| Title | : | OH FUCK OH FUCK IT HURTS: A Collection of Medical Horror |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 171 |
| Publication | : | Published September 12, 2023 |
OH FUCK OH FUCK IT HURTS: A Collection of Medical Horror Reviews
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Once again, Ruth Anna Evans has nailed it, with this collection of body horror stories, which are scary, chilling and which somewhat tug at the heartstrings.
From her first book, I have been a huge fan of Ruth Anna, and with this one, it just cements the love I have for her amazing work. I don’t have a favourite from this collection, as they are all spectacular in their own right.
Ruth Anna has paired up with Rik Hoskin for this superb collection, which proves that this is a perfect writing duo, and one which I hope to read more from in the future.
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -
Oooh, this was so messed up and fun! I always get such a kick out of Ruth's work and this was no exception. 4.5 stars, RTC
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4⭐️
I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology. Seldom all of the stories in the collection are good and interesting, but this book is a jewel. Each topic was dissected so well, I felt each itch and scratch myself. Recommend 🖤
Get this on Godless asap!! -
A disturbing collection of medically themed extreme horror stories, some of which are as thought-provoking as they are nasty.
My favourites of the bunch:
Lifeline - A Black Mirror-esque story in which medical treatment is determined by the amount of credit you have. This one escalated beautifully and was a solid start to this fantastic collection.
Autoimmune - A delightful body horror story about a skin disease that will make you itch all over!
FAT - Who knew losing weight could be so easy... and fun!
There is plenty of body horror in here, which was an absolute treat for me, and the author has presented a fine bunch of stories for your reading pleasure.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! -
This collection of shorts fucked with my head and heart. Will be back with a full review soon!
Updated review:
Warning/trigger:
All stories contain some level of medical trauma FAT: Fatphobia, internalized fatphobia, self-mutilation Defective: Traumatic childbirth, infant suffering and death Colonoscopy: Feces Side Effects Include: Suicidality
My love for medical thrillers began when I first discovered Robin Cook. I was hooked and literally read every single one of his books I could get my hands on. So when I recently came across a book titled "OH FUCK OH FUCK IT HURTS: A COLLECTION OF MEDICAL HORROR", to say I wanted to read it is a gross understatement. You mean to tell me, it's an whole book of MEDICAL HORROR?!?! Give it give it!!!
Prior to reading this collection of short stories I had never heard of or read anything by its author, Ruth Anna Evans. Don't fret though because I plan to remedy that!
This short collection fucked with my head and my heart. The variety of horror is top notch, it perfecrly blends gore with great story telling. It had my emotions on a roller coaster, some of the stories horrified me, some grossed me out, others angered me and two stories in particular hit too close to home and left me wrecked.
I'm going to let you in on a little secret... Your girl is THICK and I suffer from the autoimmune disease Hashimotos. The stories FAT and autoimmune will live in my mind rent free for a long time to come.
It's also worth commenting on the fact that not only is Ruth a great writer she is extremely talented at designing covers.
This little book of body horrors is an absolute blast to read. I highly recommend it!
RX: OH FUCK:MEDICAL COLLECTION
SIG:Grab your own copy on Sept 12, 2023 and read the stories ad lib
DISP:8 stories
RF: Unlimited
Prescriber: Bookaholic__reviews
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. -
“If he had been wearing a heart monitor, it would have shown a flatline, but those weren’t pro bono anymore.”
Ruth Anna Evans’ new collection of medical horror hits the spot! There are a number of short stories by herself, and one by Rik Hoskin as well. I have previously read “Side Effects Include” (and it was horribly wonderful!) as a stand-alone, but all the other tales were new to me.
They are all frightening, devastating, and at times feel all too real as the future of healthcare becomes more and more of a capitalist structure. Seriously scary stuff.
“Fat” had me tearing up, it hits way too close to home with society’s unrealistic standards and expectations (especially for women) on how you are supposed to look, act, and be….
The cover art is a shock to the eye with the colours and needles. It will definitely draw the reader in, don’t be afraid to crack these pages open! -
A clear case of ‘In sickness and ill-health’
This is a highly enjoyable medical anthology consisting of a handful of fun tales ranging from hospitals to pain to fear, whilst slowly graduating right on up to full-on pure horror. Blending real life chronic health conditions with more than a smattering of cleverly detailed fictional distorted horror outcomes, the reader is left wondering about the twists, reveals and conceals that will be encountered before reaching each of the final conclusions.
The outstanding two for me were ‘Fat,’ dealing with dieting, needles and excess skin complications and ‘The Visitor’ telling the tale of hospital visits, but with a difference…very clever, clever, clever!
Finally, a big thank you to my good friend, and regular joint-reading partner, Cheryl for suggesting this book and, as always, her very enjoyable social comment, contemplation and thought- provoking analysis that she kindly shared with me for each of the amusingly distressing tales of downright poor self well-being.
Recommended if suffering with symptoms of boredom - a quick cure to be sure!
Rating: 4.1 healthy stars of unabashed pure fun. -
I used to read medical thrillers, I have no clue what it is that makes me love them so much, but it's been awhile.
Now I jumped into this one and wow, l forgot how much I loved them, I get sucked into these little medical horrors
Side Effects Include is hands down my FAVORITE in this collection.
Maybe because I live in the US and the medical system is already a horror, but these stories x they are something else entirely, and I mean that as a compliment. -
This is a fantastic collection of medical horrors. Evans offers seven short stories with varying degrees of grossness. Each one aims to shake up the reader and they do just that. I found them all enjoyable, and they each make you think. Some of what makes this terrifying is that it could really happen. Maybe not in the exact ways that Evans portrays, but still, it’s enough to trigger some anxiety and leave you with an overwhelming feeling of dread.
All the shorts were great, but the stories below probably got more of a reaction out of me, so I had to highlight them.
Lifeline – This one was super short but very unsettling. Sadly, this is something I could totally see happening in the future.
FAT – A woman is so desperate to lose weight that she takes some drastic measures to make it happen. This one is a great reminder to be careful what you wish for.
Defective – A couple is finally having the baby they’ve always wanted, but when the bundle of joy arrives it’s anything but joyful. In fact, it is so much the opposite. This was a tough one.
Side Effects Include – Laura starts treatment for hair loss and has a reaction and is given something to counter that. Another reaction happens and just continues like that. Poor Laura is having a hell of a time while her body and mental state fall apart.
The bonus story, The Visitor, by Rik Hoskin was also a good one. It really messes with your head and proves that things aren’t always as they seem.
If you enjoy medical horror and body horror, you won’t want to pass this one up. -
As a sufferer of misdiagnosis and constantly being pissed about by the medical system in my own country. The introduction from Ruth hits home on so many levels, as the author opens up on her own experiences with her health issues. This anthology of medical horrors has at least one story the reader can strongly relate to.
Whether that is the fear of medical bills in the story Lifeline or the heartbreaking story of suffering from an autoimmune disease. If you suffer from chronic pain or illness, this book has you covered as the reader is taken through a wide range of emotions. Fat hit home, as I also take medication with the side effects of weight gain. In the end, I just accepted who I am now at this new weight. But Cara's story pulls hard at the heartstrings and then amplifies the fear of weight gain and how your mind can make the situation worse. But the story also outlines her desperation as she goes for an experimental treatment for weight loss. The reader follows her journey all the way through and the horrors are real.
Colonoscopy certainly brings back memories, as one of the many tests you endure for a diagnosis. The whole process down to the horrible liquid you ingest to 'clear you out,' is on point and to an extent made me feel better knowing someone else knows the experience. You feel less alone when you get someone else's first-hand account, and I could tell that for Ruth this story was deeply personal. But I also loved the creative freedom of Side Effects Include, as Laura endures so much pain and misery when trying to find a diagnosis for something that started with hair loss. Showing that not everyone reacts to treatments the same way, the scary part is these things DO happen. But each story is layered with amazing character development and the stories all hold true to the reader in some shape or form.
The final story provided by Rik Hoskin is called The Visitor. As we delve into the life of a man paying for his mother's care beneath the surface is something much more sinister.
The story by Rob just adds even more layers to this incredible collection of Medical horrors. -
This was quite a good little short story book, I rattled through them all in no time. The author writes from her own experience which we learn of in the introduction and it makes this more than just your average scare fest or someone trying to push boundaries for boundaries sake. When I purchased the book I was assuming it was written by someone who just liked writing scary gross stuff, it never occurred to me that there might be any truth in it. I admire the author for sharing her own personal problems.
The stories are not overly sensationalist, and are well written, there is a mixture of horrifying and gory but almost all of them are good, some a little more far fetched than others and some disturbingly close to the truth. My heart went out to a lot of these characters/victims, it felt like this could be you sometimes. For the majority of these tales there isn’t really a bad guy, someone evil inflicting pain on others, mostly the blame seems to lie at the feet of capitalism.
Unfortunately the most disappointing story in this collection was the one written by the guest author. It was a good idea, just poorly executed, I felt the writing itself came across as a bit amateurish.
Not a bad collection here. 3.5 stars and I’m going to round up as I’m feeling generous, and glad I have my health, and in Ruth Anna Evans’ defence the worst was not even her own writing.
4 stars, but only just. -
First of all, huge thanks to Ruth Anna Evans for an ARC of her new collection - eight stories, seven of which are hers, and one (the last one) by Ric Hoskin. All touch on medical issues, focusing on the most horrifying effects of healthcare (present and future), new meds, rare side effects, and assisted living. All stories aim to unsettle and disturb, which justifies their being called "medical horror," and they are indeed brutal, savage, sometimes cruel, though always mercilessly honest and ruthlessly insightful. This is somewhat standard for Ruth Anna Evans' stories; however, what I was not prepared for was the sadness, the desolation, and the despair pervading most of the stories. Case in point, the opening story, "Lifeline," relates how your credit limit may determine your chances to live: this story made me incredibly anxious, doubly so because it may turn out very very real very very soon! Same with the story "FAT" about an obese woman trying to lose weight: the doctors' impenetrable smiles and benevolent attitudes towards her very real problem made the entire situation feel unreal, to the point that the story was filled with dread. Or the story "Sixteen," about a teenager's indifference to her father's condition: a very short tale, though full of meaning and gruesome realism.
My personal standout, however, was "Side Effects Include," about a woman who starts treatment for hair loss, and has to undergo further medical interventions in order to deal with the rarest and worst side effects of the treatment undergone previously! A domino effect leading inevitably to bodily and mental disaster, but a tale with a fantastic ending.
The Hoskin story is not as tight as the others, nor as insightful, yet it's quite entertaining and well-written. It reads like a mystery story, playing on our intuitions about assisted living facilities and the lengths they might go to secure business. The resolution was unexpected and intelligent.
It should be apparent by now that the name of Ruth Anna Evans is a guarantee of excellent horror stories, and her new collection is exactly that. She's also the creator of the striking cover and knows exactly how to get across the right emotional impact both visually and verbally. If you want storytelling packing a punch, this is the collection to go for! -
If you need to be warned that there will be some disturbing content in here, this one probably isn't for you.
Ruth Anna Evans has teamed up with Rik Hoskin to bring a collection of medical grade horror ranging from purely speculatory right the way through to the highly gross and vexing stories which will keep even the people with steel stomachs entertained.
The absolute standout for me was "Side Effects Include", about a women who suffers through dominos of side effects from simple medical treatment - it also had an epic ending! FAT felt very close to home, creeping in to realism horror territory (with a sci-fi feel).
While I mentioned that if you do need content warnings, it's not really for you, I do feel like I need to mention that there is a heavily fatphobic story with self harm, a story on infant death following a traumatic birth and also thoughts of unaliving. -
A collection of chillingly disturbing medical horror. Each one is more uncomfortable than the last. There’s something about medical horror that’s always creeped me out, and this collection does a good job of exploring those feelings.
My favorites of the collection were:
AUTOIMMUNE: A man is subjected to a horrific chronic illness.
FAT: A woman is willing to go to extreme lengths to lose weight.
SIDE EFFECTS INCLUDE: In an effort to treat hair loss, a woman uses a supplement to regrow her hair that starts her in a horrific cycle of medicine and side effects.
This isn’t a collection to be missed. -
This was an excellent series of short stories that had me squirming in my seat, but unable to look away! Some stories were heartbreaking, some were gag-worthy, others were mind bending. This was my first book by this author, but they’re now on my autobuy list!
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I plowed through this in a very short afternoon and I loved almost every story - I'm still not sure what the last one was to truly be but alas, it was still a good read! I've never related to characters so much in my life.
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These are horror short stories of medical mishap.
The stories are just as raw, graphic and unpredictable as medicine often can be. I enjoyed some more than others, but certainly found them entertaining. -
I absolutely loved this fast paced easy read. Each short story was one medical horror after another. One really stood out to me about a baby, it not only spoke to me but broke my heart as well. Each story was creative and gave you a new perspective on medical emergencies. I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who likes short horrors.
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I really enjoyed this. Each story had me captivated (bar one)....
Who doesn't want to take an injection and lose 30lbs overnight.... Sounds too good to be true. Because it is!
The last story threw me through a hoop. 😳
Wish I could read it again. -
What a fun yet terrifying collection of stories regarding the dark side of medicine, truly there was not a bad story in the bunch.
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awful and wonderful - a carthartic read in the face of real world medical horrors.
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A messed up, nerve-wracking collection of medical short stories. Every story is disturbing in its own way, and the anthology is full of heart, which is what makes it so impactful.
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A collection of short stories all related to medical science and I loved it!
It's rare for me to like every story in a collection, but I absolutely enjoyed them all! The story about the deformed baby being born is the stand-out for me.
4/5 -
I read a book: OH FUCK OH FUCK IT HURTS, by Ruth Anna Evans. This review and more available at traumadoll.blog or @coolghoulsbookclub on the ‘gram.
I started this collection of short stories right before bed. This was a bad idea. When I finally slid my kindle underneath the pillow on the other side of the bed where it regularly spends the night, my heart and mind were racing, fueled by anxiety. Would I ever sleep again? Why were these stories, works of fiction, so fucking real? Medical horror is not a genre you want to relate to, but here I was relating to the horrors I was reading.
The first story, Lifeline, takes place in a reality where the amount and level of medical treatment you are allotted is determined by your credit. I thought about that episode of Star Trek: Voyager where the Doctor is stolen and forced to treat patients in a hospital where their treatment is determined by social status. I thought about the hospital scene in Idiocracy when the doctor discovers that Joe doesn’t have his tattoo and freaks out. And I thought about every single person I know who puts off medical intervention until they just can’t anymore because even with insurance, it costs so much and without insurance? Forget about it. I mean just recently I put off getting my teeth fixed until I physically couldn’t anymore. This story is closer to reality than most would care to admit. This is everyone’s nightmare.
In fact a lot of stories in this collection are firmly rooted in reality. The next story, Autoimmune, describes a man with a strange condition that begins with a nagging itch and quickly progresses to the point where his skin is literally sloughing off. The medical advice is to use this cream he knows doesn’t work for the next two weeks and then they can try something else. Yet another relatable medical situation. My doctor is great, but I have friends and family who have had to deal with the suffer with this treatment you know doesn’t work for you before we can try something new approach to medicine. You know how hearing the words flea or lice makes you itch? This story is like that. I have thought about it every time I feel the beginning of an itch since I read it. I have psoriasis that went untreated for a long time due to reasons expressed earlier (see Lifeline), and I know that unrelenting burning itch well. Fortunately I only had to try two creams before finding one that works for me. But this story is my nightmare.
Now this is where my body betrayed me in favor of sleep and I just couldn’t finish the next story without my eyes slamming shut every few words. The story, Fat, follows a large woman who just can’t seem to drop the weight she so desperately needs to lose. She’s tried everything short of bariatric surgery and hasn’t been able to keep any weight off. Sound familiar? My fellow chonkadonks know that struggle. This woman decides to try an experimental weight loss treatment that has well documented deadly side effects. But she’s desperate and desperation can make a person take risks they normally wouldn’t. I fell asleep right after she started to experience results from the treatment and my mind conjured up all sorts of wild continuations of the story, none of which were how the story actually ended. Oh hey, this story is also my nightmare.
Speaking of side effects, the story “Side Effects Include”…you know those ads for prescription drugs that show happy people walking in parks while a voiceover rattles off a list of side effects that are worse than the condition the drugs are meant to manage? In the real world, most of us only ever experience minor side effects. But imagine if you’re that person who has all the worst side effects at once, so severe that they require medical intervention. I could go on and talk about every single story in this volume, but I think this is a good stopping point. This is my second read by Ruth Anna Evans (Cargo was the first) and it has solidified her as a must read author for me.
This is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read. Horror can sometimes be very surface level, aiming to frighten, shock, and disgust the reader without digging too deep into why it’s frightening, shocking, and disgusting. It often relies on causing visceral reactions rather than emotional ones. You’re not meant to relate to horror. And yet, sometime the most frightening stories are the ones to which we can relate. This is where Evans shines.
Thank you to Ruth Anna Evans for the ARC. I loved this! -
OH FUCK OH FUCK IT HURTS is a collection of short horror stories with a medical theme by Ruth Anna Evans, with an additional story by Rik Hoskin. Though the title is quite in your face and boisterous, a lot of these stories have Evans’s typical pathos and heart. There are eight stories in this collection and they cover a nice variety of horror. I just want to state up front that I received this book as an advance review copy.
The opening two stories, Lifeline and Autoimmune touch nicely on the healthcare system and provide commentary on medical costs and insurance with the latter incorporating some fun body horror into the mix. FAT, one of the longer stories in the anthology also touches on the costs of healthcare, but focuses more on issues of self worth and the lengths to which we sometimes wish to go in order to attain an ideal. This one especially has the familiar Ruth Anna Evans feel and introspection, expressing the main character’s desperation and fatigue with the hand she’s been dealt. I also contemplate miracle diets and do a fair share of mental math when I weigh myself…
Defective, the next story, will resonate deeply with anyone who is pregnant or has mothered children. It’s short and effective and doesn’t get preachy. Colonoscopy reads less like a fiction tale and more like a preparation for the aging. I’ve not had one yet, but my father did, and I don't look forward to it all. Side Effects Include is a harrowing story about the dangers of how the drugs meant to help us can also do us harm we never imagined. It’s also a nice critique on how we’re at the mercy of what modern medicine says we have to do. Again, I didn’t find it overly preachy
Sixteen is a fun if a little tragic body horror story about how those damned young people just don;t care! It’s a little on the nose, but it’s definitely tongue in cheek and mirthful despite the implications.
The final story is The Visitor by Rik Hoskin. Though it’s well written and has an interesting premise, I found this to be the weakest story in the collection. It has good characterization and intrigue, but it all felt to me like a big setup for a final reveal that left me wanting a little more substance. It’s a creative story, though with a good voice.
I’d recommend this collection for fans of horror with heart. The cover and title had me wondering if this would be more extreme horror than i was expecting, but it ended up being pretty insightful and a great deal of fun at times as well. I’ve read some of Evans’s other work and this was in line with those stories. If you like her work, I think you’ll enjoy this anthology. -
**Trigger warning – Medical Horror
Unless you or someone close to you has experienced a major medical issue, you may not relate to this book quite as much. Personally, having survived cancer and living with chronic conditions from the treatment, this book felt so familiar. If you have experienced medical issues this will resonate with you too.
If you’ve spent countless hours in waiting rooms, been poked and prodded so many times you’ve lost count, or had to fight the system to get treatment for a problem you didn’t create, this book is for you.
The stories are short and to the point. No dragging on. They are creative while still being relatable. Some of them portend very real future dilemmas. Some idealistically flip the script, so to speak, in a satisfying, if not attainable way. Here are a few of the sharp concepts expertly delivered in this book:
Lifeline: What if your medical care only went as far as your current credit cards? What happens when you are maxed out? It’s a pay-as-you-go situation, do you have enough?
Fat: Diet tea, diet pills, diet shots – they are everywhere and people are willing to try anything for the perfect body. This insightful story tells a familiar tale, with a new twist.
Sixteen: Puberty is rough for all teenagers. But when you are dealing with some unusual side effects, as well as a father who won’t stop eating all your friend’s mothers, it’s a bit more complicated.
One of the most impressive parts of this book is how close Evans has paid attention to every little detail. Nothing felt out of place, or unbelievable. The details were so relatable. I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book so comprehensive in its approach to getting it all right.
The author herself mentions in the beginning that she is chronically ill, so these stories come from a place of understanding, but also pain. Though for many readers these stories are simply well-written fiction. For others, this book will be a relief. Like group therapy between the covers.
I would recommend this book to all. 5 Stars -
Ruth Anna Evans presents a short collection of medical horror with a good dose of body horror in this quick read.
I think the most horrifying thing to me was the slight dose of realism some of these stories had. Starting off with Lifeline, you only get medical help until you hit your credit limit. While that seems farfetched, how often do people have to make the choice and refuse life-saving treatment because they can't afford it. In this world, you're not given the choice. Your medical treatment is just done once the limit has been reached.
In Side Effects Include, Laura goes to the doctor for treatment for hair loss and ends up experiencing all sorts of nasty side effects that only get worse with each treatment she receives. I've been a victim of some nasty rare side effects of things myself, so I really empathize with Laura here (though hers were way more varied and horrifying than mine).
In FAT, Cara has tried everything to lose weight, but nothing is working. The doctors are extremely unhelpful as they just tell her to diet and exercise (I'm sure a lot of people can relate to this), so she finds a weight loss treatment that works a little TOO well. Her insurance won't cover any further treatments, so she takes matters into her own hands to deal with the consequences of her weight loss.
This was a fun little collection to read! It was a quick one, but a solid 3.5 stars. -
I was caught off guard here. I shouldn't have been, I know Ruth Anna Evans' writing style and I love it. Raw emotions, horror based in reality, strong characters. I think I had assumed with the cover and the title that these stories would be a little lighter, insanely over-the-top, or horror comedy. Nope! The stories in this collection are true to Ruth Anna's style. They are deep, emotional, beautiful and grotesque.
I was positive that this book was made for me. I have been working in healthcare for 27 years, is there anyone better to review medical horror? Probably, but I'm going to do it anyway. Every story in this collection hits the mark. The healthcare system is insanely messed up. Being on the front lines, I know this better than anyone. But, to read these stories where reality is stretched just enough to make things that are difficult or unfortunate absolutely terrifying, it makes a person question the things that happen on a daily basis that are not terribly far from being devastating. We are also gifted with a tale by Rik Hoskin at the end of the book. It is bleak and contains a twist that I didn't see coming.
I would absolutely recommend this collection to anyone. I may have felt things a little more deeply than people that aren't in the medical field, but everyone has been a patient at some point in their lives. These stories are raw, emotional, gory, beautiful and devastating. Definitely check this one out! -
I loved this collection!! Very rarely do I read a collection where every story is a 5/5, but this one nailed it. I work in the medical field, but strangely, I have never delved into the medical horror genre until now. Each story was unique and twisty, and more than a few were delightfully gross. I read this in one sitting; it was that good. My personal favorites were:
FAT: A sad tale many women have lived through, though maybe not to the extreme main character Cara has.
Defective: This one made me even more scared to ever get pregnant, and that's all I have to say about this one.
Side Effects Include: A rollercoaster of bad luck for main character Laura that will have you side-eyeing the end of medicine commercials even harder.
The Visitor: written by the collaborating author Rik Hoskin, this one was a weird and twisty tale that had me saying, "Yep, that could probably happen."
I'd also like to take a moment to appreciate the cover art because it's amazing! Besides the eye-popping title, it's really what grabbed my attention at first. Thank you to Ruth Anna Evans for the free e-book in exchange for my honest review. -
This is a serviceable collection of horror stories centered around medicine. While it provides some memorably gruesome stories, particularly "Auto-Immune," it suffers from trying too hard to make point, with each story having a message about the US healthcare system. While horror can be a good avenue for social critique, doing so requires a certain amount of subtlety, which these stories do not have.
I will also note that this book continues the annoying trend of including a "trigger warning" before the text. Horror is by its very nature a transgressive genre meant to disturb people and push boundaries. Furthermore, readers should exercise a bit of personal responsibility and consider that a medical horror collection called Oh Fuck Oh Fuck It Hurts might contain some queasy bits.
