🩸 Horror Fiction

Pain Machine

✍️ Dean Italiano
Reader Score
4.5
(1 review)
$14.99
In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A revised edition of a sci-fi horror novel about pain transfer.

This revised edition explores the origins of a pain-transferring device through the lens of a woman’s childhood trauma. It combines medical fiction with supernatural elements, focusing on the character Angela and her need for validation through scientific measurement. The inclusion of Dance at My Funeral adds depth to the narrative scope.

Key Themes
pain transfer fibromyalgia Taps punishment
Literary Context

Published by Cosmos Books in 2025, this work sits within the contemporary horror and supernatural fiction market. It revisits a classic tale from the late twentieth century, offering updated editorial choices for modern readers interested in gothic medical horror.

Difficulty
●●● Challenging
Recommended For Fans Of
Mary Shelley · H.P. Lovecraft · Thomas Ligotti
🩸
Horror Fiction
🏛 Cosmos Books 📅 2025 📖 180 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781592241040

📝 Description: Pain Machine

Dean Italiano presents Pain Machine in this special twentieth anniversary edition. The narrative follows Dr. Veronica Gray, who created a device with her partner Dr. Mark Ivy to move pain between people. This technology emerged from a childhood trauma where a ten-year-old Veronica received punishment known as Taps for disobeying her father. Fifty years later, she appears as an ordinary elderly woman while operating this dangerous invention. The story centers on Angela, a woman suffering from fibromyalgia who struggles to find validation for her condition. She requires the machine to measure her pain, just as the creators need her to test their device. This edition includes editorial revisions by Italiano and features a bonus short story titled Dance at My Funeral. The text draws on gothic traditions of bodily horror and supernatural fiction tropes involving medical experimentation. It appeals to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers grounded in physical suffering. Those seeking lighthearted entertainment or traditional ghost stories may find the focus on chronic pain and mechanical cruelty difficult to engage with.

💎 Our verdict on Pain Machine

“
🩸
Horror Reads editorial team
Horror desk
This edition successfully merges gothic traditions with modern medical fiction, creating a tense atmosphere around the concept of pain measurement. The narrative effectively utilizes the backdrop of childhood trauma to drive the plot, offering a gritty exploration of validation through scientific means. While the focus on chronic pain and mechanical cruelty may alienate readers seeking lighthearted entertainment or traditional ghost stories, it resonates strongly with those who appreciate psychological thrillers grounded in physical suffering. The inclusion of 'Dance at My Funeral' adds necessary depth to the narrative scope, enhancing the overall impact of the central medical horror themes.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers drawn to the intersection of medical fiction and psychological horror will find this narrative compelling due to its intense focus on bodily suffering and the quest for validation. The book appeals to those who enjoy exploring the darker aspects of scientific experimentation and the supernatural consequences of human trauma. It is particularly suited for audiences interested in the mechanics of pain transfer and the psychological toll of chronic illness. Fans of stories that delve into the origins of dangerous inventions and the complex dynamics between creators and subjects will appreciate the depth provided by the included bonus short story, which expands the thematic scope beyond the primary medical horror.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5
Based on 1 reviews
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Horror Reads editorial team

This edition successfully merges gothic traditions with modern medical fiction, creating a tense atmosphere around the concept of pain measurement. The narrative effectively utilizes the backdrop of childhood trauma to drive the plot, offering a gritty exploration of validation through scientific means. While the focus on chronic pain and mechanical cruelty may alienate readers seeking lighthearted entertainment or traditional ghost stories, it resonates strongly with those who appreciate psychological thrillers grounded in physical suffering. The inclusion of 'Dance at My Funeral' adds necessary depth to the narrative scope, enhancing the overall impact of the central medical horror themes.

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