Nightmare Nirvana

by Aron Beauregard

For most people, nirvana is achieving an ideal inner peaceful condition. They yearn to bask in the warm sanctity and relaxation of this bright and pleasant place. They long to reach this state of mind where they feel safe and can relish in both joy and enlightenment.

But what about the other people?

Those who look at a bloated corpse and feel an attraction. Those who glance at a maggot-littered crime scene photo with morbid curiosity. What about the ones who find old bones aesthetically pleasing and clamor with excitement when they hear the latest 'if it bleeds, it leads' headline?

To those of us with a different perception of this gray world we’re trapped inside of, humanity’s grimmest nightmare is our nirvana.

WARNING: This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

Genres: Horror, Splatterpunk, Short Stories, Anthologies

169 pages, Paperback

Published February 12, 2022

About the author

Aron 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/

Reviews

[Mort · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review available at The Mort Report:

https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/bla...

From the darkest corners of one of the darkest minds working in extreme horror today, comes these scraps, morsels and crumbs of depravity to blow you away.

NIGHTMARE NIRVANA is a homage to dark thoughts, sinister intentions and macabre situations, and if you know Mr. Beauregard by now, you can expect the usual dark art to accompany these 18 stories of morbid scenarios.

What is worse: Going to the gynae or the dentist?
What’s more difficult to bake: The perfect pie or a baby?
Which job is harder: Magician, truck driver, mechanic or stripper?
Are you a hero or a shitter? And which is worse off?
How fake is professional wrestling?

So many questions, and the author will answer them unapologetically. It may not be what you want to hear and it certainly will not be what you expect – but that’s why we buy this guy’s books, isn’t it?

To the many whose attraction and fascination with the darker side of life gets frowned upon by those deemed ‘normal’ by society…welcome to Nirvana!

Recommended to extreme and splatterpunk fans!

5 STARS

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nightmare Nirvana is chock full of Aaron Beauregard's style of blood-filled gory shocks and scares. With a menacing full-color cover to lead the way, we are off on some perverse and sick misadventures. From a dank basement of chained freaks to a wrestling ring guaranteed to make the audience barf, there is a story for everyone. Each is illustrated to bring out the full disgusting content of each story. Grab your copy and choose your favorite. Mine was The Retirement Match.

[Rachel M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one from start to finish, from the cover (that caught the attention of my 89 year old nan, she does not want to read it! 😂) to the brilliant illustrations that accompany every story. Although hard to pick, My favourite story was Upper Decker.

[Jan Agaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

finally read my first aron beauregard!
my fave stories were:
One Night Stand
The Reward
When the Phone Rings

[renee w · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very different and incredible. This is the adult version of the books I grew up on. Every story is filled with illustrations.18 stories filled with depravity and gore. All 5 star stories. Plus look at that cover and title. Nightmare Nirvana brought me back to my reading roots.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so evidently a labour of love on so many levels. All of the stories are so different and *fun*. There’s something for every horror fan in this one. And we of course have to talk about the INCREDIBLE artwork throughout this collection - absolutely amazing. This collection deserves so much more attention and I’m making it my mission to convince my followers to RUN to purchase their copy!

[Negan88 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nostalgic Scary Stories Greatness!

Aron Beauregard’s Nightmare Nirvana was the month of February’s Horror Nerds 😈 group read. With Aron’s live Q&A being tomorrow at 7:30pm EST I thought that I would hold off on my review for the time being. Well, now the time has come to share my thoughts. Here we go!

First and foremost, Nightmare Nirvana was an absolute pleasure to read in it’s entirety. It is filled with amazing artwork, and Aron went all out with this book! The book is much larger in size, and the artwork is as well. Not to mention the art is phenomenal, and meshes with the stories perfectly!

As I was reading this book I had major nostalgia feeling reminiscent of reading Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The only difference is the fact that these stories are more adult geared, and a whole bunch of fun! I really loved the entire book, and it was difficult to pick “favorite stories”. So, I simply will mention a few that really got me.

My favorites would probably have to be The Carousel, Upper Decker, Inground Pool, When the Phone Rings, and The Retirement Match. I simply could not pick one. All of the above stories just really captivated me a bit more so than some of the other entries. However, I will not be breaking these down because this book is so much fun I do not want to give away any spoilers. We all know it is easy to spoil short stories in a compilation.

Overall, I must give Nightmare Nirvana five chemical barrels out of five Red Widows! This is one of the most fun and nostalgic books I’ve read this year so far! I highly recommend it to any fan of horror, and definitely fans of Aron Beauregard as well. Join us tomorrow Friday March 18 at 7:30pm EST at Horror Nerds 😈, and bring all of your burning questions for Aron! Until next time, my friends.

[Jessica Mays · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Aron. Absolutely love the cover by Zack Dunn. Definitely loved all the different stories. Some better than others.

[Jessica Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO MUCH BADASSERY!!!! Absolutely lovvvvve this book. It’s like the sick and twisted adult upgrade of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Even when I wanted to puke, I couldn’t look away lol! ALL horror fans NEED this one in their collection. You won’t be disapppointed!!!!!! Well done sir. You owe me a meal for the one I couldn’t finish while reading this. Haha!

[Todd Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aron does a great job with his line up in Nightmare Nirvana. Timmy’s Teeth, The Carousel and The Retirement Match were my top three. Each story is great, the art is awesome and the cover is spectacular. Aron can really put a book together. I’d love to see a graphic novel!

[Thomas Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome stories! These short stories each were wonderful in their own unique way..The first one-The Red Widow had me thinking next time I do I good deed. The last one called the The Retirement Match had me thinking of those MTV Beavis and Butthead days when they had those celebrities death fights I used to love those. Bake sale also was a nostalgic for another popular movie/book. I love them all thank you Aron!

[Christopher Besonen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you read an author and just know from page one that it is going to be a well written thrill ride, Beauregard is one of those writers. Hearing this book was Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, I just had to read it and see what it offered. The offer, was a book not soon to be forgotten! Full of blood, gore and grossness, it is clear to me why Aron is one of the top names in the Indie Horror community. My least favorite was easily "When The Phone Rings" because it is pure depravity, but hey this is Horror and ya get what ya get!! I felt the variety told here was a great example of a vast imagination. I will be exploring more Beauregard works soon!!!

[A.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by the amazingly talented Aron. This book is filled with multiple short stories and great illustrations.

[Final✘Girl✘Magick · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an adult this is my favorite book everrrrrr. So much nostalgia with this. It reminds me of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark but for adults! Definitely not for kids!!

[Stefanie Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

18 short stories in one book by Aron Beauregard.

This one has it all, from wrestling to bed bugs, from reptiles to shark teeth.. Incredible book from
beginning to end. The cover and the illustrations are spectacular. The whole vibe of this book is Goosebumps but for adults.

My favorite story(s) are One Night Stand, Timmy’s Teeth, When the Phone Rings, Dad’s New Gun, Upper Decker, and The Retirement Match. Hot Car needs a honorary mention because it left me so mad.

[Jason Nickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aron's extreme horror nod to the Scary Stories books is fantastic. A great collection of stories with creepy artwork to go along with it. This is a must have for any extreme horror fan.

[Paige Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed all the artwork in this one!!

[Olga Moya · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED. LOVED. LOVED. First of all, it had illustrations, HORROR and GRAPHIC illustrations that were just amazing. This book contains horror short-stories. Each story was more gory than the last. I literally gasped at some of the turning points. This is such a beautifully put together and illustrated book that I had to purchase a physical copy. I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy horror or gore.

[Megan Stockton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beauregard's Nightmare Nirvana is an absolute turret of depravity. Each new story slides in and peaks at a blistering pace, every one more disgusting or shocking than the last. The artwork was phenomenal, perfectly placed and appropriate to the accompanying pages. Excellent collection of dark shorts consistent with the quality of work you expect from this author. Great read.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was awesome! I fully intended to pick a favorite and I just can't. I gagged, I shuddered, I laughed. So awesome.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories! One of my favorite books and author!

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect in every way!

[Jody Blanchette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gross, gory and Graphic are the best adjectives to describe this book. If you love Splatterpunk Horror, this is the book for you! It’s actually a great stepping stone into the genre, if you’re not sure if you can stomach it.
Nightmare Nirvana is a bunch of short stories from the disturbing mind of @aronbeauregardhorror . Each story is a quick scare but will lurk in the back of your mind for a long time. If it weren’t for some of the sexual content, I would suggest this book for a good campfire read. Lol, but don’t do that. Unless you’re reading it to consenting adults, lol. There are fun drawings throughout the book, giving you a visual that is worse then what you had on your own. This makes for an excellent show and tell while reading.
Of all the stories I loved Bake Sale. It is everything that every thick girl has ever fantasized about doing to their haters. The Red Widow was a good tale as well. The only one I didn’t like was The Upper Decker. Lol I found that one too shitty…. Pun intended lol

[Mark Trinkwalder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I promised Aron Beauregard to give 'Nightmare Nirvana's a proper review today. So.

This book was all over the damned place. I mean that in a good way though. The stories varied on topics and depravity. Some were short others a little longer but each was typical of his style. Obvious ties to everyday events and news. The second story had me hooked and while that bug already creeped me out. I am creeped out even more after that. A lot of the stories had a great sort of twist which was cool as well. It was quick to get through and an enjoyable read. Another 5/5 for me. Thanks for the wild ride. The wrestling story was pretty nasty as well.

[Wren Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was simply a very adult, very icky homage to Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark.

If you know Beauregard’s work, you know by now what you’re getting into. If you don’t, then proceed with caution, this is not for the faint of heart.

[Autumn Feathers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary Stories series for the grown up fans! This is one hell of a creepy, nasty collection. The tales Beauregard spins in this collection are rather mind blowing and nauseating, absolutely loved them!
In Beauregard fashion each tale centers around humanity at its scummiest, whether the good wins or not there are, dare I say, lessons to be learned at the end of each, albeit terrifying and/or disgusting.
Beauregard put a lot of time into this collection and you can tell it, the illustrations within are hauntingly beautiful and match the tales perfectly.
If you’re a fan of gore and splatterpunk and haven’t read this author you are missing out big time.
Can’t wait to see what comes from this authors mind in the future.

[Byron Clements · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some fun and disgusting short story's in this one. Goosebumps for twisted adults. The cover art is my favourite out of any book I own. I also enjoyed the art inside the pages.

[Jerry Medrano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going into a Aron Beauregard book you have expectations of blood and gore and boy does did book deliver but hidden within the bone and brain matter are some emotional gems this book repulsed me made me laugh but more importantly left me hungry for more

[Liam Underwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m attempting to read all of Aron Beauregard’s work in publication order (as best as I can tell) and following All Smiles Until I Return and his collaboration with Daniel J. Volpe Sew Sorry , Nightmare Nirvana sees Beauregard returning to short stories, collecting eighteen shorts here. This is familiar ground for Beauregard, with Nightmare Nirvana being, by my count, his sixth short story collection so far, following Beyond Reform - which is a collaborative effort between Beauregard, Jon Athan, and Jasper Bark - Hallucinations , Dark Assembly , Pizza Face , and Try the New Candy . So what sets Nightmare Nirvana apart? Stefan Ljumov.

Beauregard’s books often feature interior illustrations, usually as chapter markers, but here artist Stefan Ljumov has provided plenty of accompanying artwork – full-page spreads are liberally scattered throughout the book alongside smaller illustrations. These complement Beauregard’s writing nicely, elevating the content of this book and making it stand out. However, I will provide a word of warning – don’t make the mistake I did and read this in public. Some of the artwork is not appropriate for public spaces and the full-page spreads are hard to discreetly hide whilst reading. With that noted, let’s break down the stories contained here.

The Red Widow
This short story is inspired by Zack Dunn’s striking artwork that graces the cover of Nightmare Nirvana. Although I do think the overall twist in this short is a little predictable, Beauregard still manages to throw in some particularly vile moments that help distract from feelings of familiarity. It’s a totally okay start to the collection.

One Night Stand
This is one of those short stories that contains artwork that you probably don’t want to be caught reading in public. That said, it also contains one of my favourite pieces of art included in this book (the doctor). I enjoyed this short a lot, with Beauregard beautifully blending sex and horror into one hell of a morality tale.

Speak Now
I loved the set-up to this short, but the reveal didn’t quite land for me. This is one of those short stories that feels like it has a lot of potential, but also feels like it needs a little more breathing room to really mine the story for more tension.

The Carousel
This short contains one of the more deranged pieces of art found here. For me the climax started to edge into silliness, but there’s enough to enjoy on the road there. This is also the short where I became really aware of the breadth of Beauregard’s writing collected here, this is very unlike the previous shorts, which do all stand out quite uniquely themselves.

Upper Decker
To go from the previous short to this just solidified my point about Beauregard’s breadth of writing. I loved this entry. The set-up, the reveal, the characters, the climax, everything here just worked for me. There’s a claustrophobia that Beauregard has infused into this short that is exceptional.

The Reward
Another great entry. It could be argued that the twist here is perhaps a little predictable, but I still think Beauregard managed to pull it off well. Good concept with good execution.

The Jiggle Joint
I found this short story to be less convincing. I think Beauregard has done a good job with the setting, but not much else here really worked for me. This feels like a first draft of a short that would’ve benefitted from some polishing.

Shafted
Another short story that is simply just okay. I think the individual components here are a little more rounded than the previous short, but the reveal lands a little flat so it all feels like it doesn’t really amount to much.

Dad’s New Gun
Another brutal morality tale. Really enjoyed this one and Beauregard pulls no punches. This is one of the shorter stories collected here but it’s no less effective.

Bake Sale
Reminded me a lot of that scene from Stand by Me (1986), this is another short that is just totally okay. I don’t think this really does enough to stand out.

Inground Pool
This short story leans a little more into the silliness with its extremities. The end result is another short that is just fine, nothing more nothing less.

The Old Truck
I think buried somewhere in this short is the kernel of a good idea, but it doesn’t quite pop here. The ending of this felt a little rushed and at odds with where things had previously been seemingly building to.

The Last Illusion
Really enjoyed this one and it contains some excellent artwork. If anything I just think there’s more to this story to be told, and it felt somewhat constrained by the limitations of a short story. Still, there’s plenty here to like.

Hot Car
This is easily the shortest story included here, and I think one of the weakest. I get what Beauregard is trying to do here, but I don’t think his messaging is conveyed effectively. Ultimately this ends up feeling like padding.

Captain Hunt
Another decidedly unremarkable entry. Again, I think there’s potential here, but I think it needed a bit more work and breathing room to achieve that potential. Instead, this just feels like a rushed attempt at a modern urban legend that doesn’t really work cohesively.

Timmy’s Teeth
An excellent entry – really enjoyed everything Beauregard did here. The body horror is exceptional and aided by the accompanying artwork. I think here Beauregard absolutely nails the mix of silliness and horror.

When the Phone Rings
Another solid entry. Sure, the twist is once again a little predictable, but the subject matter is so dark that I think Beauregard gets away with it. There is a sequence or two that is described a little messily and maybe could have been more effective if it was depicted clearer, but it’s a minor quibble in what is otherwise a very good short story.

The Retirement Match
We end with a great concept that is executed well. Like with some of the other short stories here, it does feel like this would’ve benefitted from a little more breathing room – there’s some blank spaces here that I think would’ve improved the short if they’d been filled in. But still, it’s a strong ending to the book that took me back to my childhood.

Like with most short story collections, Nightmare Nirvana is hit and miss, but thankfully there are more hits than misses. Ljumov’s artwork helps emphasise the depravity of Beauregard’s writing, resulting in a finished product that is overall an enjoyable experience. Of the six short story collections I’ve now read by Beauregard, Nightmare Nirvana is my favourite and I think it will be hard to top.

3.5/5

Aron Beauregard Ranked
1) Scary Bastard - 4/5
2) Yellow - 3.5/5
3) The Slob - 3.5/5
4) Nightmare Nirvana - 3.5/5
5) Sew Sorry - 3.5/5
6) Beyond Reform - 3.5/5
7) Pizza Face - 3/5
8) Son of the Slob - 3/5
9) In the Hands of the Heathens - 3/5
10) Wedding Day Massacre - 3/5
11) Hallucinations - 3/5
12) Try the New Candy - 3/5
13) Die Tommy - 3/5
14) All Smiles Until I Return - 2.5/5
15) Dark Assembly - 2/5