The Harm by Gary McMahon is a novella published as a chapbook by TTA Press, the same folks that bring you Interzone, Black Static and Crimewave. It starts with a news report of three young boys being found bound and gagged in an unused warehouse. They had been cruelly beaten and raped. We later find out they were eight years old and their names were Tyler, Roarke and Potter.

We then flash forward thirty years and the boys are troubled young men. Each one of them begins to experience some new horror. Tyler is suddenly punched by everyone he meets, including his infant child and loving wife. Roarke, who has become a bullying thug, is haunted by people with their mouths taped shut but clearly saying "Hush". Potter, who is addicted to watching videos of people actually being beaten or killed, sees his dead former friends standing around in the background of the videos. All this leads to very nasty conclusions.

In an after word, Gary McMahon says that whenever he hears of events like what happened to the boys, he always thinks that the horror does not stop with the actual victims and that everyone who even knew the victims slightly is affected. He has written this story to show that such events are something that we all should be affected by. He does a very good job of his intentions and I heartily recommend this chapbook.