A diminutive story about a dwarf who is held hostage by a couple who use him as a proxy for a child. The results are not pleasant, and would certainly qualify as child abuse if the victim was not an actual adult. Extreme and violent, this is a story for seasoned horror readers. Beware the toy box.
As stated on the disturbing cover, The Captive Dwarf by Sean Hawker is indeed an extreme horror novelette of madness and mayhem. This is my first time reading anything by Sean, but I must say, he knows how to write extreme horror. If you are a fan of extreme horror and Splatterpunk, he is definitely and author to watch and this is definitely a story to read.
Despite the length of the story, Hawker manages good characterization and yet doesn’t miss an opportunity to weave in something dark, horrific, or gross. Even more impressive is his ability to make all these tidbits relevant to the story and keep the story fun. Please note, I mean fun in an extreme horror way. This is not for the easily offended or of weak intestinal fortitude. Hawker crosses boundaries and disregards taboos in this stomach-churning but compelling tale.
Interestingly, Hawker also manages to offer up some societal mirroring, some human tragedy and human darkness. The plights of the insane and the financially strapped and the physically different from society’s unconscionable idea of normal. This story is both brutally entertaining and subtly complex. Fans of Matt Shaw and Aron Beauregard will enjoy this budding new extreme horror talent.
This was hilarious, sick, depraved, so wrong but such fun! Some parts had me laughing out loud, though maybe, it wasn’t in good taste for me to do so.....oops!! 🤣 I’d recommend this to anyone who isn’t easily offended!! Thanks Sean Hawker for providing me with some proper LAUGH OUT LOUD moments!! 🤣🤣🤣
This hugely amusing, dark comedy provided a good old fashioned large dollop of pure splatterpunk, both of the horror and sexual varieties. Starting quite innocently, I found that it soon delivered plenty of big, raucous, belly 'laugh out loud' moments (highly unusual for me) rapidly veering towards a course of graphical sexual deviancy and into a final resting place of downright gruesomely glorious horrific violation and righteous mutilation.
Les and Marjory have been yearning to start their own happy little family, but unfortunately they've been experiencing difficulties in that department, and over time life has not been favourable. But hope is not lost. Suddenly, they have a brain wave - to get themselves a 'ready-made' family they can, quite literally, love, enjoy and pamper to death, straight from the off..
A brilliant little tale for all readers who delight in the world of the extreme - but not to be taken too seriously! Great fun from a highly talented writer - I look forward to reading much more of SH's wacky, blood-splattered, crazy adult adventures.
Btw - 'Hey Gary, have you found that dammed light switch yet?'
Rating: 4.6 stars (Just too short! - no pun intended - Lol.)
This book is a "little" depraved. On par with the last Sean Hawker novelette I dared venture to read, this baby delivers on the extreme filth and gore, always with a wink and a chuckle. It never takes itself too seriously, a quality I've come to find I enjoy most in the extreme horror fiction I've been reading lately. Don't forget to kiss yo mamas goodnight!
I have to admit that if I got hold of a dwarf, this is exactly what I would do with him. And I know I'm not the only one. Honesty will set you free, people. Embrace it.
Awesome, sick read. I enjoyed every twisted minute of it.
I actually really enjoyed this short by Sean Hawker. It was original, extremely well written and tastefully done considering the topic! I was rooting for Gary and loved it. Five solid stars from me. Take a poop, Hawker!
Les and Marjory are unable to have children. So Les hires Gary, a dwarf, to “play” child for them. Little does Gary know that these two people want so much more from him. And then there is the family pet…
Sometimes wanting something so bad can turn people into monsters. Or maybe they were always monsters.
Great short story! Highly entertaining, perfect amount of WTF, and poor Spence…
This sure was a hilarious short read!!! A dwarf being forced to act as a child for a sterile couple is tons of fun. It's probably bad that I laughed so much. The pet was the best part
Messed fun with a WTF did I just read. My mouth was dropped from page one till the end. I have the ebook and paperback … should you read it .. Hell yes!
This author just ain't right in the head, which is probably why I loved story, lol. This is not a tale for fluff bunnies with delicate sphincters. This is extreme horror, so there's your trigger warning.
My only complaint is that I wanted more. This would make a great longer story if the author ever wanted to expand it.
First book from this author and although totally messed up, I couldn’t stop laughing. Seems like there could be a sequel in the works which I would read. Go Gary!!!
However messed-up you're now prepared for it to be, this story is probably more so!
Gary is a dwarf, and an actor. He is hired by Les to appear in a short film as a stand-in for a child. When he reports to the address provided, Les explains that he actually wants Gary to play the part of a baby for a weekend, to console his depressed wife who Les is unable to impregnate.
Gary declines. Les is not the type to take "No" for an answer.
If you suspect this might not be the tale for you, you're probably right!
So many triggers. Gross and hilarious and DARK AF.
Gary would search around for bits of furniture – a cat scratching post he had seen in the corner of Les and Marjory’s bedroom – whatever would give him a decent foothold and get him up high enough to reach that latch on the attic door. With a bit of luck, it would open. The rest he’d figure out afterwards.
What a fucked up story! It was bizarre, and brutal, and funny all at the same time. Being such a SHORT book (see what I did there😂) it was like a tease so now I'll be seeking out more Sean Hawker right away! 4/5 dwarf skulls 💀
That was crazy and brutal and yeah crazy.. I'm firmly team Gary though poor little thing he agreed to an acting job and ended up with a couple of lunatics. Very imaginative and hilarious.