66 ratings | 29 reviews | avg rating:5.00

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Myriam

2,234 books | 575 friends

Jonathan Jensen

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Alex (Spells & Spaceships)

814 books | 298 friends

Coy Hall

2,305 books | 298 friends

S.J. Shank

Goodreads Author

Website

https://www.sjshank.com/

Twitter

sj_shank

Genre

Horror, Fantasy

Member Since

June 2023

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S.J. Shank is a lover of dead languages and collapsed empires. His writing inhabits the grim borderlands between fantasy, horror and historical fiction. He is the author of The Knave of Graves, Mountain Fast and Rare Specimen and Other Stories.

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S.J. Shank’s books

Average rating: 4.25 · 181 ratings · 90 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	Mountain Fast: A Gothic Tale of Medieval Horror 4.01 avg rating — 84 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Knave of Graves 4.52 avg rating — 42 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	This World of Vile Wonder: Horror Tales of the Scientific Revolution by Coy Hall (Goodreads Author) (Editor), J.M. Thor, Josh Reynolds 4.68 avg rating — 34 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rare Specimen and Other Stories really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 21 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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S.J.’s Recent Updates

S.J. Shank rated a book it was amazing Rider in the Widow Lands: A Sword & Sorcery Short Story by Coy Hall (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
After reading Coy Hall's new Sword & Sorcery story, my admiration only grows. "Rider in the Widow Lands" is a terrific, moody tale about a flinty-eyed "hero" whose past, only glimpsed, could surely fill volumes. The world-building, the vibes, the acti ...more
Feb 26, 2026 10:47AM · 2 likes · like · see review
S.J. Shank liked Jennafer Robles's review of The Knave of Graves: This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Feb 26, 2026 09:50AM · see review
S.J. Shank wants to read Rider in the Widow Lands: A Sword & Sorcery Short Story by Coy Hall (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 19, 2026 03:08PM · like
S.J. Shank liked J.M. Horn's review of Rare Specimen and Other Stories: "Shank’s collection is a good mix of horror and sci-fi that connected with me. Enjoyed the author's writing style and the settings he crafted. There are a few endings that snuck up on me. My favs were "Nivel del Mar' and "Rare Specimen". Solid collecti" Read more of this review »
Feb 15, 2026 09:02AM · see review
S.J. Shank liked Tomasz's review of Rare Specimen and Other Stories: "A neat set of dark fantasies from an author who knows what he's doing and what he wants to achieve. Everything here is at least competent+, no wonder these stories have all found markets before. Good luck, Mr. Shank, I'm going to look out for more fr" Read more of this review »
Feb 12, 2026 04:37PM · see review
S.J. Shank rated a book it was amazing Candle Horror by Robert Weaver (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Reading Candle Horror feels a little like getting trapped in a curiosity shop. There are preserved heads, Esperanto prayers and insects whispering of transmigration. Plenty of curios, plenty of secrets, each one dark and tragic. Meditative, evocative ...more
Feb 09, 2026 12:25PM · 1 like · like · see review
S.J. Shank rated a book it was amazing The Organization is Here to Support You by Charlene Elsby (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The Organization Is Here to Support You is an incredible bureaucratic horror novel that reads like the love child of Kafka and the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration. I absolutely loved this book, one of the most entertaining and finely-craf ...more
Jan 21, 2026 04:57PM · like · see review
S.J. Shank rated a book it was amazing InhuMANities by Andrew Robertson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
InhuMANities is one of the smuttiest and most unsettling books I’ve read in a long time. The stories are equally absurd, disgusting and brilliant as they plumb the various depths of (mostly) men’s depravity. Terrific body horror that will make you sq ...more
Jan 11, 2026 08:46PM · like · see review
S.J. Shank rated a book it was amazing Terrarium by Matthew Walsh	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 09, 2026 08:16PM · like
S.J. Shank rated a book it was amazing Pyres by Kev Harrison (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Pyres was the last book I read in 2025 and it was a high note. Part thriller, part folk horror, the story inventively blends spirit channeling and pyrokinesis to shed light on the ugliness at the heart of today's immigration debates. Terrifically pac ...more
Jan 05, 2026 11:13AM · 1 like · like · see review

More of S.J.'s books…

Quotes by S.J. Shank (?)

“People are afraid of the forest but chiefly it is other people one must fear between the trees.”
― S.J. Shank, Mountain Fast: A Gothic Tale of Medieval Horror

tags: gothic-novel, horror, people, trees

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“Maybe Kuszkol is situated in a wild, wild place. High in the mountains. They say that when the snow piles thick and the air grows still, even the birds loathe to fly lest their flapping disturb the mountain's peace. Imagine the vastness of that place, way up high in the sky. Totally silent. And cold.”
― S.J. Shank, Mountain Fast: A Gothic Tale of Medieval Horror

tags: gothic-novel, horror, poetic

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“Roots that run so deep have no trouble piercing stone.”
― S.J. Shank, Mountain Fast: A Gothic Tale of Medieval Horror