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Terminal Inferno
Demetrius just wanted to get home after a grueling and emotional trip that left his already aching body worn and weary. Delayed flights, missed connections, and chronic illness flare-ups trap Demetrius in a runway purgatory. Forced to spend the night in a massive airport in a strange city, he wanders the concourse hoping to find a quiet place to sleep. Just as he gets settled, Demetrius spots a priest who offers unwanted attentions and horrific flashbacks. Haunted by his troubled past, Demetrius seeks solace in a drug-induced rest, but not even his dreams are safe. The past and present collide and Demetrius is forced to either provide an offering for his trauma...or become one.
- GenresHorror
72 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 28, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 4, 2026
The hardest battles are, more often than not, the internal ones, and I feel like that’s the core of this story.
Terminal Inferno is a short horror novella featuring Demetrius, a trans man with chronic pain issues, who gets stranded in an airport after a delayed plane causes him to miss the connecting one. He’s achy, wants to be back at home already with his sister, and he’s had quite enough. The next plane doesn’t leave for about twenty-four hours, and he doesn’t even have his luggage.
Then, a simple chance encounter with a priest, kicks a hidden door in his mind open, letting out some unresolved trauma.
When I randomly picked this book up (mostly for the cover, as I usually do) I think I expected something a bit else. The claustrophobic setting of an airport really worked on me because being stranded there is a big no for me. Nevertheless, this story felt more like a fever dream, especially as a chunk of it were actual dreams, nightmares, and flashbacks. Very introspective, full of internal turmoil, and I have to admit I was getting a bit lost in what’s real or what’s a dream, or a memory within a dream. I suspect that was what the author was going for.
The story tackles the difficult theme of dealing with severe religious trauma and guilt even while missing some parts of religion, especially the sense of community and belonging (even though the “belonging” is very often conditioned on being perceived as “normal” by others). This kind of guilt was closely tied to Demetrius’ identity issues which affect his life and relationships severely, and to witness him unwillingly unpack all of it while being alone and vulnerable was heartbreaking.
And while I find these themes very fascinating, being so far removed from them as an atheist, the messages don’t hit on a personal level, obviously. I appreciate this little story might speak to the queer readers from a deeply religious background.
(Seriously, I can’t even begin to imagine what it does to a kid’s mind, to be taught to fear eternal damnation and hellfire for not following the rules. No shade to anyone’s religion or faith but while reading this, a saying kept popping into my mind - No hate like Christian love - and it rang very true.)
The use of horror tag feels a bit speculative - readers used to this genre will probably find it underwhelming (unless the themes are personally hard-hitting), yet those who usually steer clear from it would undoubtedly find it unpalatable. There is some intense body horror imagery, yes, but the fever dream feel to it took away from the impact for me.
I do have to mention another element of the story - no spoilers, but there IS a non-con sexual aspect that felt a mix of uncomfortable and erotic (yes, yes I liked it, very much so - I looked a bit like this 👀😬😳).
I realize I’m mostly not the target audience, and I prefer my horror to happen a bit more externally, so I would still definitely recommend this to readers for whom the themes appeal!
Terminal Inferno is a short horror novella featuring Demetrius, a trans man with chronic pain issues, who gets stranded in an airport after a delayed plane causes him to miss the connecting one. He’s achy, wants to be back at home already with his sister, and he’s had quite enough. The next plane doesn’t leave for about twenty-four hours, and he doesn’t even have his luggage.
Then, a simple chance encounter with a priest, kicks a hidden door in his mind open, letting out some unresolved trauma.
When I randomly picked this book up (mostly for the cover, as I usually do) I think I expected something a bit else. The claustrophobic setting of an airport really worked on me because being stranded there is a big no for me. Nevertheless, this story felt more like a fever dream, especially as a chunk of it were actual dreams, nightmares, and flashbacks. Very introspective, full of internal turmoil, and I have to admit I was getting a bit lost in what’s real or what’s a dream, or a memory within a dream. I suspect that was what the author was going for.
The story tackles the difficult theme of dealing with severe religious trauma and guilt even while missing some parts of religion, especially the sense of community and belonging (even though the “belonging” is very often conditioned on being perceived as “normal” by others). This kind of guilt was closely tied to Demetrius’ identity issues which affect his life and relationships severely, and to witness him unwillingly unpack all of it while being alone and vulnerable was heartbreaking.
And while I find these themes very fascinating, being so far removed from them as an atheist, the messages don’t hit on a personal level, obviously. I appreciate this little story might speak to the queer readers from a deeply religious background.
(Seriously, I can’t even begin to imagine what it does to a kid’s mind, to be taught to fear eternal damnation and hellfire for not following the rules. No shade to anyone’s religion or faith but while reading this, a saying kept popping into my mind - No hate like Christian love - and it rang very true.)
The use of horror tag feels a bit speculative - readers used to this genre will probably find it underwhelming (unless the themes are personally hard-hitting), yet those who usually steer clear from it would undoubtedly find it unpalatable. There is some intense body horror imagery, yes, but the fever dream feel to it took away from the impact for me.
I do have to mention another element of the story - no spoilers, but there IS a non-con sexual aspect that felt a mix of uncomfortable and erotic (yes, yes I liked it, very much so - I looked a bit like this 👀😬😳).
I realize I’m mostly not the target audience, and I prefer my horror to happen a bit more externally, so I would still definitely recommend this to readers for whom the themes appeal!
September 4, 2025
Apparently, I've unintentionally set myself up for a week of reading about religious trauma/horror.
This is a snappy one, that doesn't let you get too comfortable with anything and it's about how hell is an airport actually. Demetrius, a trans man and a little bit of the avoidant type, is on his way home and life happens and hi misses his connecting flight, so he ends up more or less stuck in an airport. Already a nightmare on its own right this unplanned stay is made worse by Demetrius' personal and health situation and the presence of someone creepy. What follows is a Dante-esque night that's uncomfortable, occasionally a little liminal, often weird and uncompromisingly queer.
There's something sad and beautiful about this weird little allegorical journey, that'll stick with you for a good long time.
Disclaimer; I received a digital review copy of this book for review consideration.
This is a snappy one, that doesn't let you get too comfortable with anything and it's about how hell is an airport actually. Demetrius, a trans man and a little bit of the avoidant type, is on his way home and life happens and hi misses his connecting flight, so he ends up more or less stuck in an airport. Already a nightmare on its own right this unplanned stay is made worse by Demetrius' personal and health situation and the presence of someone creepy. What follows is a Dante-esque night that's uncomfortable, occasionally a little liminal, often weird and uncompromisingly queer.
There's something sad and beautiful about this weird little allegorical journey, that'll stick with you for a good long time.
Disclaimer; I received a digital review copy of this book for review consideration.
January 28, 2025
Terminal Inferno // rating; ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A short novella horror looking at identity and religion and finding your place in them, specially when the world seems against you. We follow Demetrius our trans mc stuck in an airport where he starts to have nightmares featuring a priest also in the airport. We also follow his story though flashbacks of him coming out. While a short read I still did really enjoy it as I do anything religious horror I just fuck with the vibes so hard
and can we just appreciate this cover too? bc DAMN its stunning
tropes;
- religious horror
- stuck in an airport
- freaky priests
cws;
- body horror
- emotional abue
- transphobia
- religious trauma
- blood / gore
- bullying
- misogyny
- child abuse
A short novella horror looking at identity and religion and finding your place in them, specially when the world seems against you. We follow Demetrius our trans mc stuck in an airport where he starts to have nightmares featuring a priest also in the airport. We also follow his story though flashbacks of him coming out. While a short read I still did really enjoy it as I do anything religious horror I just fuck with the vibes so hard
and can we just appreciate this cover too? bc DAMN its stunning
tropes;
- religious horror
- stuck in an airport
- freaky priests
cws;
- body horror
- emotional abue
- transphobia
- religious trauma
- blood / gore
- bullying
- misogyny
- child abuse
August 2, 2026
Oh. My. Fucking. God.
November 21, 2025
Terminal Inferno by M.C. Crane was… quite different. I don’t read the descriptions of competition books beforehand so that I go in without any expectations at all. The cover is pretty cool though so I was looking forward to it.
It definitely took me by surprise. I’d call it the most unique book of our allocations that’s I’ve tried so far. Quite visceral, confrontational, and introspective. While those are some great things for me, the overall story gave me a bit of mixed feelings.
The writing was quite compelling and emotionally provoking. The themes of religious trauma, chronic pain, and belonging felt realistic, and the horror of the MC’s experience, both real and within dreams, was visceral.
But in the end, it still felt like something was missing from the story, though I can’t really put my finger on what that was. Maybe the dream framing of the experiences gave it less of a speculative feeling? I did keep waiting for something more fantastical to happen in the real world of the MC too, but it mostly stuck to a contemporary real world with someone that has very vivid dreams.
This book did stick with me longer than many other novellas though. The more I sat with it, the more stood out to me. I’ve already gone back to Goodreads to see if there is something else from the author to add to my TBR (there is).
For those who need the heads up, this book is spicy, quite graphic, and has traumatic experiences throughout.
It definitely took me by surprise. I’d call it the most unique book of our allocations that’s I’ve tried so far. Quite visceral, confrontational, and introspective. While those are some great things for me, the overall story gave me a bit of mixed feelings.
The writing was quite compelling and emotionally provoking. The themes of religious trauma, chronic pain, and belonging felt realistic, and the horror of the MC’s experience, both real and within dreams, was visceral.
But in the end, it still felt like something was missing from the story, though I can’t really put my finger on what that was. Maybe the dream framing of the experiences gave it less of a speculative feeling? I did keep waiting for something more fantastical to happen in the real world of the MC too, but it mostly stuck to a contemporary real world with someone that has very vivid dreams.
This book did stick with me longer than many other novellas though. The more I sat with it, the more stood out to me. I’ve already gone back to Goodreads to see if there is something else from the author to add to my TBR (there is).
For those who need the heads up, this book is spicy, quite graphic, and has traumatic experiences throughout.
January 13, 2025
M.C. Crane's debut novella, Terminal Inferno, flays queer religious trauma wide open.
Demetrius's warped sense of self and yearning for absolution feel achingly familiar. Brokenness becomes his identity, his shield: if he's already in pieces, there's nothing more to shatter...until he's trapped with his own psyche and nowhere to run. I hope this incredible piece haunts my dreams.
I highlighted all over this book. Crane dropped SO many stellar lines. I loved the writing, from the priest's darkly poetic preaching to more subtle jabs at gender and ability. I also enjoyed the sibling banter. Demetrius and Julie's relationship feels lighthearted and warm, even over text messages.
In sum, Terminal Inferno is an unflinching and poetic look at identity, religion, and belonging. I loved the writing and highly recommended checking out this debut.
I'm so so grateful I got to check out this book in advance for free. I'm looking forward to seeing the paperback in person! I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
Demetrius's warped sense of self and yearning for absolution feel achingly familiar. Brokenness becomes his identity, his shield: if he's already in pieces, there's nothing more to shatter...until he's trapped with his own psyche and nowhere to run. I hope this incredible piece haunts my dreams.
I highlighted all over this book. Crane dropped SO many stellar lines. I loved the writing, from the priest's darkly poetic preaching to more subtle jabs at gender and ability. I also enjoyed the sibling banter. Demetrius and Julie's relationship feels lighthearted and warm, even over text messages.
In sum, Terminal Inferno is an unflinching and poetic look at identity, religion, and belonging. I loved the writing and highly recommended checking out this debut.
I'm so so grateful I got to check out this book in advance for free. I'm looking forward to seeing the paperback in person! I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
March 23, 2025
4⭐️
If liminal horror, religious trauma, and trans identity had a twisted little baby and left it stranded at an airport terminal with nothing but dread and a creepy priest for company—Terminal Inferno would be it.
M.C. Crane delivers a punchy novella soaked in eerie vibes, theological unease, and the kind of quiet rage that simmers when the world refuses to let you just be. We follow Demetrius, a trans man trying to catch a flight, but instead gets stuck in the purgatory that is both literal and emotional. Nightmares bleed into reality, memories claw their way back through flashbacks of coming out, and lurking through it all is a priest who feels more like a haunting than a human.
The novella is short, yes, but it doesn’t waste a second. It knows exactly what it wants to say about faith, identity, and the spaces in between—and it says it with sharp teeth and eerie grace. There’s something deeply satisfying about how it leans into religious horror without fetishizing trauma. It’s not shock for shock’s sake; it’s a reckoning.
The surreal setting, the eerie priest, the existential dread—all wrapped up in that juicy subgenre of “God might be watching, but He’s definitely not helping.”
I read this for the #TransRightsReadathon25 and honestly, what a perfect pick. Because in between the horror, the hallucinations, and the holy dread, Terminal Inferno is about trying to survive in a world that tries to erase you. It’s messy. It’s holy. It’s hellish. And it’s kind of beautiful, in a gnarly, nightmarish way.
A solid 4 stars—and a strong reminder that sometimes, the most terrifying places aren’t haunted houses… they’re airport terminals filled with ghosts of your past and the weight of who you’re becoming.
If liminal horror, religious trauma, and trans identity had a twisted little baby and left it stranded at an airport terminal with nothing but dread and a creepy priest for company—Terminal Inferno would be it.
M.C. Crane delivers a punchy novella soaked in eerie vibes, theological unease, and the kind of quiet rage that simmers when the world refuses to let you just be. We follow Demetrius, a trans man trying to catch a flight, but instead gets stuck in the purgatory that is both literal and emotional. Nightmares bleed into reality, memories claw their way back through flashbacks of coming out, and lurking through it all is a priest who feels more like a haunting than a human.
The novella is short, yes, but it doesn’t waste a second. It knows exactly what it wants to say about faith, identity, and the spaces in between—and it says it with sharp teeth and eerie grace. There’s something deeply satisfying about how it leans into religious horror without fetishizing trauma. It’s not shock for shock’s sake; it’s a reckoning.
The surreal setting, the eerie priest, the existential dread—all wrapped up in that juicy subgenre of “God might be watching, but He’s definitely not helping.”
I read this for the #TransRightsReadathon25 and honestly, what a perfect pick. Because in between the horror, the hallucinations, and the holy dread, Terminal Inferno is about trying to survive in a world that tries to erase you. It’s messy. It’s holy. It’s hellish. And it’s kind of beautiful, in a gnarly, nightmarish way.
A solid 4 stars—and a strong reminder that sometimes, the most terrifying places aren’t haunted houses… they’re airport terminals filled with ghosts of your past and the weight of who you’re becoming.
June 17, 2026
A compelling premise that is not explored enough in the greater literary market. One would think religious trans horror would be a popular genre, but I haven't read too many books with this premise (though this publisher seems to be cornering the market on trans religious erotic horror, so I'm excited to continue exploring the Laughing Man catalog).
The climax of the book is where the writing shone, with titillating, terrifying imagery, making the erotic horrible and the horrible erotic. I wish the horror erotica aspect would have been explored a little earlier to hook me better. I found some of the beginning to drag on a bit for how short the book was, but by the time I got to the last third of the book, I wasn't able to put it down. I'll be checking out any future books from Crane.
The climax of the book is where the writing shone, with titillating, terrifying imagery, making the erotic horrible and the horrible erotic. I wish the horror erotica aspect would have been explored a little earlier to hook me better. I found some of the beginning to drag on a bit for how short the book was, but by the time I got to the last third of the book, I wasn't able to put it down. I'll be checking out any future books from Crane.
January 29, 2025
There's a lot of healing in religious horror.
January 18, 2026
queer religious trauma in airport hell, trans mc, creepy priests!
content warning: dub con?
content warning: dub con?
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews