited along with them, and to not have the slightest clue what was going to happen next.
I’ll avoid spoilers, but will say that Alicia and Darnell’s journey toward a deeper understanding of their place in the universe involves a lot of horrible shit. But what an ending. A tiny spark of hope in a world drenched in darkness.
I’m happy to report that all of the above is true. The characters in Perpetual Dread wander through a doomed world (literally, in the case of “Countdown to Oblivion”). Sometimes their death march is truly just that, as in “Night Parade”, but more often it’s the result of the wrong turns these damaged characters have made in their lives. Lots of them don’t make it. At least many of them have it coming.
The story that stood out the most for me was “Black-Cat Bones”, in which a nine year old girl named Alicia befriends Darnell, a homeless man who is either insane or really on to something. Darnell believes the bones of black cats are everywhere, and they’re full of dark magic. He warns Alicia about them. He’s always looking out for them.
Alicia and Darnell wander the city together; she is looking for bugs, maybe a spider. Darnell wants to burn the zoo down. They hit the donut shop, and a pet shop with some unusual inventory, depending on your point of view. They go to a witch’s apartment. All the while, Darnell is worried about those black-cat bones. Alicia is worried about her mom, dying slowly from drugs, and mom’s boyfriend, who rapes Alicia. Alicia’s and Darnell’s friendship is just so weird and compelling. I realized how happy I was to be invited along with them, and to not have the slightest clue what was going to happen next.
I’ll avoid spoilers, but will say that Alicia and Darnell’s journey toward a deeper understanding of their place in the universe involves a lot of horrible shit. But what an ending. A tiny spark of hope in a world drenched in darkness.
June 4, 2020
This book consists of 16 short stories that will awake your protective instincts while reading these psychological horror stories. The book starts with a Marica mother of 2 sons and a daughter fighting with cancer after she couldn't take anymore, she shoots his sons who were evil in every way you can think of, then giving all the medicines at once to her daughter and finally taking her own life, what do you think would have happened for her to take this dreadful decision? What did her sons do?
So the book continues with the second story, a story of Mick, who is psychologically unstable because he sees his dead sister in every woman he meets, the sister that wanted to kill him when he was only 6 years old. So what do you think happened with him when while traveling to Death Valley he meets 2 girls, are they dead now? or something else happened?
The book continues with more 14 chilling, horrifying, frightening, and nerve-racking stories that will surely keep your interest to read this book in a weird way.
My Take:
Perpetual Dread is the 2nd book I m reading of author Brian Bowyer and I just can't get enough of his stories.
I like the way author Brian Bowyer writes his stories. He first introduces the characters, then he leads us in believing in a totally different concept, then builts the suspense, tension and after a chilling ending he ends the story with a normal note but that's not the end because when you least expect it, with a boom he drops a most frightening bomb on us that will make anyone lose their mind in paranoia.
Personally, I think this book is very addictive in a weird way, I say wired because even though the book has murders, evil, unexplained things, horror, psychological minds, I still loved reading the book. I have not read many horror books before and I still even now I'm not certain, but I m sure as hell, I can say that I can read Brian Bowyer books any time and any day. Also rereading it will have the same effect as it had the first time.
The concept of this book is unique and seems very realistic also is some characters it may seem like the author is talking about himself,(see its the after-effects of reading this book, it makes you imagine things.) I can't wait to read more of his stories and books.
Overall a creepy but stunning book that will evoke a sense of dread in you. I would like to recommend this book to all, to read once and feel the way I feel that is speechless.
So the book continues with the second story, a story of Mick, who is psychologically unstable because he sees his dead sister in every woman he meets, the sister that wanted to kill him when he was only 6 years old. So what do you think happened with him when while traveling to Death Valley he meets 2 girls, are they dead now? or something else happened?
The book continues with more 14 chilling, horrifying, frightening, and nerve-racking stories that will surely keep your interest to read this book in a weird way.
My Take:
Perpetual Dread is the 2nd book I m reading of author Brian Bowyer and I just can't get enough of his stories.
I like the way author Brian Bowyer writes his stories. He first introduces the characters, then he leads us in believing in a totally different concept, then builts the suspense, tension and after a chilling ending he ends the story with a normal note but that's not the end because when you least expect it, with a boom he drops a most frightening bomb on us that will make anyone lose their mind in paranoia.
Personally, I think this book is very addictive in a weird way, I say wired because even though the book has murders, evil, unexplained things, horror, psychological minds, I still loved reading the book. I have not read many horror books before and I still even now I'm not certain, but I m sure as hell, I can say that I can read Brian Bowyer books any time and any day. Also rereading it will have the same effect as it had the first time.
The concept of this book is unique and seems very realistic also is some characters it may seem like the author is talking about himself,(see its the after-effects of reading this book, it makes you imagine things.) I can't wait to read more of his stories and books.
Overall a creepy but stunning book that will evoke a sense of dread in you. I would like to recommend this book to all, to read once and feel the way I feel that is speechless.
January 3, 2021
Horrific. A perfect read for the lovers of the genre. Perpetual dread is a compilation of sixteen dreadful short stories by Brian Bowyer. Creepy, and scary, and icky, and it makes you want to squeal more after each story. If you've come here looking for something in that realm, you're in luck!
You can almost see the torture spread across that skein of words. They rend you, twist you, and after you leave those pages behind, they haunt you with the understanding that the person seeming perfectly normal with everything was darkly twisted and had seen quite the torture in life.
The stories are all fast-paced and stuffed with both psychologically and physically rattled characters. Perpetual Dread is the perfect title for this book as with the turn of each page, the previous one leaves you with a feeling clearly represented by the title. Every time you think you are starting to get what is happening, the story would take a turn and show you something you expected the least. The idea of hiring a shape-shifting monstrous scorpion as a pimp, sure, why not? An artist who uses the blood of his victims to make art. Quite a psychopath?
A woman wanting revenge on her ex-husband, a mysterious shop in the darkest corners of the city, giving a black magic-operated tattooing process to get rid of enemies. Why would someone ever deny that? Savage-mother and daughter going on to their grandmother’s house to get rid of their regrets that are prisoned in the basement. A personification of regrets, this one got me thinking.
It is an extreme graphical horror - child abuse, rape, murder, involves drug victims, animal abuse, brutal butchery, and more- that gets your shins all shaky.
It is perfect for the times you want to get absolutely horrified, shocked, or wanted to push all the boundaries of horror you can ever read in your entire life. When I read the first story, I was left with a dropped jaw. Then I read the second story, then the third, I started to feel very used to all the betrayal, murders, and all drug intake happening in the story. A new reader is likely to get used to the murders happening now and then after a page or two. It kind of becomes a very usual thing. Again, for all the horror readers who don’t like pushing the curfews they’ve set, you’ve been warned. I sure would recommend reading this book. Have fun being scared.
You can almost see the torture spread across that skein of words. They rend you, twist you, and after you leave those pages behind, they haunt you with the understanding that the person seeming perfectly normal with everything was darkly twisted and had seen quite the torture in life.
The stories are all fast-paced and stuffed with both psychologically and physically rattled characters. Perpetual Dread is the perfect title for this book as with the turn of each page, the previous one leaves you with a feeling clearly represented by the title. Every time you think you are starting to get what is happening, the story would take a turn and show you something you expected the least. The idea of hiring a shape-shifting monstrous scorpion as a pimp, sure, why not? An artist who uses the blood of his victims to make art. Quite a psychopath?
A woman wanting revenge on her ex-husband, a mysterious shop in the darkest corners of the city, giving a black magic-operated tattooing process to get rid of enemies. Why would someone ever deny that? Savage-mother and daughter going on to their grandmother’s house to get rid of their regrets that are prisoned in the basement. A personification of regrets, this one got me thinking.
It is an extreme graphical horror - child abuse, rape, murder, involves drug victims, animal abuse, brutal butchery, and more- that gets your shins all shaky.
It is perfect for the times you want to get absolutely horrified, shocked, or wanted to push all the boundaries of horror you can ever read in your entire life. When I read the first story, I was left with a dropped jaw. Then I read the second story, then the third, I started to feel very used to all the betrayal, murders, and all drug intake happening in the story. A new reader is likely to get used to the murders happening now and then after a page or two. It kind of becomes a very usual thing. Again, for all the horror readers who don’t like pushing the curfews they’ve set, you’ve been warned. I sure would recommend reading this book. Have fun being scared.
February 22, 2022
This is a great book of short horror stories written by a very great guy Brian Bowyer! It is very descriptive of the stories and the characters! The beginning chapter TERMINAL has the ability to keep you on the edge of your chair holding on for dear life and makes you want to read more with every page. This is very recommended for whoever likes thrillers!
September 19, 2022
Started this book today and finished it today I just couldn’t put it down. Loved how straight to the point the stories were. A few had an ending I didn’t expect.. I would completely recommend this book
September 14, 2020
PERPETUAL DREAD has not only occupied a slot in my top five favorite collections of all time, but has also made its way into my top 20 books of all time. It’s so rare these days, to see work in the horror genre be handled with such a mean spirited and grim attitude. Brian Bowyer has put together a collection of bleak tales, which revel in the most sadistic aspects of human nature. Everything from the characters, to the the actual prose itself, has had its soul completely ripped out. The tone of this book reeks of a general disdain for humanity, and becomes more suffocating with each page. Bowyer’s work reminds you of the suffering this world has the potential to inflict, in the brashest manner possible. This book could care less about exploring emotions such as hatred, bloodlust, and jealousy, with a sense of taste. Brian Bowyer is not here to be your grief counselor. He’s here to disturb the hell out of you while telling some highly entertaining stories. I can’t help but feel that being able to enjoy this collection says a lot about you as a person. Your sense of humor and underlying notions about life, really do need to be aligned with the author’s in order to truly appreciate this book. I wouldn’t be surprised if most people are deterred by the atmosphere that Bowyer’s writing creates. The content you’ll come across in these stories is graphic, morbid, and ridiculously dark. You’ll drown in Bowyer’s nihilism before you‘re even halfway into the collection. If you’re not comfortable reading about abnormal acts of violence, characters with warped sensibilities, and stories that do their best to leave your palette raw and assaulted, don’t read this book. If you’re looking to overwhelm yourself with ungodly amounts of malicious trepidation, pick up this collection right now. While I almost loved every story in this book equally, my favorites were TERMINAL, DEATH VALLEY, FAMILY CHAPEL, GIFT AND A CURSE, LIKE FATHER LIKE SON, DRAGO’S CRIB, TEACHER’S PET, BLACK CAT BONES, SCORPIO, and SCARLETT. These stories are what true horror will always mean to me. I’m happy to have discovered an author whose work conjures up a darkness that this genre seems to be missing these days. While I reserve a significant place in my heart for literary fiction and books that dive into the void with grace, PERPETUAL DREAD satiated a craving that I almost forgot I possessed. I give Brian Bowyer’s collection a solid 5 out 5 stars.
May 25, 2020
Reading horror is something I never did before until I read this book. Something I knew for sure was it was indeed very descriptive. All different tales of horror in certain stories. What caught my eye was the story about the woman who was lovelorn. How she was wanting to seek revenge in a way, and that there was one way. By using black magic! Like Oh my god how scary! Not knowing what could happen from doing that. Also the story about the murdered dog haunting the home where it died at. The murdered dog sort of reminded me of the eeriness of Cujo by Stephen King. All in all, if you like horror, then check this out!
October 5, 2020
A 3.5 rounded up. Wasn't too bad but repetitive. One story seemed like every other sentence was smoking meth or shooting heroine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2021
For full review, visit https://www.atticvoices.com/2019/perp....
I think these would make excellent adult campfire stories, especially because they're real-world horror. The title perfectly encompasses the feeling many people—especially women—feel while walking around after dark. This book highlights the everyday events that can become threatening.
Be aware that there was quite a bit of rape and sexual assault in the story, and while it wasn't graphically detailed, it was still pretty stark. I personally would have preferred that there be less of that, but overall I do think these were pretty creepy stories.
I think these would make excellent adult campfire stories, especially because they're real-world horror. The title perfectly encompasses the feeling many people—especially women—feel while walking around after dark. This book highlights the everyday events that can become threatening.
Be aware that there was quite a bit of rape and sexual assault in the story, and while it wasn't graphically detailed, it was still pretty stark. I personally would have preferred that there be less of that, but overall I do think these were pretty creepy stories.
May 28, 2024
Another wild ride from one of my favorite authors! Brian never disappoints! This collection of dark, violent, otherworldly stories are great! The first story sets the tone for the rest of the collection! Bowyer never holds back! If you are not reading his books, you’re missing out!
May 29, 2023
Read it on a recommendation. One of the worst, pathetic, wannabe gore fests I've ever read. No substance, only useless ephemera...like the one that said it was worth reading.
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