H/armed by Dustin Lavalley
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
United StatesGet your motor running..
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!
United StatesReign in Blood, Muscle Car-Style
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.
United KingdomLet's go shopping
A cool battle royale set in a shopping mall. Grab what you can from the shops and fight everyone else - orders the 'SAW' type loud speaker voice. Lots of twists and cannon folder. Nice and enthralling.
South AfricaTons of action!
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.
Tons of action!
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.