We Are Here to Hurt Each Other

by Paula D. Ashe

With these twelve stories Paula D. Ashe takes you into a dark and bloody world where nothing is sacred and no one is safe. A landscape of urban decay and human degradation, this collection finds the psychic pressure points of us all, and giddily squeezes. Try to run, try to hide, but there is no escape: we are here to hurt each other.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Horror Thriller, Anthologies, Queer, Thriller

152 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 21, 2022

About the author

Paula D. Ashe is a thirty-something writer of dark fiction who only feels comfortable writing about herself in third person. Originally from Ohio, she resides in Indiana with her wife and too many animals. Paula works as a lecturer and Program Assistant for the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs at Purdue University Fort Wayne. She is also a PhD student in American Studies at Purdue University. Before that she earned a BA in Creative Writing and a minor in Psychology, then an MA in Composition and Rhetoric and a graduate certificate in Women's Studies, all from Wright State University. You can find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pauladashe and Twitter @pauladashe if you're into that sort of thing.

Reviews

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: WE ARE HERE TO HURT EACH OTHER
Author: Paula D. Ashe
Publisher: Nictitating Books

The first two stories in this collection, Aspects of Emptiness and Carry On, Carrion are clear indicators of what the reader can expect from the rest…pure, unadulterated horror. The author, Paula D. Ashe is not messing around. A man with severe facial deformities is stalking people-men, women, children, it doesn’t matter, and using the power of suggestion to mutilate their own faces. Sometimes worse things happen. Nightmare fuel.

“He held my hand as the chemical ate away at my mask, leaving the bone and muscle somewhat damaged but relatively intact.
I am a blistered, blasted nightmare.
What, underneath, are you?”

The third story, All the Hellish Cruelties of Heaven will excite Clive Barker fans. Paula D. Ashe has a full mastery of language using it to plumb the depths of utter darkness. She introduces readers to a religious cult that practices the Gospel of Suffering. These people prey on vagrants and outcasts, the invisible people of the streets to make “converts” out of them through despicable methods of pain.
Utterly horrifying but compelling at the same time. You can’t look away.
One of my favorite aspects of this collection is how the stories are so different in style and substance but also interconnected.
A dark thread line through the whole book.
There are absolutely awful, horrible people in this book. I found nothing relatable, only cruelty after brutal cruelty, and yet, Paula D. Ashe’s prose is so lavish, so provocative, I can’t help but sing this book’s praises. Just don’t fault me for the depravity inside.
I honestly can’t recommend We Are Here to Hurt Each Other, enough. Immediately upon finishing, I sought more work out. Reader beware.

5 out of 5 skulls
Sadie Hartmann

[Brandon Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a grotesque, bizarre collection!! The prose was very reminiscent of Clive Barker, and the vibe/overall feel reminded me of how I felt while reading Negative Space by BR Yeager. Highly recommend if you’re into extreme horror and want something fresh and original!

[Gohnar23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books read & reviewed: 1️⃣0️⃣6️⃣🥖4️⃣0️⃣0️⃣


╔⏤⏤⏤╝❀╚⏤⏤⏤╗


3️⃣🌟, hurt people hurt people,. But i dont get why this got literary awards lolol, dunno why bro
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➕➖0️⃣1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣7️⃣8️⃣9️⃣🔟✖️➗

Fascinatingly when i read this book i now discover in myself that im the type of reader who has absolutely zero opinions when it comes to short stories, i mean uh. It exists? Lezgo? Short stories don't give enough depth for me and all of these just seems like someone took inspiration from 'a little life' but forgot the depth and complexities that the book had and just shortened it to short stories, hoping that it can still do the same magic but it didn't I guess. Its kinda tiring having the same message repeated every time through multiple different but still the same situations, its written like its forcing itself to have this perfect ideal presence of a prose, making ALL of the short stories point ☝️ to this one message that is so 'in your face' and its uneasy.


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Date Read: Monday, March 17, 2025
Book Length: k words: i can't find the number of words 😭
Disturbingness scale: hurt people hurt people out of 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ potatoes 🥔: 5️⃣1️⃣

My 21th read of splatterpunk march ✨

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*Pre-Read✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*


nuthin

[Luciano Bernaroli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it’s been the most disturbing, horrifying, intense, horror book I ever read.
It’s a sort of manifesto of a new era of horror. Each story in that book seems to represent one the most deep and black hole where humans could fall and the more you read the more your mind fall in these dark abysses.
One of the most interesting part I’ve read is in the conclusion where the author talks about a suggestion she followed in which she says a friend tells her to look inside the darkness to find the light and after you’ve read this book you may say you have reached the blackest darkness of the human mind and all that’s left is The brightest light.

[Mike Thorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of stories and vignettes shifts from weird abstraction and metaphysical body horror to familial Gothic and procedural noir. Vivid visions of grotesquerie and despair; an exciting debut.

Check out our Craftwork interview with Paula D. Ashe.

[John The Crippledgimp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I don't know what to say except WOW. This book is deep, dark, horrific and just beautifully written its almost poetic. Every story in here was just awesome. This collection blew me away. This just dives deep into the darkness of humanity and the horrors that lie within and make you realize that even if we act with good intentions that no where and no one is free from violence hurt or pain and in the end we all hurt each other in the end even if it's not always intentional. Highly recommend this and Paula D. Ashe you have a new fan.

[David Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In her afterword, Paula D. Ashe states that she feels, at times, like telling readers NOT to read this book, to find and read anything else. Because it will hurt. As a reader, and an author, I believe the truth is deeper than that. It has to hurt to "write" the stories. There is no way to know how a reader will respond, just a deep-seated wish that they will react.

This is a powerful collection. It would not be possible to paint the vivid familial and work-related relationships, conflicts, betrayals and horror contained in these stories without a wealth of experience, whether personal or from close observation. This is writing, in other words, that matters. Even if it never mattered to anyone but the author, this is what it's about when it's most powerful. Putting the things that matter into words and bringing them to life.

I'm not going to do one of those story-by-story breakdowns because it's too simple to drop a spoiler, and because nothing I say will do more than her words to present each. I will say that my favorites of the collection are "Exile in Extremis," (Kudos for inclusion of the King in Yellow) "Jacqueline Laughs Last in the Gaslight," and "Telesignatures from a Future Corpse," which is the final story in the book, and would make a great film.

There are recurring themes of addiction, obsession, loss of children, loss of sanity. There are no happy characters in this book with the possible exception of Jaqueline... but you'll have to decide that on your own, for her and her Deacon...

I have read collections by seasoned authors that don't touch the quality of this writing. Very much looking forward to reading more from the author. Would not be surprised to see this one win awards.

Highly Recommended

[Brian Bowyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional!

This is one of the best collections I've ever read. I love all the stories, but "Bereft" is my favorite. Highly recommended!

[Malina Roos · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a "Do not go gentle into that good night" with Paula Ashe in WE ARE HERE TO HURT EACH OTHER. I read the first 30 words and I was in awe.

If you like your horror dark, real, gritty and tough to examine, this is the book for you. It deals with all kinds of horrific things, but then, that is what life is for some of us. One horror after another. Ms. Ashe does all the of the subject matter a great service. And she lists trigger warnings in the front of the book. From that, you get your cue you are about to enter into a world that most of us have tread, yet never speak about.

And Paul speaks. Her prose are a thing of beauty. "Pain is the source of all matter. It is the force that holds the universe together, that will tear it apart, only to rebuild again. Throughout the ages, humanity asks over and over again "why are we here?" and then pretends as if the Void does not bellow the answer back every single time."

The strength, hopelessness and resilience is encapsulated all at the same time in those 53 words. It screams, what is this all about? And demands an answer.

Paula delivers in each and every story. Each page is littered with pain, fear, hope, rage and beauty. Because in all dark things, there is beauty. You have to find it, and those of us that play in the dark, honour the beauty and the pain, because if we didn't, there would be no 'us'.

The intelligence in this book is striking. The working mind of an author is something that has always intrigued me, because, as writers, we write what we know. We get a glimpse into all the spinning things in Paula's head and it is a carnival ride. The cantilever of horror supports the intelligence of strength of humans. This is the gift of this book.

[Plagued by Visions · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is something beautiful in the way I identified my own inclinations towards a "baroque rot" in this piece. Though at certain times the narrative cannot help but be mired in a lot of overly ornate description (and oh how well I know that wrestling with the breaking point of how much is "too much"), which is thankfully often due to a need for practice more than anything, nonetheless what always reeled me back in was a stroke of descriptive genius, an idea planted and left to seethe in the wake of unbearable horror, little pools of sublimity and decay that showed me Paula D. Ashe is a true connoisseur and auteur of the macabre, and someone whose literary journey I will most definitely be keeping an eye out for.

[Meghan Maloney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting but juvenile

There were a some interesting moments in this book, and some of the prose was compelling. That said, there were a lot of five dollar SAT vocab words that just felt pasted in straight from thesaurus dot com, and many of the characters spoke in such a similar tone that it was hard to tell them apart as people. The stories, while unique, were never surprising. Constant unresolved plot threads. Inconsistency in grammar and exceptionally stilted dialogue between characters. In general, this feels like this was written by an unusually talented highschooler.

[Bill Hsu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is quite a diverse collection. I tend not to enjoy ornate prose in the service of relatively straightforward horror tropes, but I really liked the first few pieces for their deft execution and refusal to spell out all the details. The later stories are more conventional, many involving family trauma. Still solid and enjoyable.

More notes:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Pisces51 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did read the first three stories in the collection, and then chose to read what sounded like a police procedural at the end. I was simply not able to connect with the highly acclaimed novella by Paula D. Ashe entitled "We Are Here To Hurt Each Other".

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a title as seemingly nebulous as We Are Here to Hurt Each Other, Paula D. Ashe’s collection of thirteen vignettes might have been a weepy romance, a genteel drama, or even a feminist manifesto. The back cover summary boasts that the writer will take the reader into a “dark and bloody world where nothing is sacred and no one is safe,” but don’t most horror releases promise similar results? In this case, however, Ashe isn’t bluffing... Read the rest of this review on Ginger Nuts of Horror!

[Stefanie Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book. Paula D. Ashe definitely has a way with words.

12 stories that will take the reader into a deep darkness.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most original (and morbid) short story collections I’ve read since Books of Blood. And I think the author lives in my hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana! Outstanding book…if you can take it!

[Phrique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when I thought I ran out of room, I have another author to add to my favorites and it only took one collection! This was a small collection too, but the stories in this showed such a range of talent that blew me away. After the first few stories, I got this odd feeling in my gut. Something like extreme dread, like it was palpable. It feels like Paula D Ashe is not of this world, like she’s pretending to be a human living among us, and the only thing that is giving her away is you can tell she knows things that we don’t…and never could fathom. (That’s a compliment, I swear it.) That’s the impression that I got from just a few of her stories, they shook me to my core. There were themes in this that stuck to little thorns in my brain that I must not have noticed before, but wow. Much applause & all the flowers for Paula. I’ll be looking for more of her other work, can’t wait to read more.

[T.C. Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully, hauntingly horrible. The Barker comparisons are on the money.

A (gut-wrenching) must-read.

[Bingus Boingus · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[mick_paolino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Munitevi di ogni tipo di conforto fisico ed emotivo prima di affrontare questa lettura.
Tocca guardare dritto negli occhi l’oscurità del Fosco Pellegrino che è dentro di te per apprezzare la luce.

Sometimes darkness can show you the light?

Boh, forse..

[Sarah Huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Full review to be added/ edited with a link to Kendall reviews*

[Anastasija · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the author did a remarkable job of achieving their goal when writing this collection of short stories. Quoting the outro perfect captures my feelings and thoughts on this work.

"I don't know what it's like to live in a world that feels safe. I never have. Certainly, I operate under the assumption of safety or otherwise my cognition - damaged though it may be - wouldn't operate at all. Very few of us stop to recognize it. Even fewer of us admit our complicity in it.

In order to function in this world, we often have to steer our gaze towards the light, as blinding and as artificial as it may sometimes be.

Here is the dark. May your light be purer for its partaking."

[Michele Giacomini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un titolo che è davvero una dichiarazione d'intenti. Una delle migliori raccolte di racconti horror su cui abbia mai posato lo sguardo, horror per chi esige letteratura che passi i limiti. Le 12 schegge qui contenute sono racconti violenti, sadici, raccapriccianti, terrificanti e angoscianti dove l'oscurità è così palpabile, accecante e densa da nascondere le efferatezze più indecenti rendendole ancora più terrificanti, sì perché al di là dei disclaimer non siano di fronte a una raccolta di racconti splatterpunk, la violenza estrema e raccapriccianti non vuole qui disgustare e shockare, non vuole colpire e nauseare ma infestare le nostre case, farsi gioco della nostra supposta tranquillità, angosciarci con domande su domande, ognuna piú macabra e frustrante della precedente.
Questi racconto sono qui per farci male.

[Federica Lup · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[ezra · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars rounded up.

[October · Rating 5 out of 5]

The horror genre isn't usually something I read, but I cannot resist reading when Paula Ashe writes! Every word, every turn of phrase is beauty and poetry, no matter how gruesome or terrifying the subject. While I enjoyed some stories more than others (Jacqueline Laughs Last in the Gaslight is my favorite), they're all thrilling stories that will keep you hooked, even if you aren't a big horror fan. I also really appreciate that Paula has included a thorough list of trigger warnings in the front of the book, as some of the stories are really shocking.

[Dnln · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favourite stories: Telesignatures from a Future Corpse, All the Hellish Cruelties of Heaven, Exile in Extremis

[Jennifer Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways, I feel this collection simply wasn't for me. I have friends who really enjoyed it, and there were a lot of moments where I could appreciate the ferocity of Ashe's imagery and story-telling, but in general, much of the work here put me off--to the extent that, at the end of the day, I feel like this collection just wasn't necessarily ready for publication.

The first third of the book presents loosely connected material which, while not always coming through in what I'd call finished stories, comes together to make something larger and more complete. Because of that, the early part of the book grew on me as it unfolded, and I was looking forward to seeing how the collection would continue in that vein. I thought perhaps I'd been in the wrong mindset to take in more of a collage or collection that built meaning from many parts becoming one, vs. a traditional collection. Unfortunately, the interconnectedness seemed to end there, with none of the later stories coming back to build on that early meaning and promise. As a result, that first third itself felt like something other and unfinished, and I still didn't know what to make of the larger collection.

The stories from that point on too often felt like scenes to me, vs completely developed stories, and so I remained fairly underwhelmed. Much as I could often appreciate the imagery, I often needed a bit more material/content for meaning to be clear, and the 'stories' were so light on character and plot that I didn't find myself emotionall invested or affected, even when I felt as if I should be.

By the time I got to the end of the book, I was annoyed to find that the final 'story' was more of a novella which only looked shorter because formatting was changed to make more words fit on a page than had been the case in earlier pieces. That was an odd choice, but since I'd planned to read it, I did. (Note that if it had been formatted like the rest of the book, it probably would have taken up the second half of a printed edition, in which case I don't think I would have pushed forward.) Here, there was more to dive into, but I was also left feeling as if I didn't have enough to fully understand plot and character at various points, as if the author were playing tricks with the reader instead of simply telling a story.

The author's final after-note does make me think that her goals as a writer of this collection where, very simply, at odds with what I come to a book hoping for. I often want darkness--I love horror, after all--but I also want fully developed stories, characters, and meaning, vs. scenes that feel more like snapshots in a larger horror, and that's where the collection fell short for me.

I will say that I thought the most successful piece in the collection (for me) was "Bereft"--if I'd read that one in an anthology or journal, it very well might have made me look up more of Ashe's work, which is something the other pieces wouldn't have accomplished.

And although I want it to be a side note vs. the heart of the review, I do have to mention that the lack of editing in this book was a serious distraction for me. Regular comma errors that interfered with meaning and/or disrupted flow, as well as typos and an absence of expected hyphens, made the book feel more like a proof/ARC than a polished work, to the extent that I'd probably not pick up another book from the 'press'.

[Katherine Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Painful, Dark, and Beautiful

This book wallopped me. The writing is brilliant and terrifying. There are stories that made me squeamish and scared but I have to hand it to the author. She nailed the mood, the tension, and the terror. This is an incredible collection.

[Jeremy Hanes · Rating 5 out of 5]

this Book is Here to ruin you.

I am in love with the stories in this book and will revisit them again and again. There is horror yet there is also a sense of beauty and wonder in the world around us. I hope you fine something that makes you gasp or wonder what is going on around you as it did me. And Paula Ashe please keep writing so I can keep reading.