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Zena Shapter

Goodreads Author

Born

in Southampton, The United Kingdom

Website

http://zenashapter.com/

Twitter

ZenaShapter

Genre

Science Fiction & Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Adult & Teen Fiction

Influences

http://zenashapter.com/faq/ ...more

Member Since

June 2011

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/zenashapter

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Zena Shapter is a multi-award winning author of science fiction, fantasy, speculative and contemporary fiction, conjuring journeys into the beyond and unusual. Author of ‘When Dark Roots Hunt’, ‘When Dark Waters Burn’, 'Towards White', and co-author of 'Into Tordon', among others, she’s a ‘writer with a need for adventure’ (Midnight Echo magazine), “a specialist in the weird, wacky, wonderful” (Writing NSW), creating “the kind of excitement and suspense and pure pleasure that made me want to become a writer” (Lillian Csernica, Tangent Online), “dark fantasy at its blood-soaked finest” (Australasian Horror Writers’ Association), “cold and brutal” (Tor.com) and “beautifully crafted and well told stories that deserve to be read many times” (Gl ...more

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Combine Editions
Zena Shapter’s books

Average rating: 4.34 · 192 ratings · 53 reviews · 31 distinct works • Similar authors

	When Dark Roots Hunt 3.69 avg rating — 13 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
	Towards White really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 10 ratings — 4 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
	A Visit from the Duchess and other award-winning stories from the Stringybark Speculative Fiction Award by Zena Shapter (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Zena Shapter (Goodreads Author) 4.63 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 2011 — 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
	A Fearsome Engine 4.83 avg rating — 6 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
	A Noise On An Island by Zena Shapter (Goodreads Author), Northern Beaches Writers' Group (Creator) 4.75 avg rating — 4 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
	When Dark Waters Burn 4.67 avg rating — 3 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
	A Dolphin for Naia by Zena Shapter (Goodreads Author) (editor), Northern Beaches Writers' Group (Creator) 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2014 — 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
	Scribbles in the Dark really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2014 — 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
	Rider & the Hummingbird 4.50 avg rating — 2 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
	Saltwater 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2019	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

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Zena Shapter's Blog

My Weekend at #Conflux19 #WritingConvention!

How lucky am I? Last weekend, my wonderful hubbie drove the four hours from Sydney to Canberra to take me to a writing convention!

It’s been years since I’ve been able to get down to Conflux, the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild’s annual writing convention of literary greatness, what with the kids taking their HSC and life in general getting in the way. So it was well and truly time to join in an

Zena is Currently Reading

Zena Shapter is currently reading

CEA Greatest Anthology Written

by Adam Leggett (Goodreads Author)

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Nov 12, 2018 03:17PM

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Zena Shapter wrote a new blog post My Weekend at #Conflux19 #WritingConvention! How lucky am I? Last weekend, my wonderful hubbie drove the four hours from Sydney to Canberra to take me to a writing convention!It’s been years sinc Read more of this blog post »
Oct 11, 2025 12:46AM · like
Zena Shapter rated a book it was amazing When Dark Waters Burn by Zena Shapter (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
Jun 10, 2025 06:50PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of When Dark Waters Burn by Zena Shapter. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — When Dark Waters Burn by Zena Shapter <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Zena Shapter rated a book it was amazing When Dark Waters Burn by Zena Shapter (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
Jun 05, 2025 12:52AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of When Dark Waters Burn by Zena Shapter. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — When Dark Waters Burn by Zena Shapter <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Zena Shapter rated a book it was amazing VILLAIN OR HERO?: Stories to make you wonder which... by Zena Shapter (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
Jun 05, 2025 12:52AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of VILLAIN OR HERO? by Zena Shapter. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — VILLAIN OR HERO? by Zena Shapter <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Zena Shapter rated a book it was amazing Of Beasts & Butterflies by Zena Shapter (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
Jun 05, 2025 12:52AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Of Beasts & Butterflies by Zena Shapter. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Of Beasts & Butterflies by Zena Shapter <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Zena Shapter rated a book it was amazing [untitled] issue 8 by Alison Achter	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
Jun 05, 2025 12:52AM · like
Zena Shapter rated a book it was amazing Wit & Whimsy: Volume 2 by A.M. Burns (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
Jun 05, 2025 12:52AM · like
Zena Shapter rated a book it was amazing Oz is Burning by Phyllis Irene Radford	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
Jun 05, 2025 12:52AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Oz is Burning by Phyllis Irene Radford. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Oz is Burning by Phyllis Irene Radford <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Zena Shapter rated a book it was amazing Wandering Stars: The Best of the Zodiac Series by Austin P. Sheehan (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
Jun 05, 2025 12:52AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wandering Stars by Austin P. Sheehan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wandering Stars by Austin P. Sheehan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Zena Shapter rated a book it was amazing SFS Stories Issue #4: Five Sci-Fi Flash Fiction Stories About Deception by Rod Castor	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
Jun 05, 2025 12:52AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of SFS Stories Issue #4 by Rod Castor. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — SFS Stories Issue #4 by Rod Castor <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Zena’s Quotes

“While an author is yet living we estimate his powers by his worst performance, and when he is dead we rate them by his best.”
― Dr Samuel Johnson

tags: humour, literature, writing

5 likes

“The business of the novelist is not to relate great events, but to make small ones interesting.”
― Arthur Schopenhauer, The Works of Schopenhauer: The Wisdom of Life and Other Essays

tags: literary-theory, writing-craft

92 likes