The Gory Hole: A Short Extreme Horror Story

by Erica Summers

On a tense family vacation at a theme park in Florida, Darren decides to seek out a rumored gas station in the middle of nowhere offering far more than fuel. But the philanderer soon finds out that glory is not what lies beyond the hole...

Written by the author of Vanity Kills & Mantis, The Gory Hole is a work of extreme horror fiction. This short story contains gore and graphic depictions of adult acts.

This short story was originally published back in February 2024 in an anthology called Ensuring Your Place in Hell II. It is now being re-released as a standalone short story. Published by Rusty Ogre Publishing.

Genres: Horror, Splatterpunk, Fiction

52 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 5, 2024

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

I swore that I read Erica Summers at some point, but I can't seem to place it. Anyway, this was great. The concept of a glory hole always cracked me up. Like, "Hey, there's a random penis sticking out of a hole. Let me play with it." Even some of the most talented porn actresses can't make it any less silly. I was always taught to run if a random penis gets too close to you. I was brought up very old school, I guess. Or maybe ol' Peter Topside is just a prude? No, that can't be it. Anyway, the story is very simple and Erica Summers really captured the mindset of a very frustrated and unhappy father and husband. I love my family, but they drive me batshit crazy on a daily basis. Maybe not to the point of using gas station bathrooms to fulfill my carnal desires, but who knows. I'll be 40 this year, so still plenty of time to dive down that rabbit hole. You can basically surmise how things play out, but it's still a great deal of fun for horror fans. Gory, sexual, vulgar, and just the right length, this hit all the right notes for me.

[✮ osanna aoki ✮ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is probably exactly what you’re already thinking about— it’s easy to put two and two together.

Darren hates his family. He wishes they’d all get hit by a semi-truck and die so that he’d find some relief. He thinks his two children are gremlins, life with the family is boring and lackluster, they spend all of his money, but most of all— he really hates his wife.

With his sexless, empty marriage he decides to cheat— well, again. It’s been something he’s done on every family trip, so why should this getaway to Florida be any different?

It’s definitely different.

So fiendish and desperate to find a quickie with a random woman that he mistakes a dirty gas station’s gory hole for a glory hole.

So, you can imagine what happens and man, is it well deserved.

This book was fun! A prick of a husband finally gets what’s coming. It’s pretty light on the gore, which mainly happens towards the story’s end, but it’s vivid and detailed. Erica Summers still manages to give the reader a pretty solid story in such a quick amount of time. I wanted a bit more, though. It was a great concept and Darren’s experience deserved a few more pages and a bit more of my time. I think ★ ★ ★ stars suits Gory Hole as it was a pretty decent read— just way too short and needed a bit more of that visceral touch.

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I feel no pity at all for the MC.He is a complete tool. He is a horrible partner and even worse father. But my god, what a horrible way to go!!!

This was a quick read, only mild gore, and it's mainly within the last couple of pages. If you're looking for more gore, this will probably be a letdown. I personally enjoyed the story itself and wouldn't mind reading more tales from the gory hole!

I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

[DA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but no less disturbing I enjoyed this! I can't really say too much without giving things away. If you're looking for an introduction to Summers' work this would be a great place to start!

[amerie ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

well deserved lol

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ewwwww.

Darren (worst husband ever) ditches his family on vacation to go find a fabled glory hole. He didn’t read the sign correctly that stated “gory hole”.

[megb · Rating 4 out of 5]

i know i should hate darren but honestly i thought he was funny🤭 still well deserved though. this is great as long as you go into it expecting a short & to the point story.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohhh Darren... this went pretty much exactly the way I expected it to, but I still thought it was an entertaining little story

[IV · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ ARC review ✨

I enjoyed this a lot more than the other works I've read by the author. Erica Summers really excels at writing despicable characters, not gonna lie. Absolutely hated Darren, which made the gory twist of this far more fun to read. It's exactly what you expect from the title, and it didn't disappoint.

If you're into graphic gore and don't mind the contents (the book itself sadly doesn't have warnings), it's a good, quick read.

Contents include:
- graphic gore incl. genital injury
- infidelity
- toxic, unhappy marriage
- ableist language
- misogyny and homophobia in the MC's inner monologue
- explicit sexual scenes
- homicidal thoughts

I received an e-ARC of this book. I am leaving a review voluntarily, and it is my honest opinion.

[hailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darren thought the sign was written incorrectly and that he was simply entering a glory hole... he was wrong. He got what he deserved for being such an awful person. Great novella but I felt like the ending was rushed.

[booka_holicme · Rating 4 out of 5]

The name of the cover proves how horrifying this story could be and the cover was too fantastic.
The story started with a family on a trip. The family is breaking apart for the man's hypersexuality behavior. He fantasizes every girl he sees around. But he never knew his fantasy could one day turn into his worst nightmare.

Overall this was a really nice read. I was really enjoying the whole time and now I wish to explore Erica's other writings too.

4.5/5.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars because the concept is strong and the build up was good, but the only last few pages is where sh*t gets real and it wasn’t really enough for me. Although I believe the dad gets what he deserves because he is a terrible person and doesn’t exactly scream family man values. The ending just felt rushed and hashed to me.

[Shannon Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg wow!!!!! I loved this book. It has to be one of my favorite short horror stories. I read in 2024! I just can’t believe it’s this short lol I want to know more. I want to know how it became the gory hole, who the two people were. What happened to the wife and kids. I want to know everything lol. This needs to become a novel!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kimberly Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This. Was. Awesome!

The Gory Hole by Erica Summers was such a great, quick read! The title makes you think that you know what’s going to happen, but… do you really?! If you’re into the extreme, you’re in for a *treat* with this one. 🫣😅🖤

🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸 5/5

[Secret Novel Nook 🥀 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Exactly what I thought it would be.

[Ryan Danley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and to the point splatterpunk short story. A super lame guy is on vacation with a family far better than he deserves. He decides to go out to a place that has a glory hole. And ya... it's about as awesome as you'd think. Good fun. Check it out.

Guidelines For Book Reviewing:

1. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever review a book you didn’t finish. It’s ridiculous. If you couldn’t get through it, that’s on you. Who knows? Those last ten pages might have been incredible.

2. Meet the art where it’s at. If a book isn’t your style, fine. But don’t tank its rating just because it didn’t cater to your preferences. Ask: does it succeed for the audience it’s meant for? If the answer’s yes, rate it accordingly.

3. Remember: you’re not a professional critic. You’re a reader with an opinion. Critics follow certain rules and standards. If you’re going to critique, maybe study those—it’ll make your takes sharper and more respectful.

4. Be kind. Writing is hard, and for most authors—especially independent ones—it’s not even their full-time job. Many are grinding away at day jobs while putting everything into their art. These are people, not faceless creators. Mind yourself. Your words have weight, and careless negativity helps no one.

5. Remember, Goodreads is kind of terrible. It’s the Yelp of book reviewing—a lot of people with a lot of opinions, not all of them informed. Be cautious with your words because they do affect people.

6. And finally: never, ever, ever, ever review a book you didn’t finish. Ever.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepypasta style splatterpunk.
Well written, quick pace, easy to read, well words wise not gore wise. Single point of view, easy to follow the plot line. Basic story line. Believable characters. Good amount of descriptions of non gore. Making the story enjoyable
As typical with a splatterpunk book you have you slow build up with hints of what is to come, then smacks you with the full on extreme gore, body horror style in this case. Were there are lots of graphic details of exactly what is going on.
Would not say that this one has lots of trigger warnings, infact it's quite light. Would say that body dismemberment is the most.
A good take on a glory hole, a bit predictable story line wise, but still well written and is a good length. It is exactly what it sets itself to be, a gore book, with a good lesson behind it. Nothing more nothing less
If you enjoy extreme horror or splatterpunk you might as well read this one too, it's short, straight to the point and full of gore.
Thank you to the publisher and the author for letting me read this book as an ARC. I really enjoyed this book. My review is my own and based on my own feelings after reading this book. I picked this book because I enjoy this type of horror.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[The Beloved Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG this was freaking nasty! Gosh!! Jesus!! Okay, as I read the beginning of the story I actually felt for the MC and the fact that he has a horrible annoying wife and bratty kids and just craves some carnal fellatio. So he hears about a glory hole, one side is $20 the other is free. He pays for it and gets a great blow from an older woman who stops because his condom broke (dude has a big cock). Now he’s given a choice..

Jerk off and just bust a load on the floor or stick his throbbing cock into the free hole marked “gory hole”. Well you already freaking know what this idiot does. Damn idiot! Jesus. Straight body horror splatter punk nastiness. And the guy didn’t even get to cum! Yikes, blue balls forever!

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is exactly what it sounds like in the title. I always enjoy stories where an unlikeable character gets what they deserve, and this one did not disappoint. The main character despises his family life, his wife, and all of the things that he views as restrictions that come along with that dynamic, and the choices he makes based on those feelings really set him up for his fate. The descriptions and foreshadowing in this short story are great, and the voice of the main character was incredibly well written. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a bit of shock horror, gore, and gritty settings for those two things to meet in. I'll definitely be picking up more from this author!

[Becki 🤎 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gory Hole

I have been loving Erica’s books soooo much so I was super excited to receive this 👏🏼 I’m making my way down her library happily 😅

Darren is unhappy in his marriage, his wife is so uptight, she gives him nothing but earache. He’s dreaming of the day his kids turn 18 so he can just walk away without the baggage but for now he’s taken to getting secret “releases” on family holidays 🫣

This holiday is no different, except he’s told about a glory hole…a free for all. Sounds exciting right? Hmmm, nope. It’s more gorey than glory that’s for sure!

I was so into this!! I couldn’t stop reading, it was 45 pages of perfection 👌🏻 I really am loving all of Erica’s books so far, it’s just the right amount of back story, gore & those eye watering moments that make you like sheeeeesh 🫣

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 check your triggers! 🤎

[August · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novella was a lackluster entry into the extreme horror genre. I know it's short, but the ending left so much potential unexplored that it ultimately fell flat. The side characters were completely underdeveloped, and the main character was unlikable—not even in the compelling way you sometimes get in extreme horror.

I stuck with it because I wanted to see what would happen at the Gory Hole (great name, honestly), but we don’t even get there until the final two pages—after all the buildup. And while the buildup itself wasn’t terrible, it just didn’t go anywhere meaningful.

The concept was promising, but the execution left me disappointed.

[Cephie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew what I was getting into before going in, but getting to the ending was still having me squirming and grimacing along with it. You have your basic of malfunctioning family, cheating husband that hates his wife and kids with only one thing really on his mind. And when he finally gives in to what he wants, he pays the price, REALLY pays the price.
If you want a nice, quick extreme horror story to fill your gory needs, I'd recommend this.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Camille Danciu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A loveless marriage, a man’s seething internal rants about lack of intimacy with his own wife, a family trip, and a glory hole. The hotel clerk tells Darren about this Glory hole at a gas station and it’s all he can think about. When finally makes the trip it’s exactly as I imagine it.

I’m not sure if there’s trigger warnings but heed the cover. It was a quick read at 45 pages, and on KU, what’re you waiting for?

[Chris Alden · Rating 3 out of 5]

On a tense family vacation at a theme park in Florida, Darren decides to seek out a rumored gas station in the middle of nowhere offering far more than fuel. But the philanderer soon finds out that glory is not what lies beyond the hole..

A quick fun little read. This certainly has the makings of what could’ve been a fantastic book. It would’ve been great if the Gory Hole had more than one victim with perhaps Darren being the last. Having said that I found it quite a humorous 1hr quick read.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderfully gorey and horrifically graphic story!

A very short horror story that follows a man on his sexual adventures during a family holiday. The title of the story is quite literal and tends to give away a lot, yet this does not impact how great of a horror short this was! I would love this to be fleshed out into a novella, I need more details and backstories!!

[Paige Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great one-sitting breeze of a read. I enjoyed this one and the title leaves little to no room for imagination. This asshole got what he deserved that's for sure!

A family goes on a road trip and daddy is wanting to get a nice release if you catch my drift...

I'll just leave it at that. It's a short and quick one. Go give it a read!

[TheMother · Rating 2 out of 5]

With a title like 'Gory Hole,' you have to be pretty aware of what elements will be in this story.

This is a one sitting little short - it's fast paced enough to keep your attention. There were no glaring issues with the grammar or spelling (except in the Kindle version I found the word coming her hair instead of combing?) Anyhow, that is really whatever to me.

Story is about a nuclear family going on vacation - "dad" is awful, "mom" is awful, the kids -- not awful, just kids. Dad tries to validate his cheating as a little treat since mom doesn't do the deed. Whatever.

Where is the juice? Ok, I mean, I knew he was going to get his -- but I was really hoping for something viscerally and visually awful. Maybe I just can't empathize as I don't have the proper equipment.

For me, it wasn't worth the read even if it was quick.

[Simon Dower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tasty

I had this one recommended to me by another extreme horror author and am very glad to have check it out. The main guy is such a dick anyway, that by the time he gets to the Gory Hole... well, the name says it all so you know what you're in for. It's a quick fun read but if anything, I would have liked a bit more action at the Gory Hole itself. 4/5

[Tyler Curtain · Rating 1 out of 5]

This ain't it.

Trite, boring morality tale that punishes its main character in a way that only a 13 years old scout would find scary. The characters are unpleasant but at no point did I feel that a character deserved their fates. I'm angry that I paid for this.

[Jamie LeGuier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the premise of this short story, I liked the writing style and that Darren got what he deserved in some way.

I only wish the gore-filled ending was longer than the anticipation leading up to the event.