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The End of the Road
A new short story (8,000 words) from acclaimed horror writer Craig DiLouie!
When five college friends cross America in a minivan to find themselves, they chance upon a road that isn’t on any map. They can’t resist exploring it.
The van breaks down. They find a town, a massive trailer park steeped in squalor. The town isn’t on any map either. They find people in town. They’ll wish they hadn’t. The only sanctuary is the Big House–a giant mansion at the center of town that appears to be abandoned, only all the lights come on at night. Inside the Big House is the secret of the town.
Inside, they’ll finally find themselves. They won’t like what they find.
"Writers like, King, Lansdale and DiLouie invite us to view America through a glass smeared with dirt, blood and the mist of our own primal fear. With THE END OF THE ROAD ... DiLouie gives us something entirely eerie." - Paul Mannering, author of "Tankbread"
“Grotesque and disturbing. Leaves you feeling unsettled long after you’ve read the last page.” - Eloise J. Knapp, author of "The Undead Situation" and "The Undead Haze"
When five college friends cross America in a minivan to find themselves, they chance upon a road that isn’t on any map. They can’t resist exploring it.
The van breaks down. They find a town, a massive trailer park steeped in squalor. The town isn’t on any map either. They find people in town. They’ll wish they hadn’t. The only sanctuary is the Big House–a giant mansion at the center of town that appears to be abandoned, only all the lights come on at night. Inside the Big House is the secret of the town.
Inside, they’ll finally find themselves. They won’t like what they find.
"Writers like, King, Lansdale and DiLouie invite us to view America through a glass smeared with dirt, blood and the mist of our own primal fear. With THE END OF THE ROAD ... DiLouie gives us something entirely eerie." - Paul Mannering, author of "Tankbread"
“Grotesque and disturbing. Leaves you feeling unsettled long after you’ve read the last page.” - Eloise J. Knapp, author of "The Undead Situation" and "The Undead Haze"
50 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2013
About the author
Craig DiLouie
66 books1,607 followersCraig DiLouie is an author of popular thriller, apocalyptic/horror, and sci-fi/fantasy fiction.
In hundreds of reviews, Craig’s novels have been praised for their strong characters, action, and gritty realism. Each book promises an exciting experience with people you’ll care about in a world that feels real.
These works have been nominated for major literary awards such as the Bram Stoker Award and Audie Award, translated into multiple languages, and optioned for film. He is a member of the HWA, International Thriller Writers, and IFWA.
In hundreds of reviews, Craig’s novels have been praised for their strong characters, action, and gritty realism. Each book promises an exciting experience with people you’ll care about in a world that feels real.
These works have been nominated for major literary awards such as the Bram Stoker Award and Audie Award, translated into multiple languages, and optioned for film. He is a member of the HWA, International Thriller Writers, and IFWA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 3, 2022
'The End of the Road' is delightfully deviant, demented and horrifying. The storyline is imaginative and the characters were nothing if not dynamic and charismatic....Well done.
Last, but certainly not least, narrator Christian Rummel deserves some huge accolades. He gives an excellent performance - while voicing multiple (both male and female) characters - and made listening an epic fear-fest. Nice.
Last, but certainly not least, narrator Christian Rummel deserves some huge accolades. He gives an excellent performance - while voicing multiple (both male and female) characters - and made listening an epic fear-fest. Nice.
October 5, 2021
Am I bad at picking short stories or bad at reading them?
The actual bones of this story - involving a group of travelling friends, a broken down mini-van, and a town made entirely of sinister inhabitants - was very intriguing. I found events occurred both too slowly and too quickly for me to truly enjoy them though.
Perhaps 'enjoy' is the wrong word, given the villainy and depravity within these pages. As this contained a limited page length I wanted events to escalate at a heightened pace and for my intrigue to grow at the same pace. The events that occurred only seemed like ones that were happening alongside the plot, rather than relating to it, though. I felt confused rather than mystified and the story's conclusion did not make matters any clearer for me.
It seems to be a running theme that I long for something more from my shorter fiction, so perhaps I am merely expecting too much from too few pages.
The actual bones of this story - involving a group of travelling friends, a broken down mini-van, and a town made entirely of sinister inhabitants - was very intriguing. I found events occurred both too slowly and too quickly for me to truly enjoy them though.
Perhaps 'enjoy' is the wrong word, given the villainy and depravity within these pages. As this contained a limited page length I wanted events to escalate at a heightened pace and for my intrigue to grow at the same pace. The events that occurred only seemed like ones that were happening alongside the plot, rather than relating to it, though. I felt confused rather than mystified and the story's conclusion did not make matters any clearer for me.
It seems to be a running theme that I long for something more from my shorter fiction, so perhaps I am merely expecting too much from too few pages.
November 6, 2020
This was straight up bananas!!! Absolutely disturbing! And vile!
Disgusting! I love it!!! Lol
I love horror that doesn’t shy away from shocking the reader! Shock away! Please!! I want an R rate Horror story not a PG/PG13.
This was short and straight to the point. A total cringeworthy, punch to the gut kind of story!
Disgusting! I love it!!! Lol
I love horror that doesn’t shy away from shocking the reader! Shock away! Please!! I want an R rate Horror story not a PG/PG13.
This was short and straight to the point. A total cringeworthy, punch to the gut kind of story!
July 26, 2023
This story reminds me of many things I have read or watched before. It one of those themes that may have be done before, it is still always fun to return to. Especially when it’s a short visit like this! It was compressed fun. Something that didn’t need to go on and on in order to fill a book. It was only as long as it needed to be and is all the better for it.
June 14, 2023
Audiobook Review
Having just finished Episode 13, I saw this on audible and decided to give it a read.
Man, I have no idea what just happened here.
Perhaps it needed another hour to explain this because I can't.
The narration was great, too bad the story wasn't.
Having just finished Episode 13, I saw this on audible and decided to give it a read.
Man, I have no idea what just happened here.
Perhaps it needed another hour to explain this because I can't.
The narration was great, too bad the story wasn't.
November 14, 2023
This story was interesting. Full of weird and gory instances of violence. The ending was pretty bizarre, but it I know what it was going for. It's pretty short, and the mystery is well done. I recommend listening to the audio book. The narrator does a great job of telling the story and lends his voice to every character in a unique manner. If you like Wrong Turn, Necessary Things, or House of Wax, you'll probably enjoy this.
There it is and there you have it.
There it is and there you have it.
May 27, 2021
Short and sweet horror story. Had Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibes.
November 17, 2021
This was the equivalence of a low budget horror movie. It started off ok, but the ending was just disappointing. Strange story more than a horror story.
August 29, 2023
This was a quick, weird read. Had flavors of Bentley Little. Would read a longer version, if it ever came to be. I really enjoy Dilouie’s stories.
November 1, 2025
1.5 stars
I don’t even know what just happened.
I don’t even know what just happened.
September 28, 2020
A very short read of crazy, deliverance, backwoods, trailer park foolery. And I enjoyed EVERY minute of it!!!
March 26, 2014
My full The End of the Road audiobook review can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
This was a truly disturbing tale of lost travelers thinking that they found salvation in a small back woods town. Sure it was short and sounds like little more than a pitch for a B grade slasher movie the likes of The Hills Have Eyes. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion, not all stories can be masterpieces. Masterpiece or not stories like this can reach down in your soul and turn part of it black. A group of friends break down in the middle of a road trip and in the middle of nowhere, only to find a small town. The residents seems a little off their rocker at first, only to discover later that they are much worse that the travelers first thought. This was a pretty straight forward horror story with not twists or turns, yet I found it a very quick escape from reality.
Audiobook purchased by me..
This was a truly disturbing tale of lost travelers thinking that they found salvation in a small back woods town. Sure it was short and sounds like little more than a pitch for a B grade slasher movie the likes of The Hills Have Eyes. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion, not all stories can be masterpieces. Masterpiece or not stories like this can reach down in your soul and turn part of it black. A group of friends break down in the middle of a road trip and in the middle of nowhere, only to find a small town. The residents seems a little off their rocker at first, only to discover later that they are much worse that the travelers first thought. This was a pretty straight forward horror story with not twists or turns, yet I found it a very quick escape from reality.
Audiobook purchased by me..
December 4, 2022
Very boring-not worth your time
June 6, 2022
The End of the Road started out ok. A group of friends on an American road trip and, of course, they have car trouble. Sounds familiar, but sometimes familiarity is a good thing. This works for about the first half of the novella. After that, everything felt rushed, with no real explanation of what was happening, little description, and some dry, bland dialogue. Throw in a really bad ending and you have a novella that isn't worth the reader's time.
May 7, 2025
End of the Road had a promising concept and a writing style I actually liked, but overall, it didn’t fully deliver. I listened to the audiobook, and while the narration was solid, the story felt rushed and the characters were, frankly, insufferable—making it tough to stay engaged.
One aspect that stood out to me in a negative way was the racial implications woven into the story. Maybe that’s a personal reaction, but I found some of the dynamics uncomfortable and not handled in a way that felt thoughtful or necessary.
The ending didn’t leave much of an impact either. There were moments of potential, but ultimately it felt like a missed opportunity.
One aspect that stood out to me in a negative way was the racial implications woven into the story. Maybe that’s a personal reaction, but I found some of the dynamics uncomfortable and not handled in a way that felt thoughtful or necessary.
The ending didn’t leave much of an impact either. There were moments of potential, but ultimately it felt like a missed opportunity.
June 14, 2021
Horrendous. Started out with a pretty good premise...just what I was looking for. A tale of friends surviving a scary situation/adventure/predicament. But it quickly became impossible to deal with the cringy dialogue, my constant eye-rolling, and then the most un-frightening turn of events just made it literally useless to continue. And believe me, I hung in there till the near-end before realizing I could be spending my time on something else way more deserving. Like Cyndi Lauper’s 3rd album or something. Anything. Whew. Keep moving and take a pass on this one.
March 5, 2021
I hardly ever rate books at one star. Making an exception here. This was so ham-fisted that I couldn’t finish it. Hopefully it won’t hurt my annual challenge.
This problem starts right at the beginning. The characters are ill defined, dialog is stilted, and the whole concept is less than original. Should have run away from even this free download on Audible.
This problem starts right at the beginning. The characters are ill defined, dialog is stilted, and the whole concept is less than original. Should have run away from even this free download on Audible.
October 21, 2020
Still trying to figure out the ending. I get that they were free, but why did the townspeople and their 3 friends walk into the woods? And what was up with Ford wanting to save America now? I couldn't figure it out. I wished I could've asked the author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2023
After graduating from UCLA, Travis, April, Beth, Billy, and Ford went on a road trip. The minivan broke down. Walking up the road they came upon a small town. What they discovered was nothing they ever expected. Nice creepy short story.
April 5, 2024
Christian Rummel did a solid job narrating this tale for Audible, which has a good premise. It felt a little too rushed and maybe needed to be a novella instead of a short? Some good parts along the way.
June 8, 2025
This started out strong - like a low budget horror movie with an interesting premise. But by the end, things just fizzled out. I didn't necessarily need all my questions answered for this short story, but I was expecting the ending to pack more of a punch than it did.
2.5
2.5
December 26, 2025
If Craig Dilouie and Cormac McCarthy sat down and wrote a story together this would be that story. It’s only an hour long but that hour is very chilling and laced with uncertainty. You almost feel off-kilter while listening.
If anyone is using audible, this is a free book on there.
October 11, 2020
Listened to the audiobook of this as it was short, and free on audible. Worst narrator and the story was boring. Really wish I had skipped it.
Read
December 10, 2020A fun variation on the inbred townies/evil town theme. Crisp writing.
January 3, 2021
People went somewhere and the book went nowhere...
March 22, 2021
It`s kind of like a b-horror movie, which sounds like a good thing, but the ending was crap.
March 23, 2021
It has been sometime since I’ve listened or read such a short story. This one was enjoyable.
April 17, 2021
Not sure what I was expecting...but this wasn’t it. 😆
June 8, 2021
Weird
July 28, 2021
This was really short. I didnt really have feelings about it one way or the other...just ok. Free on Audible Plus.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews