What do you think?
Rate this book
The Portal in the Forest #1
The Portal in the Forest
From the author of Psychosis, Matt Dymerski, comes a new reality-bending tale of horror and adventure. THE PORTAL IN THE FOREST This neighborhood has a secret - while the adults work multiple jobs to make ends meet, the children trade around strange trinkets and famous books with odd misprints. It seems that, without supervision, they've gotten into something extremely another universe. One adult is not working. One adult notices. One adult discovers their secret - a portal a few miles deep in Virginia woodlands; a portal that goes to a new universe each day. It's a fantastic opportunity to explore, certainly, but there are two the destinations are all dead worlds that have suffered unique and terrible apocalypses… and the portal is getting bigger.
142 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 8, 2015
72 people are currently reading
262 people want to read
About the author
Matt Dymerski
30 books82 followersMatt Dymerski is an author and of science fiction and horror. His works cover a wide range, from short story anthologies to full-length novels.
Dymerski is a favorite author in r/nosleep, a popular reddit forum where authors share original horror stories. In 2012, he was awarded Best Multi-Part Story of 2012 for the Asylum series.
Dymerski is a favorite author in r/nosleep, a popular reddit forum where authors share original horror stories. In 2012, he was awarded Best Multi-Part Story of 2012 for the Asylum series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 21, 2016
I've been going on Reddit a lot recently and reading top authors from the nosleep subreddit, a place where authors submit their original horror stories, and this is - and I don't say this lightly - one of the most captivating and intriguing stories ever, and I'm talking about when compared to actual novels as well. I highly recommend fans of science fiction, multiple universes, and epic adventure to check out this one, as well as Judging by the message I found, someone, somewhere, is lonelier than I am.
Edit: Found out that he calls the reddit post I mentioned above The Desolate Guardians.
The author's page here.
Edit: Found out that he calls the reddit post I mentioned above The Desolate Guardians.
The author's page here.
July 4, 2025
idk this book just didn’t cut it for me. typically when i’m reading a book i try to imagine the setting. this was in virgina suburbs near to woodlands, with random portals to different dimensions of varying shapes and sizes. i just imagined these as oddly shaped mirrors hovering/ sitting very awkwardly in a square plot of land; a bunch of roads and old buildings and maybe one nice house in the distance. it didn’t help that i have no idea what the main character’s name is. also where are these childrens’ families 😭 did they not notice the world falling apart and their kids screaming or missing every day.
the pov of the book of, ‘souls,’ compared to the main character’s perspective was interesting, but the jump was just so sudden every time. i think this was due to use of first person language which kinda annoyed me lowkey.
the concept of several versions of earth with varying forms of apocalypses was cool - that shadow drawn to lights, zombies, technologically enhanced human-robots…even the mars humans annihilating those on earth. HOWEVER everything was so short lived and i get it… short story, but as each world and its mechanics were finally forming a solid picture in my mind as i was gaining interest, we just skipped to another scene. 6 chapters and 140 pages is definitely not enough for an intro book with such complex ideas.
tell me why i only realised the main character was a women after nearly half the book when she had a very small mental breakdown about her dead daughter 😒
that woman through the portal in the white room just seemed like such a useless scene with her lil papers and half answers, but i’m sure for those who continue this series they’ll find more answers regarding this (not me).
thomas being revealed as a light entity turned human at the end, while saving their world from the several apocalyptic beings pouring in was so quick. i blinked and book done. where was the build up? climax? the plot twist? i feel this all blended into each other and was rushed. like we all knew thomas was sus. this child has no home and choses to sleep with you in an abandoned house. cmon.
i decided to give this book 2 stars instead of 1 as it’s not poorly written and i’m sure others enjoy this type of vibe/ genre, but it’s just not for me.
the pov of the book of, ‘souls,’ compared to the main character’s perspective was interesting, but the jump was just so sudden every time. i think this was due to use of first person language which kinda annoyed me lowkey.
the concept of several versions of earth with varying forms of apocalypses was cool - that shadow drawn to lights, zombies, technologically enhanced human-robots…even the mars humans annihilating those on earth. HOWEVER everything was so short lived and i get it… short story, but as each world and its mechanics were finally forming a solid picture in my mind as i was gaining interest, we just skipped to another scene. 6 chapters and 140 pages is definitely not enough for an intro book with such complex ideas.
tell me why i only realised the main character was a women after nearly half the book when she had a very small mental breakdown about her dead daughter 😒
that woman through the portal in the white room just seemed like such a useless scene with her lil papers and half answers, but i’m sure for those who continue this series they’ll find more answers regarding this (not me).
thomas being revealed as a light entity turned human at the end, while saving their world from the several apocalyptic beings pouring in was so quick. i blinked and book done. where was the build up? climax? the plot twist? i feel this all blended into each other and was rushed. like we all knew thomas was sus. this child has no home and choses to sleep with you in an abandoned house. cmon.
i decided to give this book 2 stars instead of 1 as it’s not poorly written and i’m sure others enjoy this type of vibe/ genre, but it’s just not for me.
July 12, 2025
One of my all time favorites, I first listened to this book last year August over the course of 3 days while walking. Everytime I started to walk, I eagerly looked forward to what happens next in the story. I greatly admire and appreciate the amount of creativity this book has for it's apocalypse worlds.
I also appreciate the amount of ways this book has helped me get immersed. Often times in stories, I get tired of when they save the day or save the world so having the book explore worlds where that didn't happen greatly helps me believe and appreciate when the day is saved here. In addition, I really like how meticulous the mc is with his layers of precautions, you can really tell that he is familiar with the supernatural. I also like his detailed and believable justification for his actions like why are the children still here? Cauae he knows if he doesnt involve them then they will just explore without him and get hurt.
Each world is just great. The first one was really interesting with how a local neighbourhood monster spirals to destory the world by attacking the sun itself. The imagery with the second one where you can see glimpses of a giant ship/ creature controlling the invisible zombies. The one with eye wear felt like a believable progression of a profuctivity focused society and how it really transforms into horror. The time bacteria world was wild and had really good world building.
The meeting world with the lady was really interesting and further explored the need for caution when dealing with other world as seen by when Thomas momentarily dies. I feel like a core thing driving the stories was the mysteries of the portals so a meeting with an entity to get answers was really engaging
The final battle with beings from the various worlds crossing over was really cool cause he had to make sure none of them got out of control or they could destroy the world.
The ending with Thomas felt sudden but it made sense that the mc pieced it together so fast once he realized that Thomas' injuries were not from abuse.
Overall, easily one of my top creepypasta type story, it is up there with Tales From the Gas Station, My Friend Has Been Living in an Alternate Reality and Penpal for me. There are a few minor plotholes but they were easy for me to ignore due to my interest in the world building. Matt Dymerski writes some really great stores and I hope to see more in the future.
I listened to the audio narration from the Dark Somnium and it was excellent, I highly recommend it.
I also appreciate the amount of ways this book has helped me get immersed. Often times in stories, I get tired of when they save the day or save the world so having the book explore worlds where that didn't happen greatly helps me believe and appreciate when the day is saved here. In addition, I really like how meticulous the mc is with his layers of precautions, you can really tell that he is familiar with the supernatural. I also like his detailed and believable justification for his actions like why are the children still here? Cauae he knows if he doesnt involve them then they will just explore without him and get hurt.
Each world is just great. The first one was really interesting with how a local neighbourhood monster spirals to destory the world by attacking the sun itself. The imagery with the second one where you can see glimpses of a giant ship/ creature controlling the invisible zombies. The one with eye wear felt like a believable progression of a profuctivity focused society and how it really transforms into horror. The time bacteria world was wild and had really good world building.
The meeting world with the lady was really interesting and further explored the need for caution when dealing with other world as seen by when Thomas momentarily dies. I feel like a core thing driving the stories was the mysteries of the portals so a meeting with an entity to get answers was really engaging
The final battle with beings from the various worlds crossing over was really cool cause he had to make sure none of them got out of control or they could destroy the world.
The ending with Thomas felt sudden but it made sense that the mc pieced it together so fast once he realized that Thomas' injuries were not from abuse.
Overall, easily one of my top creepypasta type story, it is up there with Tales From the Gas Station, My Friend Has Been Living in an Alternate Reality and Penpal for me. There are a few minor plotholes but they were easy for me to ignore due to my interest in the world building. Matt Dymerski writes some really great stores and I hope to see more in the future.
I listened to the audio narration from the Dark Somnium and it was excellent, I highly recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2023
Entertaining apocalypse listening 🎶🔰
This is a free novel on Amazon. Oh how I love 💘 those free books 📚!I
Something strange is going on adults are acting very strange but youngsters are not. Then she joins the youngsters and a violent apocalypse world 🌎 is discovered.
I would recommend this novel and author to 👍 readers of fantasy futuristic apocalypse world novels 👍🔰. 2023 👒😀😡🏡
This is a free novel on Amazon. Oh how I love 💘 those free books 📚!I
Something strange is going on adults are acting very strange but youngsters are not. Then she joins the youngsters and a violent apocalypse world 🌎 is discovered.
I would recommend this novel and author to 👍 readers of fantasy futuristic apocalypse world novels 👍🔰. 2023 👒😀😡🏡
July 6, 2025
I dont even know what to say about this.
This book feels like the author had a passing thought to write a sci fi book, drank a couple beers and wrote the book in one night. The book was a literary drought and felt very elementary in its writing execution. From the overview of the book it seemed like it had potential, but it was a let down either due to the author's inability to execute it or its short length. The main character seemed to instinctively know the answers to everything and what the next step should be, leading to an unsatisfying character journey. The ending also came together kind of messily, leaving more questions like: What are they going to do with the book now? Who was the lady in the white room he spoke to and why was she shown in the portal? What happened to his daughter? Why is this grown man spending so much time with these random kids and where are the rest of the adults in this area?
Overall, a disappointing read.
Edit: Apparently the main character was a woman? lol
This book feels like the author had a passing thought to write a sci fi book, drank a couple beers and wrote the book in one night. The book was a literary drought and felt very elementary in its writing execution. From the overview of the book it seemed like it had potential, but it was a let down either due to the author's inability to execute it or its short length. The main character seemed to instinctively know the answers to everything and what the next step should be, leading to an unsatisfying character journey. The ending also came together kind of messily, leaving more questions like: What are they going to do with the book now? Who was the lady in the white room he spoke to and why was she shown in the portal? What happened to his daughter? Why is this grown man spending so much time with these random kids and where are the rest of the adults in this area?
Overall, a disappointing read.
Edit: Apparently the main character was a woman? lol
July 7, 2025
1.5/5
The plot of this book had potential, but the writing really overshadowed that. One of my biggest issues was with the main character who seemed to have all the answers for everything way too easily, amongst other strange, perplexing things. I could not take him or the book seriously at all. And yes, I said ‘him’ referring to the main character because not until reading other reviews and getting to the LAST page did I realise that the main character was in fact a woman. That was probably the most shocking thing in this entire book.
I think this book would've really benefited from being longer because again, it's an interesting concept, but it needed more space to develop.
The plot of this book had potential, but the writing really overshadowed that. One of my biggest issues was with the main character who seemed to have all the answers for everything way too easily, amongst other strange, perplexing things. I could not take him or the book seriously at all. And yes, I said ‘him’ referring to the main character because not until reading other reviews and getting to the LAST page did I realise that the main character was in fact a woman. That was probably the most shocking thing in this entire book.
I think this book would've really benefited from being longer because again, it's an interesting concept, but it needed more space to develop.
February 21, 2025
What fun!! Portals to other universes; many containing distasteful entities! von Neumann probes, giant brains, cognitive hazards! This is the first book of the quite extensive portal series, from reddit in the 2010s.
January 3, 2018
Не знам как книга, която превръща ГМО-тата в толкова опасно нещо, не е по-популярна в bg-mamma, но като цяло също не знам защо тази книга не е популярна като цяло.
"Порталът в гората" на Мат Димерски (Диймърски?) е къса, научнофантастична книга на ужасите. Началото е леко слабо, тъй като реакцията на главната героиня не е много подобаваща, но по-късно се споменава, че супернатуралното не е рядко (или поне разказвачът се е срещал с него), затова се извинява ретроактивно, но все пак можеше да е по-добре изпълнено. Слабото начало обаче бързо преминава и средата на книгата проблесва, обикновено не харесвам ужаси и научнофантастични романи, главно защото обикновено много зле се борави с възможностите им, но Мат Димерски почти перфектно смесва двата жанра. Разнообразието на видовете апокалипсиси, които са сполетели населенията на чуждите измерения, в които главната героиня навлиза, смесени с екзистенциалната опасност, която порталите и книгата, която отказва да бъде оставена, създават, превръща романа в много добър трилър. Финалът можеше да е много по-силен, но пък и тук идва факторът, че като читател просто ми се искаше да прочета за повече кошмарни сценарии за бъдещето, което си е голям плюс откъм качеството на писане.
Романът не е перфектен, но пък е добър старт на годината, достатъчно къс е, за да не е тегав и е интересен по онзи мрачен начин, по който dark sci-fi и всички истории на ужасите трябва да бъдат. Ако сте се срещали със SCP Foundation историите, това доста добре улучва усещането, което те пораждат.
"Порталът в гората" на Мат Димерски (Диймърски?) е къса, научнофантастична книга на ужасите. Началото е леко слабо, тъй като реакцията на главната героиня не е много подобаваща, но по-късно се споменава, че супернатуралното не е рядко (или поне разказвачът се е срещал с него), затова се извинява ретроактивно, но все пак можеше да е по-добре изпълнено. Слабото начало обаче бързо преминава и средата на книгата проблесва, обикновено не харесвам ужаси и научнофантастични романи, главно защото обикновено много зле се борави с възможностите им, но Мат Димерски почти перфектно смесва двата жанра. Разнообразието на видовете апокалипсиси, които са сполетели населенията на чуждите измерения, в които главната героиня навлиза, смесени с екзистенциалната опасност, която порталите и книгата, която отказва да бъде оставена, създават, превръща романа в много добър трилър. Финалът можеше да е много по-силен, но пък и тук идва факторът, че като читател просто ми се искаше да прочета за повече кошмарни сценарии за бъдещето, което си е голям плюс откъм качеството на писане.
Романът не е перфектен, но пък е добър старт на годината, достатъчно къс е, за да не е тегав и е интересен по онзи мрачен начин, по който dark sci-fi и всички истории на ужасите трябва да бъдат. Ако сте се срещали със SCP Foundation историите, това доста добре улучва усещането, което те пораждат.
June 24, 2019
Good first draft. Works as a creepypasta, but it would need another draft and an expansion of certain passages to deserve higher ranking.
September 8, 2016
Amazing!
This book had me scared, confused, smiling, thankful and knowing. It was an epic journey of many gripping stories that all collided into one punch in the feels. I could not put this book down.
This book had me scared, confused, smiling, thankful and knowing. It was an epic journey of many gripping stories that all collided into one punch in the feels. I could not put this book down.
September 16, 2018
Good book, interesting story, quick read, writing was okay not great but not bad... though I definitely thought the main character was a man until the very end, oops.
August 1, 2023
entertaining to read, but full of inconsistencies in the plot, simple errors and typos etc.
March 13, 2019
Always spoiler free. Even though this is book one of a series, I felt that it worked as a stand alone. There are some aspects that are left unfinished but I didn't find them particularly distracting from the overall story. This is certainly a unique scifi book. It does jump from different times, and different locations frequently. The ending is surprising and I found I was satisfied with that as an end to the entire book. However, I think reading more of the series could prove to be quite fun.
May 9, 2018
Obviously, smart as I am, I start reading a horror story at 1am when I have class at 8am the next day.
God, I just love stories like these - mysterious entities, things beyond my understanding, the narrative was SO outstanding...
Makes my skin tingle, and doubt for just a second if these things actually exist - I mean, we never know, right?
God, I just love stories like these - mysterious entities, things beyond my understanding, the narrative was SO outstanding...
Makes my skin tingle, and doubt for just a second if these things actually exist - I mean, we never know, right?
March 16, 2019
This author never disappoints.
Seriously, the authors works are great. This particular tale starts one of the most in depth series I've read in ages. It will suck you in, year you up, spit you out, and you will come back screaming for more.
Seriously, the authors works are great. This particular tale starts one of the most in depth series I've read in ages. It will suck you in, year you up, spit you out, and you will come back screaming for more.
August 31, 2018
Excellent book loved the different universes the author did a great job with the descriptions of everything made it easier for me to picture the story in my minds eye while I was reading it!
October 1, 2018
The start of an epic series that is seriously the best modern horror I've ever read. Just wish he would publish more.
September 27, 2022
It was pretty good! Not much to say, but an interesting quick read.
3.5 stars rounded down
3.5 stars rounded down
December 31, 2022
One of my favorites! The author of this book is so talented for coming up with all that is in this little gem. I have read it many times and it never stops surprising me.
February 6, 2025
Light, multi-worlds horror with a decent main character.
October 1, 2016
There was some doubt when I first started reading this. The story deals with supernatural, extraordinary elements but doesn't really establish that this is a norm in the universe where they take place. At least not initially (and it still came across somewhat vague). So a man finding out the local children were messing with a portal to parallel worlds and meeting the knowledge with the equivalent of a shrug was a bit off-putting for that reason. I hate reading stories where characters don't react to otherworldly elements in realistic ways. But once the story did establish the fact that these kind of occurrences weren't that strange, it was alright. Just wish it had done so sooner.
That nitpicking aside, the rest of the story was an absolute pleasure. As a huge fan of the archives of the SCP Foundation, I got serious vibes of similar themes throughout, which I loved. The worlds, peoples and events presented in each parallel world were fascinating and creative. The reasons that tied them together were even more so. As a story leading up to its eventual ending it was very enjoyable, yet I would have been just as pleased to spend the whole book reading about nothing but more of the narrator's experiences in even more worlds! Definitely recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the whole alternate dimension/parallel strange worlds/Sliders-esque trope.
That nitpicking aside, the rest of the story was an absolute pleasure. As a huge fan of the archives of the SCP Foundation, I got serious vibes of similar themes throughout, which I loved. The worlds, peoples and events presented in each parallel world were fascinating and creative. The reasons that tied them together were even more so. As a story leading up to its eventual ending it was very enjoyable, yet I would have been just as pleased to spend the whole book reading about nothing but more of the narrator's experiences in even more worlds! Definitely recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the whole alternate dimension/parallel strange worlds/Sliders-esque trope.
February 19, 2016
This novel played on the reality of fear, and what fear is. It also played on what fear can cause us to do to protect ourselves, as well as others. It's dark, graphic, and gritty. A portal has opened, and the main character has decided to go into it. He finds a journal, and at that time he doesn't realize just how important the journal is, and may become. Seemingly the only adult to be trusted that has come into this phenomenon, he becomes the impromptu leader of the neighborhood kids. They must fight for their lives and the world around them against fear and the revelations that they find within the portal.
Matt Dymerski's work will leave you begging for more. I first read his work on Nosleep. I've never been disappointed by the sheer smoothness of the stories as they each lead the reader wherever Matt Dymerski wants them. It's as if one is being lured into a trap, and when the trap has been sprung, they're left wanting for more of the lure still. He leads the reader into a dark, sweet delusion that is both terrifying as it is gritty and real. It leaves you to wonder what truly is out there all around us?
Matt Dymerski's work will leave you begging for more. I first read his work on Nosleep. I've never been disappointed by the sheer smoothness of the stories as they each lead the reader wherever Matt Dymerski wants them. It's as if one is being lured into a trap, and when the trap has been sprung, they're left wanting for more of the lure still. He leads the reader into a dark, sweet delusion that is both terrifying as it is gritty and real. It leaves you to wonder what truly is out there all around us?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2016
A group of children discover a portal to another universe in a Virginia forest. The only adult the children trust goes through the portal to discover a post-apocalyptic Earth. Everyone is gone. The only explanation as to what happened resides in a journal recounting the final hours and the monstrosities faced at the end of this world. As the story continues, the main character and the children travel across other post-apocalyptic versions of Earth in an attempt to find the answers to prevent a similar fate from happening to their version of Earth.
Matt Dymerski's Portal in the Forest is an great blend of cosmic horror and science fiction. Each chapter is another adventure into another world which doesn't fail to capture the reader's imagination and sent it into dark and mysterious places. As a part of Matt's Multiverse, it's only the beginning of the descent into more of his work.
Matt Dymerski's Portal in the Forest is an great blend of cosmic horror and science fiction. Each chapter is another adventure into another world which doesn't fail to capture the reader's imagination and sent it into dark and mysterious places. As a part of Matt's Multiverse, it's only the beginning of the descent into more of his work.
December 2, 2018
Cover- Simple yet catchy.
Title- Good and justified.
Storyline- Compact.
Narrating style- Captivating.
Characterization- Connecting and perfect.
Plot- Well developed.
Presentation- Appreciable.
Recommendable- Yes.
Title- Good and justified.
Storyline- Compact.
Narrating style- Captivating.
Characterization- Connecting and perfect.
Plot- Well developed.
Presentation- Appreciable.
Recommendable- Yes.
October 3, 2016
Possibilities
This book explorers so many possible future's and alternative possibility concluded in an unexpected reality that will give your brain unlimited fuel for thought
This book explorers so many possible future's and alternative possibility concluded in an unexpected reality that will give your brain unlimited fuel for thought
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews