What do you think?
Rate this book
Psycho Therapy
Tucson Police Office James McCabe, traumatized by his past, must come to terms with an alien invasion.
25 pages, Paperback
Published February 18, 2022
1 person is currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Ryan Hyatt
13 books72 followersRYAN HYATT tells stories about your future. He is a former news reporter, current educator, and author of the Terrafide sci-fi series. He edits the satirical sci-fi news site, The La-La Lander, as well as Not Your Father's Bedtime Stories, kid’s lit he creates with his daughter, author Sage Hyatt. Find him at the beach and his stories across the internet. Connect with him @ucalthisreality.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 28, 2022
I have to stop and collect myself a minute, because this cover for this short story is GORGEOUS! I love the design and color scheme - totally plays into a particular scene of the story dealing with neon signs, or at least that was my conclusion.
PSYCHO THERAPY by Ryan Hyatt (goes on sale as part of a double feature on Godless.com 2/17/22) is a sci fi/horror blend story about aliens who invade and what Americans did as a result.
Spoiler alert: it’s not what you’d expect. Well, actually, some of you might. Our government doesn’t make a habit of good decisions, so they? I reckon things can easily get out of hand when facing the fallout of an alien invasion…
I really want to share a favorite quote, but it’s a total spoiler and I don’t want to do that, because this is a fantastic short fiction read.
I love the little nod Ryan Hyatt gave to his Terrafide series - I love little Easter eggs like that!!
Loved this one - it’s been too long since I read something with a sci fi flavor!
PSYCHO THERAPY by Ryan Hyatt (goes on sale as part of a double feature on Godless.com 2/17/22) is a sci fi/horror blend story about aliens who invade and what Americans did as a result.
Spoiler alert: it’s not what you’d expect. Well, actually, some of you might. Our government doesn’t make a habit of good decisions, so they? I reckon things can easily get out of hand when facing the fallout of an alien invasion…
I really want to share a favorite quote, but it’s a total spoiler and I don’t want to do that, because this is a fantastic short fiction read.
I love the little nod Ryan Hyatt gave to his Terrafide series - I love little Easter eggs like that!!
Loved this one - it’s been too long since I read something with a sci fi flavor!
June 3, 2024
An excellent dystopian tale. This quick read was a great alien invasion/ what has this world turned into story. The kiaskis are not your typical gray men aliens. These guys are big ass, multi-eyed canine monstrosities. This story is very well written and frighteningly believable. Highly recommend!
October 10, 2022
**CROSS POSTED WITH ANOTHER OF HYATT’S**
Do you ever want short shorts that pack a punch, have some of the most in depth characters, and insane world building within the first 8 pages? Then you need to immediately pick up the following two stories from Ryan Hyatt.
Let’s chat about PUNK AIN’T UNDEAD. I saw another reviewer call this “Airheads meets The Walking Dead” and I cannot disagree at all. Imagine meeting up with your band mates after years only to overrun by idiot zombie types! Bummer, right? This one is a short, to the point commentary on the banality of our current world.
The characters and world building are something to celebrate. Hyatt’s ability to place us in a new world but one that is 100% familiar is remarkable and speaks to his writing ability. This one is absolute pure horror.
The other book is PSYCHO THERAPY. This one hit me in the feels more than I was prepared for in 25 short pages. It felt like a mash up of Training Day and the Rippers (?) from Tank Girl. PT speaks to the government regulations, what’s right for one or for the whole, and how far you would go to take revenge.
Both are not to be missed. Each is completely different and show Hyatt’s voice is such complex and fresh ways. I’m glad he reached out to me because now I’m stalking his feed for new releases.
Do you ever want short shorts that pack a punch, have some of the most in depth characters, and insane world building within the first 8 pages? Then you need to immediately pick up the following two stories from Ryan Hyatt.
Let’s chat about PUNK AIN’T UNDEAD. I saw another reviewer call this “Airheads meets The Walking Dead” and I cannot disagree at all. Imagine meeting up with your band mates after years only to overrun by idiot zombie types! Bummer, right? This one is a short, to the point commentary on the banality of our current world.
The characters and world building are something to celebrate. Hyatt’s ability to place us in a new world but one that is 100% familiar is remarkable and speaks to his writing ability. This one is absolute pure horror.
The other book is PSYCHO THERAPY. This one hit me in the feels more than I was prepared for in 25 short pages. It felt like a mash up of Training Day and the Rippers (?) from Tank Girl. PT speaks to the government regulations, what’s right for one or for the whole, and how far you would go to take revenge.
Both are not to be missed. Each is completely different and show Hyatt’s voice is such complex and fresh ways. I’m glad he reached out to me because now I’m stalking his feed for new releases.
February 18, 2022
Yeah, I can see an alien invasion going like this. Ryan writes like a comedian, taking an observation on human nature to its extreme, but somehow logical, conclusion. The action starts on the first page and continues until the last sentence while weaving in character development and building a post-invasion America. There's a tie-in to his Terrafide series as well that I'm looking forward to reading.
October 22, 2025
Psycho Therapy is an adrenaline shot of a story! It takes place after an alien invasion and the ensuing reaction from authorities and the public. I'm impressed with how much the author managed to fit in here while still making the storyline cohesive and the characters fleshed out. The issues tackled include the death penalty, government experimentation, police power, and vengeance. My only complaint is I wish the story is longer and certain aspects are expanded more, such as what are the other countries doing in response to the invasion? I still enjoyed it a lot though and I would love to read more stories from this world.
Thank you to the author for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
Thank you to the author for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
April 28, 2022
Well - I wanted more.
This is a short story, I knew that going in - but….more. I need more.
This is not my first alien story this month, but it is an entirely different take than usual. These aliens crash land and cause mass chaos in the United States taking us down a rather dystopian-like path. It follows a couple of police officers in the aftermath of the war with the aliens. The humans won, but at what cost?
It’s interesting and as I said I want more.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a short story, I knew that going in - but….more. I need more.
This is not my first alien story this month, but it is an entirely different take than usual. These aliens crash land and cause mass chaos in the United States taking us down a rather dystopian-like path. It follows a couple of police officers in the aftermath of the war with the aliens. The humans won, but at what cost?
It’s interesting and as I said I want more.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 2, 2022
Here’s the thing, a while back Mr. Hyatt approached me via my website (23rdlegion.com) to ask if I wanted to read his novel
The Psychic’s Memoirs
. I did, and that was my initial introduction into the Terrifide world. Boy howdy it’s been a wild ride since then, and
Psycho Therapy
falls perfectly in step with my expectations.
What are those expectations, you ask? Don’t expect anything.
Psycho Therapy opens nicely enough. We are introduced to Tucson police officer James McCabe who has a new position in the department patrolling the streets. We learn pretty quickly that the scenario for this tale is the post-invasion timeline of the Terrafide universe. It appears that, post-invasion, Terrafide Labs has figured out how to “tame” and weaponize the kiaskis: an alien canine-like creature that, by description, reminds me a lot of Mike Mignola’s interpretation of Samael.
In an apparent twist of strange fate, the American justice system is now relying on these kiaskis as a part of a bizarre “gauntlet” for severe sentences, and part of Officer McCabe’s duty — along with his veteran partner — is to monitor the process of said gauntlet and provide sideline support.
Per usual, there is a twist, and that particular twist relates to McCabe’s traumatic relationship with the invasion. I’m not saying anything else because it’s a short story and you can bloody well read it for yourself.
I do love where Psycho Therapy sits in the larger Terrafide universe. Each glimpse Mr. Hyatt releases gives a fog-of-war-esque clearing into a larger world that just bristles and roils around a much much larger, and much more terrifying, underlying situation. Per usual, I have far more questions than answers upon finishing this story, and I see that as an incredibly good thing. Psycho Therapy is a teasing amuse-bouche ahead of such a larger scenario, and it deftly pulled my attention in and left me wanting more.
What are those expectations, you ask? Don’t expect anything.
Psycho Therapy opens nicely enough. We are introduced to Tucson police officer James McCabe who has a new position in the department patrolling the streets. We learn pretty quickly that the scenario for this tale is the post-invasion timeline of the Terrafide universe. It appears that, post-invasion, Terrafide Labs has figured out how to “tame” and weaponize the kiaskis: an alien canine-like creature that, by description, reminds me a lot of Mike Mignola’s interpretation of Samael.
In an apparent twist of strange fate, the American justice system is now relying on these kiaskis as a part of a bizarre “gauntlet” for severe sentences, and part of Officer McCabe’s duty — along with his veteran partner — is to monitor the process of said gauntlet and provide sideline support.
Per usual, there is a twist, and that particular twist relates to McCabe’s traumatic relationship with the invasion. I’m not saying anything else because it’s a short story and you can bloody well read it for yourself.
I do love where Psycho Therapy sits in the larger Terrafide universe. Each glimpse Mr. Hyatt releases gives a fog-of-war-esque clearing into a larger world that just bristles and roils around a much much larger, and much more terrifying, underlying situation. Per usual, I have far more questions than answers upon finishing this story, and I see that as an incredibly good thing. Psycho Therapy is a teasing amuse-bouche ahead of such a larger scenario, and it deftly pulled my attention in and left me wanting more.
May 13, 2022
I received a free copy of Psycho Therapy through Blackthorn Book Tours for their April Quick Bites in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for this opportunity!
This was a unique short story! I didn’t know much going into it, but after finishing, I must say I’d love to see this flushed out into a full-length novel.
The premise is amazing. We follow a police officer who comes to terms with an alien invasion. Woah!
The alien invasion reminded me a bit of the Cloverfield franchise. This being a short story we breezed through the events of the initial invasion, especially as our “present” timeline takes place well after the invasion. I would have loved to see more about what happened during those days leading up to and after the invasion. I don’t think we got enough details. I want to see more aliens!!
But as for what we did get, I was captivated. I enjoyed following our main character. Of course, I would have loved to see more, but what we did get I thoroughly enjoyed. Our police officer was there when the aliens first invaded and we see him struggle to accept this new world, post-invasion.
Overall, I loved this quick bite. But I need more! I want to see this as a full novel.
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys short sci-fi stories and alien invasions!
This was a unique short story! I didn’t know much going into it, but after finishing, I must say I’d love to see this flushed out into a full-length novel.
The premise is amazing. We follow a police officer who comes to terms with an alien invasion. Woah!
The alien invasion reminded me a bit of the Cloverfield franchise. This being a short story we breezed through the events of the initial invasion, especially as our “present” timeline takes place well after the invasion. I would have loved to see more about what happened during those days leading up to and after the invasion. I don’t think we got enough details. I want to see more aliens!!
But as for what we did get, I was captivated. I enjoyed following our main character. Of course, I would have loved to see more, but what we did get I thoroughly enjoyed. Our police officer was there when the aliens first invaded and we see him struggle to accept this new world, post-invasion.
Overall, I loved this quick bite. But I need more! I want to see this as a full novel.
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys short sci-fi stories and alien invasions!
April 4, 2022
Psycho Therapy is the kind of story that hits home. It’s short, it’s well-written, and it keeps you thinking long after you have read it. It may be a sci-fi story, but when carnivorous aliens are portrayed as being less dangerous to the human race than the human race itself, it terrifies you how rooted in reality it truly is. After all, humans have been known to shoot themselves in the foot at multiple points in time.
The opening paragraphs make you wonder what’s going on, the next ones provide some information that give an inkling, and then comes all the background information you could need in a short, no-nonsense, format. And if you’re wondering what the title ‘Psycho Therapy’ has to do with aliens and science fiction, don’t worry: it’s everything. Leave it to humans to submit murderous aliens to psychological therapy.
What I really like about this short story is how well-presented the whole thing is and how impactful it is; it’s the kind of story that does, really, make you wonder ‘What have we become?’
Usually I like including things I believe could improve the story, even if such things might not be inherently bad, but I can’t find a single fault in this case. Hyatt is definitely an author to follow.
The opening paragraphs make you wonder what’s going on, the next ones provide some information that give an inkling, and then comes all the background information you could need in a short, no-nonsense, format. And if you’re wondering what the title ‘Psycho Therapy’ has to do with aliens and science fiction, don’t worry: it’s everything. Leave it to humans to submit murderous aliens to psychological therapy.
What I really like about this short story is how well-presented the whole thing is and how impactful it is; it’s the kind of story that does, really, make you wonder ‘What have we become?’
Usually I like including things I believe could improve the story, even if such things might not be inherently bad, but I can’t find a single fault in this case. Hyatt is definitely an author to follow.
April 18, 2022
HEINLEIN-LIKE STORY-TELLING AND PACING
Hyatt's prose is tight and the story unfolds fast. He deals with themes of endocolonization here, the tendency of empire to eventually police its own population like it polices its colonial populations. No weapon is out of bounds and tactics to cause intimidation and fear are also fair game.
With the recent development of Boston Dynamics' robotic Police dogs, this story comes at a good time.
When you read a story by Ryan, you get the feeling that he could tell stories forever. Each story is a kaleidoscope filled with other stories.
Hyatt's prose is tight and the story unfolds fast. He deals with themes of endocolonization here, the tendency of empire to eventually police its own population like it polices its colonial populations. No weapon is out of bounds and tactics to cause intimidation and fear are also fair game.
With the recent development of Boston Dynamics' robotic Police dogs, this story comes at a good time.
When you read a story by Ryan, you get the feeling that he could tell stories forever. Each story is a kaleidoscope filled with other stories.
May 1, 2022
Oh my lord this is scary! This is a fantastically well written sci-fi short that takes you by the throat and bites. A bit like it's alien characters actually. It's a chilling tale. Very brief, very sharp, very much to the point. You don't need to have read anything else by this author to make sense of it - he builds his world, populates it and makes you believe, all in 18 pages - but if you've read any of his Terrafide series, you'll know the world. And yes. I believe a government might do this. These days there's not much I think they wouldn't do.
March 19, 2022
Really loved this alien invasion tale! Hooked me right in and I couldn't put it down until I was done. Highly recommended and a great entry point into the author's work. I can't wait to read more.
April 7, 2022
My full review can be found here: https://thereadingwife.com/psycho-the...
May 4, 2023
It’s hard to write a review for a very short story, but even though this is a very short story, I actually got a decent handle on the characters and the world. Aliens are in the form of a type of killer doglike beast and instead of killing all of the aliens when they could, the government captures and experiments with them. How is that ever a good thing? So this is a couple days in the life of one cop, who was traumatized during the invasion as he was enlisted as a marine in San Diego during the initial invasion.
Overall, the author does a great job with 27 pages, pulls the reader in and leaves us wanting to read more in this world. Great job.
Overall, the author does a great job with 27 pages, pulls the reader in and leaves us wanting to read more in this world. Great job.
July 22, 2023
A planet Earth that has been invaded by dog type aliens and one where we learn to use them to our benefit?! Great read!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews