A beginning word from the author:

 Theatre of Hell: Dr. Lung's Complete Guide to Torture is a timely book for troubled times. It takes us where we don't want to go, makes us look at what we don't want to look at yet somehow can't look away from! We'd all like to wish that torture didn't exist in today's enlightened world. We don't like to hear bad news. Just like we don't want to hear how our church, no matter which church or religion that might be, was responsible for centuries of torture. More importantly, TODAY there are those who don't want us looking too closely at the blood on their hands – our own foreign allies, our own security forces. This book bars none.

Dr. Haha Lung doesn't play favorites. He describes techniques and names names. Like a 20 car pile-up, you won't be able to look away, even in the face of overwhelming research that proves you too are capable of torturing your fellow human beings. Seldom is a book published that dares to challenge conventional thought, especially in such an entertaining, lucidly written way. Theatre of Hell is a beautiful book about the ugliest of subjects.

Be you soldier or tourist in a foreign land-even a foreign land where you believe yourself surrounded by allies, you owe it to yourself and your loved one to study this book …both in self-defense …and for those times when you yourself may be called upon to tighten the screws and increase the voltage in order to prevent the next September 11th. Could you do it? Would you do it? Don't answer, (if you can) before reading this book.

LU – Why did you write this book?

HL

LU – What kind of research went into this book?

HL –

LU – In the course of your research, did you come across any interesting experiences related to the book?

HL

LU – Now that the “information” has come out, have you experienced any actual retaliation?

HL

LU – What are the most fascinating, colorful or unusual facts or items contained in this book?

HL

LU – What are the strongest, most compelling parts of the book?

HL

LU – How long have you been a writer?

HL

LU – What other books have you written or co-written?

Books In Print

3/94 Death on Your Doorstep: 101 Weapons in the Home written as Ralf Omar Dean Alpha Publications) How to Defend Yourself in Your Home Using “Environmental Weapons” i.e. everyday objects.

2/95 Street Ninja: Ancient Secrets for Mastering Today's Mean Streets written as Dirk Skinner. (Barricade Books) How to apply ancient techniques of ninjutsu in today's world.

9/95 The Ancient Art of Strangulation by Dr. Haha Lung. (Paladin Press) The history and fighting techniques of the mysterious cult of East Indian Thugs.

9/97 Assassin! Secrets of the Cult of Assassins by Dr. Haha Lung. (Paladin Press) The history and fighting techniques of the medieval Middle Eastern cult of Hashishins, forerunners of today's Middle Eastern terrorists.

10/97 Ninja Craft written as Dr. Haha Lung. (Alpha Publications) The history and techniques of stealth and combat practiced by Japan's dreaded Ninja warriors.

7/98 Knights of Darkness: Secret Techniques of the World's Deadliest Night Fighters by Dr. Haha Lung. (Paladin Press) The history and techniques of various night fighter cadre from around the world (e.g. US Special Forces, Russian SPETSNAZ, Ninja Assassins, Thugs, etc.).

3/00 Shadowhand: The History and Secrets of Ninja Taisavaki by Dr. Haha Lung, and Christopher B. Prowant. (Paladin Press) Reveals physical and psychological tactics and techniques of the Ninja's “Art of Avoidance”.

6/01 Black Science: Ancient and Modern Techniques of Ninja Mind Manipulation by Dr. Haha Lung and C.B. Prowant. (Paladin Press) Describes tactics and techniques ancient and modern “mind-slayers” use to get inside your head and how you can turn those tactics to your advantage.

7/01 Prison Killing Techniques: Blade, Bludgeon & Bomb written as Ralf Dean Omar. (Loompanics Unlimited) Describes both the physical and psychological aspects of the tactics and techniques prisoners use to manufacture and wield home-made weapons against their fellows.

11/02 Cao Dai Kung-fu: Lost Fighting Arts of Vietnam by Dr. Haha Lung (Loompanics Unlimited) The history and fighting style of the mysterious Cao-Dai cult which still thrives today.

5/03 Theatre of Hell: Dr. Lung's Complete Guide to Torture and Christopher B. Prowant (Loompanics Unlimited) Complete history of torture, ancient and modern, East and West. From ancient Rome, down through religious tortures of Christianity and Islam, down to modern day atrocities in Russia, Yugoslavia, Africa and America's own prisons. Describes torture methods. Not for the squeamish.

Blood on the Sidewalk: 101 Weapons of the Street written as Ralf Dean Omar. (Alpha Publications). “Environmental Weapons” found on the street you can use to defend yourself.

Direct Action: Take Back the Streets! Written as Ralf Dean Omar. (Alpha Publications). Teaches the average citizen how to protect themselves and their homes, how to combat crime, and how to throw dope dealers and other scum out of your neighborhood!

Steel Nation: How to Survive & Prosper in Prison written as Ralf Dean Omar. (Alpha Publications). Describes what it takes physically and psychologically to survive a “typical” prison sentence; from how to defend yourself to how to make parole or escape, to how to take full advantage of “The System."

X-treme Boxing: Secrets of the Savage Street Boxer written as Dirk Skinner with C.B. Prowant.

Nine Halls of Death – A complete ninja training course – Unpublished manuscript.

Ninja Death Touch: Fact and Fiction written as Ralf Dean Omar Article for Black Belt Magazine, September 1989

“Really bad” poetry published under a variety of nom de plume in various magazines.

Publications Pending:


Miscellania



LU – What experience and education do you have that relates to your writing?

HL

LU – Why should someone buy this book?

HL

LU – Exactly who is your target reader?

HL

LU – Why would your book be popular with these groups?

HL

LU – Closing Comments?

HL
– I'd just like to commend Loompanics Unlimited for having the courage (and insight) to publish a book on such a controversial subject, courage in the face of increasing censorship all the while surrounded by publishers with far less intestinal fortitude. – This book both informs and entertains. It tells it like it is and spares no one's feelings. Despite the dead cat in Dr. Lung's mailbox, this book reveals the tortured skeletons in everybody's closet. – Experts and curious novices alike will enjoy this book; Armed Forces personnel, police, civil rights watchdogs, Psychology students, History buffs, tourists traveling in foreign countries, anyone who has a loved one in the American Criminal Justice System. Theatre of Hell is technical where needed, yet always reader friendly. – Knowledge is power. We are all targets of one kind or another. Soldiers, tourists, anyone American, we all have a target on our asses! – Degrees in both Psychology and Sociology. Training in the more “painful” aspects of several of the martial arts by veterans who've been there, done that … still classified! Personal experiences of abuse at the hands of law enforcement and correctional personnel in various locale…mostly just people who don't appreciate Dr. Lung's unique sense of humor…That too is still “classified”.

Ninjutsu training requires learning “expeditious interviewing” field techniques, as does all realism/combat oriented martial arts. Also was married three times... invaluable when writing about torture! – Professionally, about 20 years. – Theatre of Hell: Dr. Lung's Complete Guide to Torture contains the latest, up-to-date information on torture, focusing not only on the physical aspects of torture, but also the psychological reasons as to why people torture their fellow men and women. Most importantly, torture links to the West; America in particular, has “allies” in the east who use torture… – Accounts of monks “tickling” their victims to death was one particularly fascinating and unusual tidbit of information. Also, finding psychological studies that show ANYONE can be talked into torturing their fellow man was thought provoking and fascinating. Experiments done by Stanley Milgram at Yale University. Obedience to Authority (Milgram, 1974: 541-544) talked about at length in Theatre of Hell – You mean other than the usual death threats Dr. Lung receives every time one of his intrusive (albeit always insightful!) books about killers and cults and cadre who prefer hiding in the shadows hits the shelves? Sure, but luckily al Qeida seems to be pretty busy elsewhere these days. – I spent time talking and listening to first hand accounts of torture from Vietnam vets, American judicial prisoners, and refugees from around the globe. I had the opportunity to conduct interviews with criminals convicted of using torture on their victims, and heard accounts and justifications by law enforcement and correctional personnel for their admitted use of torture, administered using euphemisms like “thump therapy” or “attitude adjustment” to disguise their activities. I also received threats against publishing this information. Theatre of Hell: Dr. Lung's Complete Guide to Torture was first conceived of over 13 years ago, when much of the historical sections were researched. However, the unfolding of world events (with torture and abuse growing ever more popular!) in subsequent years has provided a wealth of information and increasing horror (for example: the events in Yugoslavia and the renewed war mongering and ongoing unrest in the Middle East) that demanded to be heard. How much research? A lot! – We live in troubled times. More and more, extremes of attitude seem to rule the day. The more that average people “arm” themselves with knowledge the safer they will be. However, that knowledge must extend beyond the comfortable boundaries of sundry knowledge. To defeat the dark side you must first recognize it in yourself.