What do you think?
Rate this book
H/armed
H/armed follows a man known as Estes, who must try and bring logic and reason to thirty-nine others, who find themselves at the bidding of a bloodthirsty Director inside a department store. This man who is heard, and never seen, warns of deadly consequences should these forty individuals not abide by his instructions for those paying to view the livestream via the If you try and escape, you die. If you do not fight, you are killed by the security team. The last to survive earns the right to leave alive.
This darkly comedic, thrilling horror satire, addresses the societal norm of control through obedience. A story that uses ultra-violence to express ideas, and address stereotypes portrayed by Hollywood and accepted by the general masses. Including the state of race, gender, sexual identity, and the power of individualism against bigotry.
The voices of a few cannot control the actions of the many.
“Action-packed, fast-paced, violent, and full of criminals... that thrill, terrorize, and satirize.“
—Library Journal
"LaValley creates a non-stop, adrenaline ride of violence and mayhem, in a setting Americans know all so well. H/armed is a bloody, relentless and visceral assault on the senses. Wickedly entertaining."
—Paul Hough, writer/director of The Human Race
“Dustin LaValley has been bulldozing his way through the horror genre’s shadowy byways for years, kicking the readership’s ass up and down the street, walking all over it, and then quietly leaving the room with a deadpan expression. His work doesn’t tip-toe through the tulips, it roto-tills the whole flower bed and uproots everything. His creative voice is its own uniqueness; he’s not ‘like’ any other writer and there’s no other writer ‘like’ him. He defines the modern in-your-grill psycho-drama, and I suspect he will always sit high on the heap of the genre’s most daring and exciting talents.”
—Edward Lee, author of The Bighead and White Trash Gothic
This darkly comedic, thrilling horror satire, addresses the societal norm of control through obedience. A story that uses ultra-violence to express ideas, and address stereotypes portrayed by Hollywood and accepted by the general masses. Including the state of race, gender, sexual identity, and the power of individualism against bigotry.
The voices of a few cannot control the actions of the many.
“Action-packed, fast-paced, violent, and full of criminals... that thrill, terrorize, and satirize.“
—Library Journal
"LaValley creates a non-stop, adrenaline ride of violence and mayhem, in a setting Americans know all so well. H/armed is a bloody, relentless and visceral assault on the senses. Wickedly entertaining."
—Paul Hough, writer/director of The Human Race
“Dustin LaValley has been bulldozing his way through the horror genre’s shadowy byways for years, kicking the readership’s ass up and down the street, walking all over it, and then quietly leaving the room with a deadpan expression. His work doesn’t tip-toe through the tulips, it roto-tills the whole flower bed and uproots everything. His creative voice is its own uniqueness; he’s not ‘like’ any other writer and there’s no other writer ‘like’ him. He defines the modern in-your-grill psycho-drama, and I suspect he will always sit high on the heap of the genre’s most daring and exciting talents.”
—Edward Lee, author of The Bighead and White Trash Gothic
127 pages, Paperback
Published January 16, 2023
1 person is currently reading
37 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 15, 2021
https://godless.com/products/h-armed-...
H/armed was the first story I’ve read by Dustin LaValley and, I must admit, I’m curious for more.
The basic idea is not a new one: Groups of people killing each other to be the last man (or woman) standing. (Much like a shoe sale on Black Friday). It is shown to a live audience and run by an unknown person. Off the top of my head, movies like THE RUNNING MAN, THE HUNGER GAMES, SAW and DEATH RACE comes to mind. Not to mention some severely underrated gems such as ESCAPE ROOM and CHEAP THRILLS (loved that movie!). I will also throw in UNTRACEABLE.
Yet, LaValley takes ten groups of four people and pit them against each other in a department store. Let the games begin…indeed. The reason those people were chosen will remain a mystery, but the idea of kill or be killed can bring out the absolute worst in humanity – regardless of how the world perceives certain groups. And, in the end, this is probably the biggest message the author is trying to convey.
There’s a lot of blood and gore, and what can be described as ultra-violence. Like anything worth mentioning, it may not be a pretty picture, but it gets the message across. My Aussie friends might be able to help me out here – years ago, I saw a short story on television where they said Australia is launching a shock campaign against drunk driving, where they show real, severe accidents as ads. Now, I can’t tell you if it worked or not, but the little I saw (I think they showed two), was shocking to me.
This story is not without flaws – the biggest of which was the number of contestants vs. the length of the story…it might be difficult to keep track, but if you manage to get a clear picture in your head, you will be able to follow. LaValley does a good job of separating the groups into recognizable “stereotyped” factions, each in a different department, but when they start moving around you have to focus to keep up.
Overall – I didn’t expect a twist, but I got one. If you are willing to embrace this in the way it is intended, you will be entertained. And I most certainly would read a follow up should the author write one in the future.
And, whenever you question just how horribly sick and twisted authors of these extreme stories are, you should talk to this author – it will blow your ever-loving mind. This guy donates advances and royalties on his books to his local SPCA, the law enforcement branch of the SPCA and a shelter called Save a Stray. My hat is truly off to him – I respect that he can do so much for those who need it most – and I will support him when I can in the future.
4 Stars.
H/armed was the first story I’ve read by Dustin LaValley and, I must admit, I’m curious for more.
The basic idea is not a new one: Groups of people killing each other to be the last man (or woman) standing. (Much like a shoe sale on Black Friday). It is shown to a live audience and run by an unknown person. Off the top of my head, movies like THE RUNNING MAN, THE HUNGER GAMES, SAW and DEATH RACE comes to mind. Not to mention some severely underrated gems such as ESCAPE ROOM and CHEAP THRILLS (loved that movie!). I will also throw in UNTRACEABLE.
Yet, LaValley takes ten groups of four people and pit them against each other in a department store. Let the games begin…indeed. The reason those people were chosen will remain a mystery, but the idea of kill or be killed can bring out the absolute worst in humanity – regardless of how the world perceives certain groups. And, in the end, this is probably the biggest message the author is trying to convey.
There’s a lot of blood and gore, and what can be described as ultra-violence. Like anything worth mentioning, it may not be a pretty picture, but it gets the message across. My Aussie friends might be able to help me out here – years ago, I saw a short story on television where they said Australia is launching a shock campaign against drunk driving, where they show real, severe accidents as ads. Now, I can’t tell you if it worked or not, but the little I saw (I think they showed two), was shocking to me.
This story is not without flaws – the biggest of which was the number of contestants vs. the length of the story…it might be difficult to keep track, but if you manage to get a clear picture in your head, you will be able to follow. LaValley does a good job of separating the groups into recognizable “stereotyped” factions, each in a different department, but when they start moving around you have to focus to keep up.
Overall – I didn’t expect a twist, but I got one. If you are willing to embrace this in the way it is intended, you will be entertained. And I most certainly would read a follow up should the author write one in the future.
And, whenever you question just how horribly sick and twisted authors of these extreme stories are, you should talk to this author – it will blow your ever-loving mind. This guy donates advances and royalties on his books to his local SPCA, the law enforcement branch of the SPCA and a shelter called Save a Stray. My hat is truly off to him – I respect that he can do so much for those who need it most – and I will support him when I can in the future.
4 Stars.
January 23, 2023
"Esta es una historia de autoridad y objeción; creación, educación y expedición de la mente autónoma y los actos que promueve "
Tal como el autor, seré breve. Un grupo de personas encerradas en un supermercado se enfrentan a muerte utilizando como armas los elementos que tienen a mano en la sección en la que se encuentran.
-Pues qué quieres que te diga, esto mola..
-Además, pequeño padawan, todo esto es a ritmo de metal del bueno: Mastodon, Clutch, Sepultura...
-No me digas más.
-Vale, pero ahora el escritor se tira medio libro presentando a los personajes como en la Royal Rumble de la WWF pero con menos gracia porque ninguno termina de adquirir el carisma necesario para hacerte ir en su bando. Mientras el escritor está en eso tú solo puedes pensar "verás cuando empiecen las ostias".
Y empiezan las ostias, pero está todo contado que te importa lo que pase lo mismo que si estás viendo un Camerún-Cabo Verde, excepto si era en Canal Plus a las 3 de la mañana que achinabas los ojos y veías a Jenna Jameson y/o Rocco Sifreddi.
Así va avanzando todo sin que el autor te cuente nada que te interese porque ni siquiera la violencia que ejercen los personajes es llamativa, si al menos llegara a los extremos del splatterpunk y entrara en terrenos más comprometidos atraería nuestra atención. Y llega un momento que a tenor de la portada y lo que va pasando ves la mega orgía que se van a montar... y tampoco coitus interruptus.
Y vas esperando que algo explote, pero no explota nada. Cuando te das cuenta se te echa encima un final con una moraleja de la que Bob Marley estaría orgulloso y así nos vamos todos tan tranquilos a casa.
Como puntos a favor, la extensión hace que no se haga demasiado tedioso y la maravillosa banda sonora que suena, tal cual, durante cada una de las escenas que os harán descubrir a bandas maravillosas (a mi me lo ha hecho con Pig Destroyer a quienes no tenía en el radar, quizás por eso me haya merecido el rato).
En definitiva un entretenimiento con el que podrás echar un buen rato si eres el target de este libro y que sufrirás si no estás en tan selecto grupo.
¿Qué os parece? ¿Lo habéis leído?
Tal como el autor, seré breve. Un grupo de personas encerradas en un supermercado se enfrentan a muerte utilizando como armas los elementos que tienen a mano en la sección en la que se encuentran.
-Pues qué quieres que te diga, esto mola..
-Además, pequeño padawan, todo esto es a ritmo de metal del bueno: Mastodon, Clutch, Sepultura...
-No me digas más.
-Vale, pero ahora el escritor se tira medio libro presentando a los personajes como en la Royal Rumble de la WWF pero con menos gracia porque ninguno termina de adquirir el carisma necesario para hacerte ir en su bando. Mientras el escritor está en eso tú solo puedes pensar "verás cuando empiecen las ostias".
Y empiezan las ostias, pero está todo contado que te importa lo que pase lo mismo que si estás viendo un Camerún-Cabo Verde, excepto si era en Canal Plus a las 3 de la mañana que achinabas los ojos y veías a Jenna Jameson y/o Rocco Sifreddi.
Así va avanzando todo sin que el autor te cuente nada que te interese porque ni siquiera la violencia que ejercen los personajes es llamativa, si al menos llegara a los extremos del splatterpunk y entrara en terrenos más comprometidos atraería nuestra atención. Y llega un momento que a tenor de la portada y lo que va pasando ves la mega orgía que se van a montar... y tampoco coitus interruptus.
Y vas esperando que algo explote, pero no explota nada. Cuando te das cuenta se te echa encima un final con una moraleja de la que Bob Marley estaría orgulloso y así nos vamos todos tan tranquilos a casa.
Como puntos a favor, la extensión hace que no se haga demasiado tedioso y la maravillosa banda sonora que suena, tal cual, durante cada una de las escenas que os harán descubrir a bandas maravillosas (a mi me lo ha hecho con Pig Destroyer a quienes no tenía en el radar, quizás por eso me haya merecido el rato).
En definitiva un entretenimiento con el que podrás echar un buen rato si eres el target de este libro y que sufrirás si no estás en tan selecto grupo.
¿Qué os parece? ¿Lo habéis leído?
January 16, 2023
Battle Royale en un Hipermercado. Los juegos del Hambre A LO BESTIA. Si buscas algo ultraviolento y divertido a la par, este libro es para ti. #TeamMachotas
August 9, 2022
This book was so bad ass. First off I dug the concept.. Let's put a bunch of different subcultures together in a department store have them arm themselves crank up the fucking heavy metal and have a battle royal type match to the death. I will say that the one thing that was difficult was keeping up with all the contestants and groups it gets confusing.... but with so much carnage, mayhem and blood flying around I didn't care 😆😆. Second This book gets a extra star for all the kick ass bands and songs mentioned in this book. This was a brutal fast-paced hyper violent bloodbath and I dug every page of this. It was just a fun read highly recommend. Go to godless.com and get this it's fucking awesome
January 19, 2023
No pensé que me iba a gustar tanto y me ha sorprendido para bien.
Es un libro para no pensar, simplemente disfrutar de las mamarrachadas, reírte y pasar un buen rato en estos juegos del hambre en un supermercado.
Por favor las señoras guapas de la sección de cocina… soy su fan. #Equipoflorecillas
Si os gustan las mamarrachadas sangrientas, este es vuestro libro.
Pasaréis un rato divertido, eso os lo garantizo.
Es un libro para no pensar, simplemente disfrutar de las mamarrachadas, reírte y pasar un buen rato en estos juegos del hambre en un supermercado.
Por favor las señoras guapas de la sección de cocina… soy su fan. #Equipoflorecillas
Si os gustan las mamarrachadas sangrientas, este es vuestro libro.
Pasaréis un rato divertido, eso os lo garantizo.
February 9, 2025
Menos mal que se trata de una novela cortita dividida en más de cuarenta episodios, de lo contrario sería un auténtico suplicio terminar la lectura.
El planteamiento es divertido y original, desafortunadamente carece de argumento y trama convincentes.
Entiendo que se trata de algo pensado para ENTRETENER, pero en mi caso ni para eso sirvió.
La entrada de personajes al estilo "LUCHA LIBRE" es lo más rescatable del libro, junto con la selección de temas musicales.
Lo que parecía algo prometedor se quedó en eso: UNA PROMESA.
El peor libro que he leído de Dimensiones Ocultas.
El planteamiento es divertido y original, desafortunadamente carece de argumento y trama convincentes.
Entiendo que se trata de algo pensado para ENTRETENER, pero en mi caso ni para eso sirvió.
La entrada de personajes al estilo "LUCHA LIBRE" es lo más rescatable del libro, junto con la selección de temas musicales.
Lo que parecía algo prometedor se quedó en eso: UNA PROMESA.
El peor libro que he leído de Dimensiones Ocultas.
May 9, 2022
No explanation required violence. Kill or be killed. The setting is a department store full of hunting equipment, cooking cutlery, a pharmacy, and anything you may need to make someone’s next breath their last. The teams are armed and ready with the only rule being that no one can leave until everyone else is dead. Forty people enter, one survives. If anyone tries to escape, they are shot. All live streamed on the dark web for viewers to place their bets.
Once this gets rolling it is nonstop violence. Trust no one and don’t ever let your guard down. Do you have what it takes to survive?
Short and bloody leaving you with question that don’t need to be answered in order to enjoy.
Once this gets rolling it is nonstop violence. Trust no one and don’t ever let your guard down. Do you have what it takes to survive?
Short and bloody leaving you with question that don’t need to be answered in order to enjoy.
February 18, 2022
Action-packed while commenting on free will and the ability to retain compassion and humanity in the most extreme circumstances. The end had you asking yourself some questions. I got a Warriors vibe from it. Maybe because of the way all the distinct factions were arriving at the beginning? That put Warriors music and aesthetic in my head the rest of the book.
December 15, 2021
Wow. Just, wow. I went into this with zero expectations but somehow, it still was not what I was expecting.
Premise: Hell in a Cell, in a fully stocked superstore, with only one winner.
Outcome: as you would expect. A bloody, fast-paced, action-packed kill fest by the most unlikely mix of people ever found in a battle.
Reaction: Oh Yea! Followed by a bit of shame, and the need for a shower. The playlist to go with this story was epic. I highly recommend it for an immersive experience. This was more fun than I had expected with an unexpected outcome.
4.5 stars for a fun, intense, rock-worthy experience.
Premise: Hell in a Cell, in a fully stocked superstore, with only one winner.
Outcome: as you would expect. A bloody, fast-paced, action-packed kill fest by the most unlikely mix of people ever found in a battle.
Reaction: Oh Yea! Followed by a bit of shame, and the need for a shower. The playlist to go with this story was epic. I highly recommend it for an immersive experience. This was more fun than I had expected with an unexpected outcome.
4.5 stars for a fun, intense, rock-worthy experience.
August 30, 2022
This book is fast paced and in your face. The adrenaline flowing off these pages was intense. I wasn't too sure where the story was going at the beginning, but when I found out I was so delighted. Excellent book!
April 17, 2023
Warriors in a supermarket with a metal music soundtrack. Hell yeah. I'm not entirely sure how this story worked so well as it should have been confusing as shit, but not only did it work, but it had an awesome time unfolding.
January 31, 2023
Es casi poética la forma de narrar de LaValley. Un libro entretenido, conciso y que va a lo que va. Una premisa bastante original dentro de la distopía. Me voy a dar yo también una ducha de sangre y claramente #teamflorecillas 🔪
February 24, 2023
Le doy 3.5 porque me dejó con ganas de más, muchas preguntas, me hubiera gustado conocer más a algunos personajes y entra en su mente.
February 28, 2023
La portada es una auténtica maravilla!! Me tiene absolutamente enamorada.
El libro promete un battle royale en un hipermercado, por equipos, pero sin dar muchas más explicaciones. La primera parte es la presentación de todos los personajes, hay tantos y las descripciones son tan escuetas que a veces cuesta seguir el hilo.
Cuando ya los conocemos a todos, breves normas del juego y a matarse, que esto consiste en eso. Golpes, sangre, vísceras, huesos triturados y un director que desde la megafonía anima la acción.
Tiene una banda sonora brutal, tiene personajes con mucho potencial, pero la historia no ha terminado de ser para mí, el no empatizar con nadie me ha dificultado tomar interés en la trama porque me daba bastante igual quien moría o quien vivía.
Es un libro muy cortito, recomendable si no quieres una trama compleja y prefieres acción y entretenimiento. Léelo con la música que te sugieren y la experiencia sube muchos puntos.
El libro promete un battle royale en un hipermercado, por equipos, pero sin dar muchas más explicaciones. La primera parte es la presentación de todos los personajes, hay tantos y las descripciones son tan escuetas que a veces cuesta seguir el hilo.
Cuando ya los conocemos a todos, breves normas del juego y a matarse, que esto consiste en eso. Golpes, sangre, vísceras, huesos triturados y un director que desde la megafonía anima la acción.
Tiene una banda sonora brutal, tiene personajes con mucho potencial, pero la historia no ha terminado de ser para mí, el no empatizar con nadie me ha dificultado tomar interés en la trama porque me daba bastante igual quien moría o quien vivía.
Es un libro muy cortito, recomendable si no quieres una trama compleja y prefieres acción y entretenimiento. Léelo con la música que te sugieren y la experiencia sube muchos puntos.
November 10, 2021
Well, what a fun terrific bloodbath splatter of gory horrific killings by strangers who only have one intention is surviving for freedom which is set in a shopping centre. They can only use what they can find in their current department as a weapon and the 39 are tasked with killing each by a director who is live-streaming the whole affair for people who are paying to view it.
What would you do in that situation no matter what background you came from and your instructions was to kill others just to end up leaving alive, I know it's easy to read this story and say yeah I couldn't do that to another person.
But it does get you thinking that if a person was put in that situation the horror of it is, your fight for survival would more than likely kick in, and that's the true horror of this story.
Oh also of course tons of gore, bloody killings, dismemberment for any horror reader.
Terrific read loved it!!
What would you do in that situation no matter what background you came from and your instructions was to kill others just to end up leaving alive, I know it's easy to read this story and say yeah I couldn't do that to another person.
But it does get you thinking that if a person was put in that situation the horror of it is, your fight for survival would more than likely kick in, and that's the true horror of this story.
Oh also of course tons of gore, bloody killings, dismemberment for any horror reader.
Terrific read loved it!!
September 20, 2022
I love novellas. Love love love them. Any book that I can finish in the span of a feature film is alright with me. Lavalley orchestrates a symphony of heavy metal-fueled carnage with just enough subtext and social commentary to make you smile (or frown). If you're looking for a fast and nasty blast of the old ultra-violence with a soundtrack that you'll want to seek out immediately, H/ARMED is your jam. Looking forward to checking out more from Dustin LaValley real soon.
March 11, 2024
Al libro le falta mucha trama y le sobran descripciones de coches y armas. Me han dado ganas de dejarlo en varias ocasiones, pero es tan corto que me daba rabia no terminarlo. Creo que es el más flojo que leo de la editorial, una pena porque me suele gustar mucho las propuestas de Dimensiones Ocultas.
Si buscas algo rápido, bizarro y corto de terror, quizá te guste.
Si buscas algo rápido, bizarro y corto de terror, quizá te guste.
March 19, 2023
Muy bestia. Entretenido sin más metas que esa. Se lee rápido y pasas un rato divertido.
January 9, 2026
A priori la trama es interesante, pero el libro se hace demasiado corto y queda a medio desarrollar (lo cual, por otro lado, es un punto positivo - la longitud - porque 100 páginas más hablando de armas y coches me hubiese resultado tedioso).
Está bien para pasar el rato, me ha gustado, no ha estado mal, pero sin más.
3 / 5 ☆
Está bien para pasar el rato, me ha gustado, no ha estado mal, pero sin más.
3 / 5 ☆
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews