What do you think?
Rate this book
Gore
The year is 3035
Earth is running out of resources and is fighting to survive. One last hope for usable energy resides deep in the ice of Europa. The crew of the U.C.C.’s (United Universal Colonies) Land Drill scoured Jupiter’s moon for valuable resources.
During one promising dig, the crew came upon two coffins buried fathoms deep in the one contained a man burning with unstoppable rage and the other housed an ancient evil.
The Stranger awoke, as did a cosmic horde.
Gore will be spilled!
Earth is running out of resources and is fighting to survive. One last hope for usable energy resides deep in the ice of Europa. The crew of the U.C.C.’s (United Universal Colonies) Land Drill scoured Jupiter’s moon for valuable resources.
During one promising dig, the crew came upon two coffins buried fathoms deep in the one contained a man burning with unstoppable rage and the other housed an ancient evil.
The Stranger awoke, as did a cosmic horde.
Gore will be spilled!
94 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2023
2 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 29, 2024
It wasn't bad but I would have liked more from it somehow. It's non-stop action and it made it kind of hard to get invested into it. Real fans of DOOM might get a different mileage out of this one.
February 3, 2024
“Doom resides within.”
This was a scifi action thriller that follows a drilling crew on Europa. They find an anomaly under the ice and discover two objects. Opening them could mean the end of the human race.
I felt this story was pretty short, not really delving into the characters or establishing them as well as a longer story would’ve.
X was an interesting character, but I didn’t really understand his background/creation.
Honestly, after they got to the cargo hold things just got confusing all around. I also wasn’t sure why there were so many alternating names used for X (tyrant, destroyer) as they alternated every few sentences and I had to double check that I was still reading about the character and not one of his cosmic enemies.
This was a scifi action thriller that follows a drilling crew on Europa. They find an anomaly under the ice and discover two objects. Opening them could mean the end of the human race.
I felt this story was pretty short, not really delving into the characters or establishing them as well as a longer story would’ve.
X was an interesting character, but I didn’t really understand his background/creation.
Honestly, after they got to the cargo hold things just got confusing all around. I also wasn’t sure why there were so many alternating names used for X (tyrant, destroyer) as they alternated every few sentences and I had to double check that I was still reading about the character and not one of his cosmic enemies.
September 5, 2023
Non-stop action, lots of blood and guts, and a whole ton of nostalgia. Highly recommended
August 16, 2023
Being a lifelong Doom fanatic, I was excited to see a novel inspired by the series, and bought it on day one. Having just finished the thing in a single sitting, I have to say I enjoyed the experience of reading it a fair amount.
This book is one where rating the specific quality of the thing is hard, because I recognize a fair amount of flaws that, on an objective, critical level, drag down the overall quality of the book, but none of these things dragged down my personal enjoyment of it, so while I'd likely objectively rate it a 3/5, it was undoubtedly an enjoyable read to such a degree that my actual rating of it goes a bit higher.
As for those flaws, I feel like the main problem with the book is that it doesn't give a lot of development to its characters, and because the book is essentially just a big action scene, the characters never have any downtime to develop their personalities or feel like people, and what information we do get about them is thrown at us kinda clumsily. I'd similarly have to note that, at times, parts of this story don't feel properly explained, and I don't think that a person unfamiliar with the plot and lore of Doom would understand those parts very well, which lends to a feeling of this being a fanfic with the serial numbers filed off.
All that being said, I went in expecting the book to be more action than plot, and overall, I had a good time. The titular gore is descriptive and weighty, the weaponry and sci-fi equipment is easily understandable and consistently interesting, and the monsters are original, yet familiar enough to be at least interesting in their imagery. If you're obsessed with Doom like I am, you'll likely have a reasonably fun time reading about the Not-Doom-Slayer ripping and tearing through hordes of monsters. Those looking for a well developed sci-fi horror novel will probably be disappointed.
This book is one where rating the specific quality of the thing is hard, because I recognize a fair amount of flaws that, on an objective, critical level, drag down the overall quality of the book, but none of these things dragged down my personal enjoyment of it, so while I'd likely objectively rate it a 3/5, it was undoubtedly an enjoyable read to such a degree that my actual rating of it goes a bit higher.
As for those flaws, I feel like the main problem with the book is that it doesn't give a lot of development to its characters, and because the book is essentially just a big action scene, the characters never have any downtime to develop their personalities or feel like people, and what information we do get about them is thrown at us kinda clumsily. I'd similarly have to note that, at times, parts of this story don't feel properly explained, and I don't think that a person unfamiliar with the plot and lore of Doom would understand those parts very well, which lends to a feeling of this being a fanfic with the serial numbers filed off.
All that being said, I went in expecting the book to be more action than plot, and overall, I had a good time. The titular gore is descriptive and weighty, the weaponry and sci-fi equipment is easily understandable and consistently interesting, and the monsters are original, yet familiar enough to be at least interesting in their imagery. If you're obsessed with Doom like I am, you'll likely have a reasonably fun time reading about the Not-Doom-Slayer ripping and tearing through hordes of monsters. Those looking for a well developed sci-fi horror novel will probably be disappointed.
August 18, 2023
This book was a bloody good fun time.
I don’t think I can think of a better way to put it!
Seriously, I was smiling all the way through this. I may have to reread, but have some popcorn and a large coke with me. It’s the kind of horror entertainment I really needed today.
Gore is an action-packed love letter to Doom, and I liked it very. So much so, I read it in a day.
5 stars for a book that turns things up to eleven.
I don’t think I can think of a better way to put it!
Seriously, I was smiling all the way through this. I may have to reread, but have some popcorn and a large coke with me. It’s the kind of horror entertainment I really needed today.
Gore is an action-packed love letter to Doom, and I liked it very. So much so, I read it in a day.
5 stars for a book that turns things up to eleven.
August 14, 2023
Once the story is set the blood starts to flow and everything kicks into high gear you can't stop burning up the pages. Wildasin is someone that needs to be read. His stories pull you in and cover you in bits of blood and GORE. As I read this it played out like a top notch movie or video game on the screen in my otherwise empty melon.
September 19, 2023
Plenty of Gore
As stated in the intro, Gore is Matt Wildasin’s homage to the Doom video game franchise. If you’ve ever played Doom, then you’ll have a good idea of what you’re getting into. It’s a quick read with all the action and carnage you would expect coupled with an interesting storyline set on a distant moon. If you’re a fan of action horror, Gore is for you.
As stated in the intro, Gore is Matt Wildasin’s homage to the Doom video game franchise. If you’ve ever played Doom, then you’ll have a good idea of what you’re getting into. It’s a quick read with all the action and carnage you would expect coupled with an interesting storyline set on a distant moon. If you’re a fan of action horror, Gore is for you.
August 12, 2023
Wildasin promises a love letter to Doom and delivers with this brutal, gory sci-fi horror!
August 16, 2023
Jam-packed with action. Wildasin manages to keep the continuous violence and mayhem both interesting and non-repetitive, which can be tricky over the course of a fight lasting most of a book.
September 2, 2023
GORE is an action-packed shoot-em-up fun fest from start to finish. Wicked weapons, isolated space ship, creepy things encased in ice that really shouldn't be disturbed but where would the fun be in that? This is a quick and enjoyable read, and though the author's note mentions it has some inspirations from DOOM, I've never played that game and still had a ball with it.
September 8, 2023
When you write what you know, good things can happen. And Wildasin knows Doom.
Sure, Gore can be dismissed as fanfic, but it’s not. After 15 minutes of reading, the pleasantries are done and pure wall to wall action ensues. Gore is a fun book where the archetypes are embraced and does not overstay its welcome. It is a novella after all, and you do not need to look for any deeper meaning or be disappointed by twists and turns that don’t work. Simply put, Gore is Wildasin’s best work since A Walk on a Winter’s Night, minus the bleakness. Gore is too fun for any bleak.
Though they’re still there, most of the mechanical errors have been dialled in, but part of the enjoyment of Gore is to check your brain & ego and enjoy the novella for what it is: a fun video game cosmic action horror done decent. One can hope a serial is being started of this as one line from the book cannot be ignored:
“I promise you this won’t be the end. More will come…”
Sure, Gore can be dismissed as fanfic, but it’s not. After 15 minutes of reading, the pleasantries are done and pure wall to wall action ensues. Gore is a fun book where the archetypes are embraced and does not overstay its welcome. It is a novella after all, and you do not need to look for any deeper meaning or be disappointed by twists and turns that don’t work. Simply put, Gore is Wildasin’s best work since A Walk on a Winter’s Night, minus the bleakness. Gore is too fun for any bleak.
Though they’re still there, most of the mechanical errors have been dialled in, but part of the enjoyment of Gore is to check your brain & ego and enjoy the novella for what it is: a fun video game cosmic action horror done decent. One can hope a serial is being started of this as one line from the book cannot be ignored:
“I promise you this won’t be the end. More will come…”
September 8, 2023
I had a blast with this! It's non-stop gory action with some kills that made me do a doubletake to make sure I read what I read. Wildasin made a huge love letter to Doom and while I know nothing about the games, I did have a lot of fun without that knowledge. But, I'm sure fans of Doom are going to get a huge kick out of this one.
January 21, 2025
4/5 stars, but problems still exist...
What a creative and interesting basis for a story, man. A video game-inspired gorefest with a cosmic horror final boss, sick. It is also so fast-paced, which got me stoked while reading it over morning coffee in one session, but then it finished so quickly on me like a virgin busting their first load. I read this faster than it took me to beat the first level of the game! However, the Easter eggs related to Doom were well done, albeit limited in number.
There are a few things I did not like about this book:
1. Matt Wildasin has got to gain some confidence and write some longer fiction. These 90-120 page books of theirs are limiting their literary skills. There is only so much a person can accomplish at novella length. This book is no stranger to that fact. Matt even wrote about it in the preface, explaining how hard it was to finish writing and editing this book. Unfortunately, it shows in the end product. With more pages, the pace could have been broken up more for dramatic effect, more character development could have been done (like what do Gould or Logan even look like?), and even more DOOM Easter eggs could have been included. This book felt like watching a streamer 100% fast-run the video game. A casual playthrough experience could have been even more riveting in my opinion and allowed more space for literary development of the author. Most people playing video games are casual gamers, not speedrunners. Matt mentioned that other Doom books have been written with an OK from the IP. Maybe they were worried about writing a longer book because of IP reasons, not sure. Either way, I think this book is justified in its goal and should not have been thinned to eliminate this fear. It deviates creatively from the original game and is creatively justified.
2. Matt should read some biology and physiology textbooks if they want to continue writing hardcore horror with gore elements. Many of the descriptions of gore felt copy and pasted to me. I think Matt used the words "viscous," "ribbons," and "viscera" to explain every single battle scene. Give me some more variety, man. Aron Beauregard is one author that comes to mind which does a good job at finding differenct and unique ways to explain the repeating imagery of dead bodies in a pile on the floor. You even had more of an opportunity to do this than other authors because of the abstract nature of the beats with purple blood and strange appendices. Learn to leverage that more! If a scientific term cannot explain what you see in your head, you can even make one up!
3. There are some plot holes. So Subject X is able to change his weapons at will, which is lore accurate. But then there is a scene where Gordon is just able to do this on page 77 on his own, changing his found shotgun (given to him by X) to a rocket launcher. So how does Gordon just get this power automatically? —Was he supposed to be player 2 or something? I am pretty sure the shape-changing nature of the weapons in the game was due to Subject X being doomed and imbued with Old One energy, not the weapons alone, or am I wrong here?
Another thing I had an issue with—machines are unable to break through the material of the sarcophagus of Subject X, but Gordon can just "hulk it" over his shoulder and be OK. Yeah, alright, man. Didn't know Gordon had superhuman strength, ha. I mean, I guess he does work on a drill, but that doesn't make him stronger than diamond machine needles man.
And then in the end scene, are we supposed to believe that the scientist helping Subject X is Gould, or is he just "some random guy" that was able to survive the nuclear blast coming from the sun-induced death of a cosmic horror god? We got no description of Gould really, so he could easily be the "thin man wearing a lab coat" described on page 130 - if his green gas death was just a fainting spell. I am just failing to see the connection here. Gould and Gordon were the only ones to know about Subject X and how the Old One wanted to use Subject X's fear of being shunned from humans for not understanding. How would a sole surviving scientist just know that Subject X was "good" and "humanly"? Wouldn't they just be scared and isolate him like in every other movie?
I liked the ending—Subject X was not judged by his fellow humans, absolving him of his greatest fear right after seeing fear pour out of the dying Old One's face. I just think something else had to be added to this twist to make it more impactful. I do not trust that this random thin man in a lab coat would know to do the "right thing" here. I mean really—I would be surprised if anyone at the facility survived the onslaught based on the magnitude of the Old One as described, even if the facility can wall off sectors from one another. An explanation here could sway my belief here, though.
The last plot point I find questionable is when Gould dies from the green smog of the large casket, while Gordon doesn't. It is alluded to in the book that this is because Gordon and Gould are different. I am assuming this is because Gordon is a "badass" rugged type who has likely killed and "seen some shit," while Gould is described as the virile nerd scientist typical to the trope. So what did Gordon not die from the fumes since he killed before in war? This was alluded to but not explained. It does not matter in the end based on what happened with both Gould and Gordon, but I just want an explanation on why this detail was included. It seems trite as it stands now.
4. Overall, the book does a great job at explaining something super non-believable (cosmic horrors) and uses video game lore and science to make it plausible within the environment of the book. I think overall plausibility here was well done (hard to do with this subject matter), and I love the explanations of creature-specific gore. I just think the pacing could have been slowed in areas for dramatic effect, the story could have been longer, character development could have been richer, and some of the plot holes I brought up could have been addressed to make this a 5/5 star book.
I will be reading more by this author. I liked what he was throwing down in general. Super creative man. I am going to read The Backrooms next, but at 92 pages - I just already feel like some of the same issues are going to arise in that title as they did in "Gore".
What a creative and interesting basis for a story, man. A video game-inspired gorefest with a cosmic horror final boss, sick. It is also so fast-paced, which got me stoked while reading it over morning coffee in one session, but then it finished so quickly on me like a virgin busting their first load. I read this faster than it took me to beat the first level of the game! However, the Easter eggs related to Doom were well done, albeit limited in number.
There are a few things I did not like about this book:
1. Matt Wildasin has got to gain some confidence and write some longer fiction. These 90-120 page books of theirs are limiting their literary skills. There is only so much a person can accomplish at novella length. This book is no stranger to that fact. Matt even wrote about it in the preface, explaining how hard it was to finish writing and editing this book. Unfortunately, it shows in the end product. With more pages, the pace could have been broken up more for dramatic effect, more character development could have been done (like what do Gould or Logan even look like?), and even more DOOM Easter eggs could have been included. This book felt like watching a streamer 100% fast-run the video game. A casual playthrough experience could have been even more riveting in my opinion and allowed more space for literary development of the author. Most people playing video games are casual gamers, not speedrunners. Matt mentioned that other Doom books have been written with an OK from the IP. Maybe they were worried about writing a longer book because of IP reasons, not sure. Either way, I think this book is justified in its goal and should not have been thinned to eliminate this fear. It deviates creatively from the original game and is creatively justified.
2. Matt should read some biology and physiology textbooks if they want to continue writing hardcore horror with gore elements. Many of the descriptions of gore felt copy and pasted to me. I think Matt used the words "viscous," "ribbons," and "viscera" to explain every single battle scene. Give me some more variety, man. Aron Beauregard is one author that comes to mind which does a good job at finding differenct and unique ways to explain the repeating imagery of dead bodies in a pile on the floor. You even had more of an opportunity to do this than other authors because of the abstract nature of the beats with purple blood and strange appendices. Learn to leverage that more! If a scientific term cannot explain what you see in your head, you can even make one up!
3. There are some plot holes. So Subject X is able to change his weapons at will, which is lore accurate. But then there is a scene where Gordon is just able to do this on page 77 on his own, changing his found shotgun (given to him by X) to a rocket launcher. So how does Gordon just get this power automatically? —Was he supposed to be player 2 or something? I am pretty sure the shape-changing nature of the weapons in the game was due to Subject X being doomed and imbued with Old One energy, not the weapons alone, or am I wrong here?
Another thing I had an issue with—machines are unable to break through the material of the sarcophagus of Subject X, but Gordon can just "hulk it" over his shoulder and be OK. Yeah, alright, man. Didn't know Gordon had superhuman strength, ha. I mean, I guess he does work on a drill, but that doesn't make him stronger than diamond machine needles man.
And then in the end scene, are we supposed to believe that the scientist helping Subject X is Gould, or is he just "some random guy" that was able to survive the nuclear blast coming from the sun-induced death of a cosmic horror god? We got no description of Gould really, so he could easily be the "thin man wearing a lab coat" described on page 130 - if his green gas death was just a fainting spell. I am just failing to see the connection here. Gould and Gordon were the only ones to know about Subject X and how the Old One wanted to use Subject X's fear of being shunned from humans for not understanding. How would a sole surviving scientist just know that Subject X was "good" and "humanly"? Wouldn't they just be scared and isolate him like in every other movie?
I liked the ending—Subject X was not judged by his fellow humans, absolving him of his greatest fear right after seeing fear pour out of the dying Old One's face. I just think something else had to be added to this twist to make it more impactful. I do not trust that this random thin man in a lab coat would know to do the "right thing" here. I mean really—I would be surprised if anyone at the facility survived the onslaught based on the magnitude of the Old One as described, even if the facility can wall off sectors from one another. An explanation here could sway my belief here, though.
The last plot point I find questionable is when Gould dies from the green smog of the large casket, while Gordon doesn't. It is alluded to in the book that this is because Gordon and Gould are different. I am assuming this is because Gordon is a "badass" rugged type who has likely killed and "seen some shit," while Gould is described as the virile nerd scientist typical to the trope. So what did Gordon not die from the fumes since he killed before in war? This was alluded to but not explained. It does not matter in the end based on what happened with both Gould and Gordon, but I just want an explanation on why this detail was included. It seems trite as it stands now.
4. Overall, the book does a great job at explaining something super non-believable (cosmic horrors) and uses video game lore and science to make it plausible within the environment of the book. I think overall plausibility here was well done (hard to do with this subject matter), and I love the explanations of creature-specific gore. I just think the pacing could have been slowed in areas for dramatic effect, the story could have been longer, character development could have been richer, and some of the plot holes I brought up could have been addressed to make this a 5/5 star book.
I will be reading more by this author. I liked what he was throwing down in general. Super creative man. I am going to read The Backrooms next, but at 92 pages - I just already feel like some of the same issues are going to arise in that title as they did in "Gore".
August 28, 2023
Gore by Matt Wildasin is a fast-paced tale of uncovering things that were long buried and the curiosity that strikes and drives them forward, even when they knew better than to bend to their interest.
I haven’t played any of the DOOM video games, so I’m sure I was missing out here. However, like Matt said he hoped for in his introduction, I still had an absolute blast with this tale!
I loved that we were dropped right into the rough situation without the need for a long build-up to set the scene. We get just enough description before things go absolutely wild.
A classic curiosity-killed-the-cat type of situation, this tale is one that you’re going to want to read straight through. The tension and action are just too intense to put down at any point.
Action-horror fans, go grab your copy today!
Check out my full review here:
https://www.ericarobynreads.com/gore-...
I haven’t played any of the DOOM video games, so I’m sure I was missing out here. However, like Matt said he hoped for in his introduction, I still had an absolute blast with this tale!
I loved that we were dropped right into the rough situation without the need for a long build-up to set the scene. We get just enough description before things go absolutely wild.
A classic curiosity-killed-the-cat type of situation, this tale is one that you’re going to want to read straight through. The tension and action are just too intense to put down at any point.
Action-horror fans, go grab your copy today!
Check out my full review here:
https://www.ericarobynreads.com/gore-...
December 12, 2025
Whew! What a ride!
The pace of this book is lightning fast. Non stop action that'll take your breath away. I loved every word of this story.
Sci-fi horror meets cosmic horror for an otherworldly battle to save human kind. What more could you ask for?
The character of Gould I couldn't stand, he was so haughty and unlikeable. But, he turned out to be not so bad and I ended up kind of liking him in the end.
I was wanting background on X and wouldn't you know it, just when I felt that I needed that background the most there it was. His back story is sad and that made the ending that much sweeter.
If this quote doesn't peak your interest, I don't know what will.
"He rode the gargantuan decapitated head back to the fiery ground..."
Now that's a visual!
Highly recommend for lovers of sci-fi and cosmic horror!
The pace of this book is lightning fast. Non stop action that'll take your breath away. I loved every word of this story.
Sci-fi horror meets cosmic horror for an otherworldly battle to save human kind. What more could you ask for?
The character of Gould I couldn't stand, he was so haughty and unlikeable. But, he turned out to be not so bad and I ended up kind of liking him in the end.
I was wanting background on X and wouldn't you know it, just when I felt that I needed that background the most there it was. His back story is sad and that made the ending that much sweeter.
If this quote doesn't peak your interest, I don't know what will.
"He rode the gargantuan decapitated head back to the fiery ground..."
Now that's a visual!
Highly recommend for lovers of sci-fi and cosmic horror!
September 23, 2023
You ever just get all loaded up on caffeine and fried cheese and just need to beat ass on the newest DOOM game? No? We’ll keep on scrolling then because… wait, nevermind, this book is STILL for you because it’s bad ass. Seriously, I don’t know what else to say about Gore by Matt Wildasin. It grabs ahold of you by your head and bashes your senses against its first person shooter insanity in book form. Perfection for people like me, people who have zero ability to play the newer games but still desire that thrill of blowing away legions of monsters. K thx.
February 20, 2024
A Sci Fi video game combo
Admittedly so am not a Sci To fan, and have never played Doom, which I believe this is based on, so some of these references may be more familiar to others.
What I took out of it was a fast paced, shoot em up in space that was part Terminator (the X character) meets Alien (although the character of the Old One is more of a folkloric god or demon). Sci fi and fans of doom will get more out of it than I did, but it was a fun action story and the very end was very good.
Admittedly so am not a Sci To fan, and have never played Doom, which I believe this is based on, so some of these references may be more familiar to others.
What I took out of it was a fast paced, shoot em up in space that was part Terminator (the X character) meets Alien (although the character of the Old One is more of a folkloric god or demon). Sci fi and fans of doom will get more out of it than I did, but it was a fun action story and the very end was very good.
July 5, 2024
Thank you to the author for providing me with an e-ARC of Gore!
Gore is action-packed & soaked in blood. When the action kicks off, Matt Wildasin grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go, until the very last page. This one is a very quick read that really lives up to its name!
Perfect for fans of DOOM & anyone looking for an action-packed, sci-fi creature infested, gore-filled read!
Gore is action-packed & soaked in blood. When the action kicks off, Matt Wildasin grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go, until the very last page. This one is a very quick read that really lives up to its name!
Perfect for fans of DOOM & anyone looking for an action-packed, sci-fi creature infested, gore-filled read!
April 3, 2024
Fun read
This was Doom Eternal as a short story. Would love if the author expanded the lore. I always wished someone would write a deeper series on the Doom Eternal lore. The book was very short, more of a novella. There were a few spots I couldn't follow what just happened. I had to reread and move on. Highly recommend!
This was Doom Eternal as a short story. Would love if the author expanded the lore. I always wished someone would write a deeper series on the Doom Eternal lore. The book was very short, more of a novella. There were a few spots I couldn't follow what just happened. I had to reread and move on. Highly recommend!
December 2, 2024
An epic tale, that left me wanting more!
I was really intrigued by the idea of this story, and when I read the intro by Matt, and the game inspiration, I was hooked. An excellent tale, and what a grand finale! I really enjoyed this book, would recommend, and hope there will be another one
I was really intrigued by the idea of this story, and when I read the intro by Matt, and the game inspiration, I was hooked. An excellent tale, and what a grand finale! I really enjoyed this book, would recommend, and hope there will be another one
August 14, 2023
Gore was a game changer for me. This action packed sci-fi horror story was relentless. Filled with great characters and blood pumping scenes. I absolutely loved it.
December 24, 2023
Solid 3.5 stars. Fun, quick read. Little confusing at the end, with one character referred to by three different names. Seems ripe for a sequel.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews