The Devil’s Gunt by Gerald Dean Rice
The Devil’s Gunt is a bizarro horror-action(?) story about a second-rate porn actor impregnated by the devil. I can’t recall another book that ever made me laugh as hard as I did while reading this one; I couldn’t get two pages in before coming across another side-splitting line, and the outlandish humor keeps coming through ‘til the end of the book.
Our protagonist, Median, is introduced to the reader at a porn shoot he is starring in. While filming a scene, Median feels a pinching sensation around his asshole, which eventually moves inside his rectum. When he reaches climax, he cannot stop cumming. He soaks everyone in the room, enraging the director. He is fired from the shoot and goes home exhausted from his excess ejaculation. From there, he discovers his roommate is keeping a talking severed head in their refrigerator. He takes the head and jumps in his car; the head breaks the news to Median that he is pregnant with the devil’s seed, and they are soon joined by Joe (Median’s roommate, looking for the head), and Mary (Median’s wife; they’re separated), both with dark secrets of their own. Strap in (or strap-on) for a twisty and hilarious ride full of angels, devils, crisis pregnancy centers posing as real abortion clinics, aging actors named Hammercock and lots of violence.
Though it takes place only over a couple of days, it felt somewhat like an epic adventure to me, with Median and crew narrowly escaping danger a number of times. There are several side plots that come together nicely with the main story by the end. Reading some of the flashbacks for the first time might seem confusing, but all will be revealed eventually.
Gerald Dean Rice has offered up some solid humor as well as mystery in The Devil’s Gunt. I called it bizarro horror-action earlier, but maybe also bizarro comedy-thriller, but also there’s no reason at all to put this book in a box like that. You can also find commentary on racism, the rights to reproductive justice, and bodily autonomy here, and it’s good. Just read it.
Evan St. Jones 