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Hallucinations
In the grips of a bad trip, the hellish and overwhelming delusions are inescapable. Scarier than the overpowering visuals and boundless paranoia is the promise that there's no way out. Are you prepared to take that psychedelic pilgrimage? Are you ready to gaze upon an absurd growth that's gobbling up the entire world? Or take an unknown substance and hop on a private jet that spirals out of control? Would you let a young girl that spreads nasty rumors bend your ear to further her bizarre agenda? Are you willing to be paralyzed and stuffed into a coffin that's ejected into outer space, or overdose and have your consciousness transferred into a disturbed bird? These experiences merely scratch the surface of the lives you're set to live should you agree to take the trip...
170 pages, Paperback
Published August 22, 2020
115 people are currently reading
772 people want to read
About the author
Aron Beauregard
86 books3,375 followersAron Beauregard was born and raised in Central Falls, Rhode Island. He's been writing horror since the 6th grade and has now released over 25 books. An avid supporter of horror art and illustration, Aron has made it his standard to hire illustrators for every book that he puts out under his brand AB Horror.
His writing is dark and without boundaries. Known for creating a stir, his work has gone viral on several occasions. He's won the Splatterpunk Award twice after garnering four total nominations. As an independent artist, Beauregard's book "Playground" has achieved #1 Bestseller status under the category of horror on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, his work has been translated to multiple languages.
To get the latest updates about upcoming releases, signed books and merchandise, film news, and so much more, visit his website:
www.ABHorror.com
To subscribe to his free newsletter, join the AB Horror Maggot Mailing List at:
https://aronbeauregard.substack.com/
His writing is dark and without boundaries. Known for creating a stir, his work has gone viral on several occasions. He's won the Splatterpunk Award twice after garnering four total nominations. As an independent artist, Beauregard's book "Playground" has achieved #1 Bestseller status under the category of horror on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, his work has been translated to multiple languages.
To get the latest updates about upcoming releases, signed books and merchandise, film news, and so much more, visit his website:
www.ABHorror.com
To subscribe to his free newsletter, join the AB Horror Maggot Mailing List at:
https://aronbeauregard.substack.com/
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
September 9, 2022
Do you remember what it’s like to be happy?” The woman, once again known as Plain Jane, lethargically nodded her head, for the bloody infused tears streaming down were no longer tears of sadness––they were tears of joy.
January 19, 2021
I really enjoyed this, as I have everything else I've read from the author. It's a unique collection and offers something different from his other works. A fun yet disturbing step into the bizarro world.
March 21, 2021
Hallucinations...... Yeah you could say that's a pretty good description because this collection of stories was bizarre for sure. This is my second book by Aron Beauregard and I really enjoyed this collection of stories. I really liked each story. I am definitely going to read more from Aron Beauregard he has a really good way of writing and telling stories. His writing has a way of making me feel like all my senses are involved in the stories he tells.good weird entertaining collection of stories . Highly recommend
February 16, 2021
A mad mashup of horror-tainted science fiction and bizarro, Aron Beauregard's Hallucinations is one messed up trip. To go into too much detail would surely give away the finely crafted twist(ed) endings of each of these tales, but standout stories include the fucked up antics of one really fucked up farmer in "The Sacred Cow." The Mean Girls meets Heathers meets Michael Myers in the oddly profound "Rumors." The outright outrageous "Making Room in the Birdhouse," in which a dude is reincarnated as a bird, takes dumps on peoples' heads and performs a nasty bit of business with a cloaca all in the name of friendship. And, "When Life Hands You Lemons," which I can only really explain as a scrapped storyline for "Lost" that the writers would have thought was going way too far, but that Beauregard carefully builds towards an unexpected reveal that would make O. Henry shit his pants. Easily the most headscratching work in the author's rapidly expanding bibliography, Hallucinations doesn't disappoint, but may lead you to turn back pages while asking yourself: "What the hell did I just read?"
April 16, 2021
What the holy f***!? These were some messed up stories. Honestly I think Aaron Beauregard was tripping balls when he wrote these stories.
I've read a lot of his books at this point and he ceases to amaze me. This book is twisted like his other books but the stories themselves just feel really different. It's like they melted right off the pages and infected my brain. Another well written, memorable book!
I've read a lot of his books at this point and he ceases to amaze me. This book is twisted like his other books but the stories themselves just feel really different. It's like they melted right off the pages and infected my brain. Another well written, memorable book!
March 27, 2022
I can almost taste the lemons 😂 ! Loved every stories
September 23, 2021
This is my third book I've read back to back from Aron Beauregard. I discovered his books recently and once again he's written a fun, fantastic book! I love his stories and Illustrations. Its like being a kid again but in a fun, gory grown up way. Haha My favorite story out of the bunch was Awful Things. This book was a trip!
July 20, 2022
We have 7 short stories that will take you for a ride!! This is obviously extreme horror so if you’re easily offended, you should probably go read a romance novel…not this. This is like a fever dream induced from a bad trip. And it was amazing. AB does it again!
Full review on TikTok @crackthespine
Full review on TikTok @crackthespine
September 4, 2020
What a disturbing trip! Each story was totally original and had some kind of unexpected twist at the end which I really enjoyed. My favorite stories of the bunch were The Growth and When Life Gives You Lemons but they were all fantastically dark and psychedelic. Can't wait for my next trip with Aron 💀
March 11, 2021
This book was my introduction into extreme horror, all I can say is wow I am hooked. Being a fan of cosmic horror the story The Growth is what really sealed it for me. As I was reading this I pictured Bill Murray as Hunter S Thompson whispering in Aron Beauregard's ear as he was writing this collection. It's worth the read and worth seeing picking up some more from Aron.
July 16, 2021
Wow, very crazy stories with great twist endings! Well worth the read if you want a great mind fuck 😁
May 28, 2021
Enticing
This book is full of some gruesome, bloody and crazy weird stories. Hallucinations is the perfect title. Each story has a completely different edge to it and no two are the same sort of story. But each has you captivated and drawn in, enticing you with each paragraph into their world. I couldn't pick a favourite as each one has its own way about it. Yes they are all weird but equally compelling, and that's where the similarities end. I had fun reading this as well as being unnerved too. A great book and ideal for those whom like the horror and extreme stories, with a crazy edge. Definitely worth checking out. But not for the easily offended.
This book is full of some gruesome, bloody and crazy weird stories. Hallucinations is the perfect title. Each story has a completely different edge to it and no two are the same sort of story. But each has you captivated and drawn in, enticing you with each paragraph into their world. I couldn't pick a favourite as each one has its own way about it. Yes they are all weird but equally compelling, and that's where the similarities end. I had fun reading this as well as being unnerved too. A great book and ideal for those whom like the horror and extreme stories, with a crazy edge. Definitely worth checking out. But not for the easily offended.
July 18, 2021
Awesome book! I'm not usually a fan of anthologies as I find the stories really hit or miss. All of the stories in this one were enjoyable though! I think my favourites were The Growth and Making Room in the Birdhouse. Super fun read!
April 20, 2021
This was an excellent set of stories of various extraordinary out of this world hallucinations. The first one was awesome I also loved the bird story.
October 23, 2023
First of I want to say the illustrations in the book were bad ass. Secondly the stories were a mix between being disgusting and gross to having a good laugh also. From being totally wasted off drugs these stories had me all over the place. I definitely enjoyed them. Lastly, say no to drugs kids 😂
October 14, 2020
I just finished reading HALLUCINATIONS by Aron Beauregard. This is the third book I read by this author. He gets more and more disturbing. I had to take a break between stories!
His writing is so... sensorial that you can even smell what he's narrating. Beauregard is perfect for the extreme horror lovers, especially for the fans of the disturbing.
A spotless author, so pleasurable to read and very absorbing. The stories are distributed in a way that you slowly submerge in an increasing spiral of nightmares. Nightmares made true.
The characters are completely original and eclectic. Their minds get trapped into parallel worlds which they themselves create. You don't even get to be certain of where reality disappears and illusion starts.
He is really an amazing storyteller. For all the lovers of the macabre, this is for you.
His writing is so... sensorial that you can even smell what he's narrating. Beauregard is perfect for the extreme horror lovers, especially for the fans of the disturbing.
A spotless author, so pleasurable to read and very absorbing. The stories are distributed in a way that you slowly submerge in an increasing spiral of nightmares. Nightmares made true.
The characters are completely original and eclectic. Their minds get trapped into parallel worlds which they themselves create. You don't even get to be certain of where reality disappears and illusion starts.
He is really an amazing storyteller. For all the lovers of the macabre, this is for you.
March 16, 2021
Man, those stories were trippy. I’ve never used any drugs (whomp, whomp), but if that’s what a trip is like, I think I’ll stay home. ‘The Woman Once Again Known as Plain Jane’, was my favorite story. Four ⭐️’s from me.
May 31, 2022
Well, that was interesting. This collection of psychedelic short stories fits squarely in the bizzaro genre, although they’re all quite horrifying. Before diving into this; relax your body and prepare to open your mind (with a machete).
Remind me never to drop acid with Aron Beauregard.
Remind me never to drop acid with Aron Beauregard.
September 19, 2022
Only read this if you wanna be disturbed. Aron is amazing at writing the most messed up shit. And his short stories always pack a punch - a 10 page story shouldn’t be able to gross you out and mess with your head so much, but he always kills it!
September 2, 2020
Groovy!!
Ok, that was pretty trippy! My fave story was Making Room In The Birdhouse. But they were all really good and messed up. Exactly what I was hoping for!! Thanks Aron. 👍
Ok, that was pretty trippy! My fave story was Making Room In The Birdhouse. But they were all really good and messed up. Exactly what I was hoping for!! Thanks Aron. 👍
February 22, 2024
A great final story to end on!
November 28, 2020
The sinister urge is an immediate theme that cuts through the surreal dreamscape of The Growth, the dense opener of Aron Beauregard’s 4th short story collection. He impressed the hell out of me with his 3rd collection, Dark Assembly, and even more so with his second, Pizza Face. While I’ve yet to dive into his first collection, Try The New Candy, or his two novels, Scary Bastard and The Slob, Hallucinations immediately stands out as the weirdest, yet most exciting collection thus far.
Proving a sharp contrast to the intense filth of Dark Assembly and the B-movie style fun of Pizza Face, Hallucinations is a journey into the bizzaro, the surreal, and the avant-garde. Somehow managing to pump out an absurd amount of good content in the last two years, Beauregard has managed to quickly become my favorite author with the hardest to spell last name. Hallucination’s opener The Growth is an intensely surreal and minimalistic story about obsession of a giant mound of growing flesh in the middle of a city. It’s written in such a way that mimics many of the prevailing themes of H.P. Lovecraft’s work, like the human mind being controlled by forces outside of its control; things that are beyond our comprehension and understanding and simply are. We never will know why, but we must confront these things.
When Life Gives You Lemons takes the award for one of my favorite Aron Beauregard stories. Yeah, it beats out The Baptism and Perfect on the Surface. This story is like the opening scene of Final Destination mashed together with a drugged out version of Lord of The Flies. It also features some of his most compelling (and infuriating) characters. It’s excellent in every sense of the word.
The Sacred Cow takes an absolute myriad of influences and sports them all on its sleeve. Meshing something reminiscent of Stephen King with Don’t Breathe and Aron’s signature style, it’s one of the more familiar pieces in the collection.
Rumours, on the other hand, mixes a blend of a fucked up version of Mean Girls with Aron’s own Pizza Face. It’s written in a style that tells more than it shows, but this doesn’t detract at all from the fun. It’s a great piece that quickly (and morbidly) spirals off the rails. The surrealism is a bit.. Unintentionally funny in certain moments, but it’s nothing completely damning. It’s essentially about a girl who kills other people to stay the most popular and attractive person at the school. It reads a bit like a children’s book, particularly with the dialogue, but again, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Outside The Box vaguely reminds me of a blend of Autopsy Room Four by Stephen King and I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison. It's more of an emotional take than the rest of the stories here, focusing on a man's thoughts as he gets ejected into space. This was the only story that felt like a misfire for me, as it couldn't decide if it wanted to be sad and reflective or really weird.
Making Room In The Birdhouse was originally touted to me as one of Beauregard's person favorites, so I was certainly pretty excited. If you look at the cover of the book, I'm pretty sure this story is the perfect representation of what one would expect from this collection after just glancing at it. A man takes shrooms and then transfers bodies with a bird. It's absurd on paper, but it ranks up there with some of Aron's most fantastic work. The main character takes a shit on some random girl's head. Hilarity.
Awful Things is more of a take on H.P. Lovecraft and facing the afterlife. It's probably the hardest story in the collection to explain. Fantastic regardless.
Finally, The Woman Once Again Known As Plain Jane is a story about a woman who is obsessed with hating herself. She gets plastic surgery because she hates her body that much. I can't spoil anything, but it's a wonderful tale of body horror and obsession. What a fantastic piece.
Other than Outside Of The Box, I absolutely adored this collection, much more than any of Beauregard's other work, which says a lot. This collection in particular was weird, exciting, fun, and trippy as hell. It's not the most polished collection, but it's certainly a… trip
Proving a sharp contrast to the intense filth of Dark Assembly and the B-movie style fun of Pizza Face, Hallucinations is a journey into the bizzaro, the surreal, and the avant-garde. Somehow managing to pump out an absurd amount of good content in the last two years, Beauregard has managed to quickly become my favorite author with the hardest to spell last name. Hallucination’s opener The Growth is an intensely surreal and minimalistic story about obsession of a giant mound of growing flesh in the middle of a city. It’s written in such a way that mimics many of the prevailing themes of H.P. Lovecraft’s work, like the human mind being controlled by forces outside of its control; things that are beyond our comprehension and understanding and simply are. We never will know why, but we must confront these things.
When Life Gives You Lemons takes the award for one of my favorite Aron Beauregard stories. Yeah, it beats out The Baptism and Perfect on the Surface. This story is like the opening scene of Final Destination mashed together with a drugged out version of Lord of The Flies. It also features some of his most compelling (and infuriating) characters. It’s excellent in every sense of the word.
The Sacred Cow takes an absolute myriad of influences and sports them all on its sleeve. Meshing something reminiscent of Stephen King with Don’t Breathe and Aron’s signature style, it’s one of the more familiar pieces in the collection.
Rumours, on the other hand, mixes a blend of a fucked up version of Mean Girls with Aron’s own Pizza Face. It’s written in a style that tells more than it shows, but this doesn’t detract at all from the fun. It’s a great piece that quickly (and morbidly) spirals off the rails. The surrealism is a bit.. Unintentionally funny in certain moments, but it’s nothing completely damning. It’s essentially about a girl who kills other people to stay the most popular and attractive person at the school. It reads a bit like a children’s book, particularly with the dialogue, but again, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Outside The Box vaguely reminds me of a blend of Autopsy Room Four by Stephen King and I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison. It's more of an emotional take than the rest of the stories here, focusing on a man's thoughts as he gets ejected into space. This was the only story that felt like a misfire for me, as it couldn't decide if it wanted to be sad and reflective or really weird.
Making Room In The Birdhouse was originally touted to me as one of Beauregard's person favorites, so I was certainly pretty excited. If you look at the cover of the book, I'm pretty sure this story is the perfect representation of what one would expect from this collection after just glancing at it. A man takes shrooms and then transfers bodies with a bird. It's absurd on paper, but it ranks up there with some of Aron's most fantastic work. The main character takes a shit on some random girl's head. Hilarity.
Awful Things is more of a take on H.P. Lovecraft and facing the afterlife. It's probably the hardest story in the collection to explain. Fantastic regardless.
Finally, The Woman Once Again Known As Plain Jane is a story about a woman who is obsessed with hating herself. She gets plastic surgery because she hates her body that much. I can't spoil anything, but it's a wonderful tale of body horror and obsession. What a fantastic piece.
Other than Outside Of The Box, I absolutely adored this collection, much more than any of Beauregard's other work, which says a lot. This collection in particular was weird, exciting, fun, and trippy as hell. It's not the most polished collection, but it's certainly a… trip
December 14, 2020
Super entertaining anthology from one of my favorite authors. This book is just plain weird and i mean that in a good way. It has gore, sex, cannibalism, and lots of drug use. My favorite story was "When Life Gives You Lemons," it was(like the rest of the stories) very well written. This collection of strange will not disappoint.
April 9, 2022
It felt like I was reading episodes of the Twilight Zone. Each story brought you closer to madness and you're left wondering if what you read is what you think happened in the story of was it all in the character's mind. I don't know, but I do know I heard Rod Serling in my head narrating the stories, and maybe the madness has rubbed off on me.
February 5, 2025
3.5⭐️ these were fantasticly outrageous short stories. aron has such a great mind. some i enjoyed more than others and some i wish were longer! i’ll probably be thinking about that baby eating cow with the black milk for a few days….
July 28, 2022
Wow. So much wow.
This book is twisted and creepy in a delightfully messed up way. It reminds me of the Stephen King short stories I read as a kid if you mixed them with The Twilight Zone and then messed with the color settings so everything was an even brighter and crisper display of reds and oranges and gore. It was an absolute blast to read and these stories are going to be taking up space in my mind for years to come, and I mean that in all the best of ways! Highly recommend!
This book is twisted and creepy in a delightfully messed up way. It reminds me of the Stephen King short stories I read as a kid if you mixed them with The Twilight Zone and then messed with the color settings so everything was an even brighter and crisper display of reds and oranges and gore. It was an absolute blast to read and these stories are going to be taking up space in my mind for years to come, and I mean that in all the best of ways! Highly recommend!
September 18, 2020
I recently saw a Facebook post that said, “Self-care is cancelled. We’re doing acid and yelling at the moon naked.” Well, following that sentiment, here you go …
Hallucinations by Aron Beauregard is indeed a psychedelic trip. A very dark psychedelic trip. These are Bizarro Horror stories of altered perceptions, altered realities, twisted mental states, and gruesome choices. Some of these stories draw you in so much, the mental cliché thought of “what are they on?” becomes a more disturbing “what am I on?”
Aron’s stories are brutal and brash, but if you are into the hardcore and bizarre, they’re amazing deep and entertaining. This is a fun read for Bizarro and Extreme Horror fans!
Hallucinations by Aron Beauregard is indeed a psychedelic trip. A very dark psychedelic trip. These are Bizarro Horror stories of altered perceptions, altered realities, twisted mental states, and gruesome choices. Some of these stories draw you in so much, the mental cliché thought of “what are they on?” becomes a more disturbing “what am I on?”
Aron’s stories are brutal and brash, but if you are into the hardcore and bizarre, they’re amazing deep and entertaining. This is a fun read for Bizarro and Extreme Horror fans!
November 22, 2020
Another great story collection by Aron. These stories are really bizarre and great. My favorite stories were:
1) Rumors
2) Awful Things
3)The Woman Once Again Known As Plain Jane
1) Rumors
2) Awful Things
3)The Woman Once Again Known As Plain Jane
May 13, 2025
I'm attempting to read all of Aron Beauregard's books in publication order (as best as I can), and following
Pizza Face
and
Dark Assembly
, Hallucinations is now the third short story collection in a row. However, this is not like Beauregard's other short story books. Previously, Beauregard's short stories have sat quite comfortably in extreme horror, sometimes leaning into science-fiction, but Hallucinations finds Beauregard blurring the lines between extreme horror and bizarro. It's been a good few years since I last dabbled with bizarro, having previously read
HELP! A Bear is Eating Me!
,
Apeshit
,
The Sorrow King
, and
House of houses
, so I was certainly intrigued to see what Beauregard would unleash from his imagination and how he would blend in extreme horror. There's eight short stories here, some more bizarre than others, some more horrific than others, all featuring illustrations and all offering glimpses into Beauregard's exquisite mind.
The Growth
One of the shorter entries that serves as a great example of Beauregard effectively scene-setting. It's set-up to be kinda like The Blob (1958) but through Beauregard's twisted lens, only to end in a delightfully bizarro way. This short story immediately keys you in to the fact that this ain't quite like Beauregard's other books - there's familiar elements, but there's something more going on here, something unexpected.
When Life Gives You Lemons
This is a great short story about survivors of a plane crash who find themselves on an island where the only food supply is lemon trees. There's some great character work here with some fun twists and turns.
The Sacred Cow
I found this to be one of the weaker short stories, where it was all just okay but nothing more. A drifter comes across a fam looking for work, but suspicions soon arise. Again, the set-up is good, but of all the directions where Beauregard could've taken this story, I found it a little underwhelming where things ended up.
Rumors
Easily my favourite of the short stories included in this collection. It starts incredibly dark only to build towards an even darker twist. In high school where popularity is of the utmost importance, one girl goes to extreme lengths to ensure she remains the most popular. This story definitely leans more towards extreme horror, with there not really being any bizarro elements that stand out particularly obviously.
Outside the Box
Science-fiction meets horror meets bizarro in this short about being paralyzed and stuffed in a coffin that's ejected into outer space (yes I had no idea how to describe this short so i just used what's on the back of the book). This short slips very quickly and firmly into bizarro territory, and honestly I'm torn between thinking large swathes are nonsense whilst still somehow finding it rather compelling. This is one of the more bonkers stories, not so much the set-up, which again I quite like, but more where Beauregard takes this concept.
Making Room in the Birdhouse
If I thought the previous short story was bonkers, well, it did little to prepare me for how absolutely unhinged this short is. A drug trip goes bad resulting in a man's consciousness being transferred into a bird, where he decides he must get his two guilt-ridden friends to make amends. But life as a bird isn't easy, especially if you're a bit of a dick. This is entirely as strange as it sounds, with Beauregard fully embracing bizarro (but still finding time for moments of extreme horror, of course).
Awful Things
Y'know when you reach that age where you realise your parents are people and are just as flawed as anyone else? Yeah, Beauregard takes that idea to an extreme when a son discovers the letter from his recently deceased mother that sheds some light on why his life is the way it is. In all honesty, this short didn't really work for me. I felt that having the bulk of the story unfold via the form of a letter felt limiting. I quite liked how this short story ended, but I found the journey getting there a bit laborious.
The Woman Once Again Known as Plain Jane
Hallucinations ends strong with this short about a completely unremarkable woman taking an opportunity to revolutionise her life, but of course there is always a price to pay. Like Rumors, this short is also light on any bizarro elements, and initially also appears to be a little lacking in moments of extreme horror, but Beauregard is developing his central character here to get ready for one hell of an ending.
I'll admit I was a little underwhelmed after reading my last Beauregard book Dark Assembly , which was a short story collection that largely fell flat for me. This experimentation with bizarro allows Hallucinations to stand out, and some of the ideas on display here are so unique that they'll be difficult to forget. When it comes to the short story collections that Beauregard has previously released, I think Hallucinations is better than Dark Assembly and Try the New Candy , but Pizza Face remains my favourite Beauregard short story collection. However, I am very much ready for Beauregard to tackle another full book length story now - I am still eagerly hoping for another book that can rival how much I enjoyed Scary Bastard (or maybe even surpass it).
3/5
Aron Beauregard Ranked
1) Scary Bastard - 4/5
2) The Slob - 3.5/5
3) Pizza Face - 3/5
4) Hallucinations - 3/5
5) Try the New Candy - 3/5
6) Die Tommy - 3/5
7) Dark Assembly - 2/5
The Growth
One of the shorter entries that serves as a great example of Beauregard effectively scene-setting. It's set-up to be kinda like The Blob (1958) but through Beauregard's twisted lens, only to end in a delightfully bizarro way. This short story immediately keys you in to the fact that this ain't quite like Beauregard's other books - there's familiar elements, but there's something more going on here, something unexpected.
When Life Gives You Lemons
This is a great short story about survivors of a plane crash who find themselves on an island where the only food supply is lemon trees. There's some great character work here with some fun twists and turns.
The Sacred Cow
I found this to be one of the weaker short stories, where it was all just okay but nothing more. A drifter comes across a fam looking for work, but suspicions soon arise. Again, the set-up is good, but of all the directions where Beauregard could've taken this story, I found it a little underwhelming where things ended up.
Rumors
Easily my favourite of the short stories included in this collection. It starts incredibly dark only to build towards an even darker twist. In high school where popularity is of the utmost importance, one girl goes to extreme lengths to ensure she remains the most popular. This story definitely leans more towards extreme horror, with there not really being any bizarro elements that stand out particularly obviously.
Outside the Box
Science-fiction meets horror meets bizarro in this short about being paralyzed and stuffed in a coffin that's ejected into outer space (yes I had no idea how to describe this short so i just used what's on the back of the book). This short slips very quickly and firmly into bizarro territory, and honestly I'm torn between thinking large swathes are nonsense whilst still somehow finding it rather compelling. This is one of the more bonkers stories, not so much the set-up, which again I quite like, but more where Beauregard takes this concept.
Making Room in the Birdhouse
If I thought the previous short story was bonkers, well, it did little to prepare me for how absolutely unhinged this short is. A drug trip goes bad resulting in a man's consciousness being transferred into a bird, where he decides he must get his two guilt-ridden friends to make amends. But life as a bird isn't easy, especially if you're a bit of a dick. This is entirely as strange as it sounds, with Beauregard fully embracing bizarro (but still finding time for moments of extreme horror, of course).
Awful Things
Y'know when you reach that age where you realise your parents are people and are just as flawed as anyone else? Yeah, Beauregard takes that idea to an extreme when a son discovers the letter from his recently deceased mother that sheds some light on why his life is the way it is. In all honesty, this short didn't really work for me. I felt that having the bulk of the story unfold via the form of a letter felt limiting. I quite liked how this short story ended, but I found the journey getting there a bit laborious.
The Woman Once Again Known as Plain Jane
Hallucinations ends strong with this short about a completely unremarkable woman taking an opportunity to revolutionise her life, but of course there is always a price to pay. Like Rumors, this short is also light on any bizarro elements, and initially also appears to be a little lacking in moments of extreme horror, but Beauregard is developing his central character here to get ready for one hell of an ending.
I'll admit I was a little underwhelmed after reading my last Beauregard book Dark Assembly , which was a short story collection that largely fell flat for me. This experimentation with bizarro allows Hallucinations to stand out, and some of the ideas on display here are so unique that they'll be difficult to forget. When it comes to the short story collections that Beauregard has previously released, I think Hallucinations is better than Dark Assembly and Try the New Candy , but Pizza Face remains my favourite Beauregard short story collection. However, I am very much ready for Beauregard to tackle another full book length story now - I am still eagerly hoping for another book that can rival how much I enjoyed Scary Bastard (or maybe even surpass it).
3/5
Aron Beauregard Ranked
1) Scary Bastard - 4/5
2) The Slob - 3.5/5
3) Pizza Face - 3/5
4) Hallucinations - 3/5
5) Try the New Candy - 3/5
6) Die Tommy - 3/5
7) Dark Assembly - 2/5
January 27, 2022
A great collection of stories that have a great balance of horror and the bizarre. Some of the stories are straight up horror, and some are like a fever dream or mushroom trip from hell. I had a blast reading this one.
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