What do you think?
Rate this book
Bite-Size: Sinister Stories
Welcome, welcome... step right up into my dark and twisted mind. Between these covers, written on these blood-soaked pages, you will find a whole raft of nightmares... A technological breakthrough that leads to Hell on Earth... A fight to the death against an enemy already dead... A cautionary tale of what happens when you don't let the dead lay... A break-in that leads to a sinister discovery... What really happens when you invade the privacy of New York taxi drivers... The sad and tragic story of what happens when fame gets the better of you... What actually happened the night before a famous farmhouse invasion by dead folks... And finally, the dangers of taking drugs.
155 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 5, 2024
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 9, 2024
I have read a few of Andy's short stories in other publications and knew this would not be a disappointment. I knew the moment I saw he had his own collection that I wanted to read it.
This collection of short stories is a wild ride start to finish. I did not want to put it down! The level of gore is just right, at no point did I feel sick to my stomach while reading his collection. The level of suspense is elevated from the well described settings to the believable characters. In each story Andy included is unique and has its own feel.
My favorites:
Bled Dry - this unique take on a murder mystery was an instant grab and the perfect pick for the first entry in the collection. The monsters hiding in the shadows should be sought out and exposed, just tell someone before you go sneaking around unknown places. A bloodless yet gory ride.
The First Rule of Bite Club - The title says it all, and I was not ready for the wild ride this bite-size story took me on. A unique take on a classic idea. I loved the way the main character used the environment to his advantage, as well as the hint of the larger screwed up world beyond.
The Other Side - Ever wonder what is on the other side of the doors we shouldn't open? Andy H. did as well and gave us The Other Side. The perfect mix of suspense and horror, I was rooting so hard for them to make it out. The ends do not always justify the means when it comes to science, and here we get to see the consequences.
This collection of short stories is a wild ride start to finish. I did not want to put it down! The level of gore is just right, at no point did I feel sick to my stomach while reading his collection. The level of suspense is elevated from the well described settings to the believable characters. In each story Andy included is unique and has its own feel.
My favorites:
Bled Dry - this unique take on a murder mystery was an instant grab and the perfect pick for the first entry in the collection. The monsters hiding in the shadows should be sought out and exposed, just tell someone before you go sneaking around unknown places. A bloodless yet gory ride.
The First Rule of Bite Club - The title says it all, and I was not ready for the wild ride this bite-size story took me on. A unique take on a classic idea. I loved the way the main character used the environment to his advantage, as well as the hint of the larger screwed up world beyond.
The Other Side - Ever wonder what is on the other side of the doors we shouldn't open? Andy H. did as well and gave us The Other Side. The perfect mix of suspense and horror, I was rooting so hard for them to make it out. The ends do not always justify the means when it comes to science, and here we get to see the consequences.
August 9, 2024
A fun collection of shorts that punch pretty hard in places. Andy writes in the old skool horror style of a Richard Laymon or Guy N Smith, and he’s certainly not afraid to give you the gruesome horror at its very grizzliest.
Overall, it’s a brisk read with a couple of stand out stories. What impresses the most is the range of ideas on display as each story has its own unique theme, covering classics like zombies, vampires and mummies, through to Mist-like gates to hell, serial killers and jabs at the music industry and student party culture.
Andy H also succeeds in many of the stories with a key ingredient for short horror success: don’t tell us everything! Leave us guessing, unsure, inquisitive or bewildered. He doesn’t overexplain and builds worlds that hint at horrors far darker than the one we inhabit.
If I only had one criticism it’s that occasionally Andy could do with just a bit more patience. He’s clearly so excited to get to the inventive splatter that sometimes a good idea feels a little rushed. The Other Side for example escalates so quickly, you don’t have time to feel for any of the characters involved as it races through a series of very inventive kill scenarios. Using restraint and build-up a bit more would benefit some of the stories. This is evidenced by the excellent Wild and Free, a story with a clear goal, patient build up, developed characters and a killer final line.
There’s also a bit too much repetition of language, ‘gore’ in particular featuring a few too many times in a single story. A few variations will make his otherwise brisk prose really stand out.
Overall though, this is as great little read for horror fans.
Featured here:
Bled Dry - a leech of a tabloid photographer gets more than he bargained for after investigating a grisly murder. Great first story with a creepy warehouse finale.
Halloween Treats - structurally a little too similar to the first story, this features a cat burglar also getting more than he bargained for when he breaks into the home of a retired, hermit-like actor.
Wild - stand out of the collection - a metal band on a rapid rise start to feel the pressures of life in the thrall of the record label. They decide to enact a true mic drop moment to get out of their deal. Very original and bonkers!
First Rule of Bite Club - a man fights to the death in an apocalyptic future to win money to escape to a better life. Great action, shame the ending just felt a little too rushed, a bit more scene setting could have really pulled the heart strings on this one. Would love to read more in this world though.
The Night Before The Night of the Living Dead - such a great title, such a shame it doesn’t quite live up to it. This is a decent enough zombie tale of mutant brain slugs bring about the zombie apocalypse but it doesn’t feel like Romero’s world. Clearly a fan tip of the hat, the NOTLD tie-in is spurious and the parasite idea doesn’t fit with that classic film. Would’ve worked better without the shoe-horned tie-in, maybe keeping the title for another day. Still, it’s a good zombie tale in its own right.
The Other Side - Mist meets Event Horizon. Escalates quickly and exploding with insane visual imagery. Could have been much longer but as a warning of the hubris of man, this works well. The world is so f***ed by the push of one button!
Tomb - mummies are never a favourite of mine, though there’s something enjoyable about the unstoppable, encroaching dread as they shamble to their victim. It just needed a bit more fleshing out to really feel the dread. The fate of the characters seemed a little harsh for just pulling a handle but then again maybe they should keep their bloody hands off things they don’t understand!
Designer Drugs - a cracker to finish. An original tale with no traditional monster trappings, this is the other stand out in the book. Andy H really conjures up some amazing imagery here, as a designer student drug gone wrong leads to absolute carnage at a frat party. Ends with no explanation of what occurred, leaving you feeling the same shock as the poor police officers who have to make sense of the horrors before them.
Overall, it’s a brisk read with a couple of stand out stories. What impresses the most is the range of ideas on display as each story has its own unique theme, covering classics like zombies, vampires and mummies, through to Mist-like gates to hell, serial killers and jabs at the music industry and student party culture.
Andy H also succeeds in many of the stories with a key ingredient for short horror success: don’t tell us everything! Leave us guessing, unsure, inquisitive or bewildered. He doesn’t overexplain and builds worlds that hint at horrors far darker than the one we inhabit.
If I only had one criticism it’s that occasionally Andy could do with just a bit more patience. He’s clearly so excited to get to the inventive splatter that sometimes a good idea feels a little rushed. The Other Side for example escalates so quickly, you don’t have time to feel for any of the characters involved as it races through a series of very inventive kill scenarios. Using restraint and build-up a bit more would benefit some of the stories. This is evidenced by the excellent Wild and Free, a story with a clear goal, patient build up, developed characters and a killer final line.
There’s also a bit too much repetition of language, ‘gore’ in particular featuring a few too many times in a single story. A few variations will make his otherwise brisk prose really stand out.
Overall though, this is as great little read for horror fans.
Featured here:
Bled Dry - a leech of a tabloid photographer gets more than he bargained for after investigating a grisly murder. Great first story with a creepy warehouse finale.
Halloween Treats - structurally a little too similar to the first story, this features a cat burglar also getting more than he bargained for when he breaks into the home of a retired, hermit-like actor.
Wild - stand out of the collection - a metal band on a rapid rise start to feel the pressures of life in the thrall of the record label. They decide to enact a true mic drop moment to get out of their deal. Very original and bonkers!
First Rule of Bite Club - a man fights to the death in an apocalyptic future to win money to escape to a better life. Great action, shame the ending just felt a little too rushed, a bit more scene setting could have really pulled the heart strings on this one. Would love to read more in this world though.
The Night Before The Night of the Living Dead - such a great title, such a shame it doesn’t quite live up to it. This is a decent enough zombie tale of mutant brain slugs bring about the zombie apocalypse but it doesn’t feel like Romero’s world. Clearly a fan tip of the hat, the NOTLD tie-in is spurious and the parasite idea doesn’t fit with that classic film. Would’ve worked better without the shoe-horned tie-in, maybe keeping the title for another day. Still, it’s a good zombie tale in its own right.
The Other Side - Mist meets Event Horizon. Escalates quickly and exploding with insane visual imagery. Could have been much longer but as a warning of the hubris of man, this works well. The world is so f***ed by the push of one button!
Tomb - mummies are never a favourite of mine, though there’s something enjoyable about the unstoppable, encroaching dread as they shamble to their victim. It just needed a bit more fleshing out to really feel the dread. The fate of the characters seemed a little harsh for just pulling a handle but then again maybe they should keep their bloody hands off things they don’t understand!
Designer Drugs - a cracker to finish. An original tale with no traditional monster trappings, this is the other stand out in the book. Andy H really conjures up some amazing imagery here, as a designer student drug gone wrong leads to absolute carnage at a frat party. Ends with no explanation of what occurred, leaving you feeling the same shock as the poor police officers who have to make sense of the horrors before them.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews