Bite: A Vampiric Anthology

by Alice Austin, Raluca Balasa, Paul L. Bates

From the guilt-ridden mortician to the drunk vampire on the front lawn, from decaying castles to Chernobyl, this collection of stories bring you twenty-three tales that will leave a mark.

Featuring stories involving vampires and other beings with teeth by Alice Austin, Raluca Balasa, Paul L. Bates, Evan Michael Baughfman, Ryan W. Benson, S.R. Bevilacqua, Hannah Birss, Jonah Buck, Kelli Etheridge, Lawrence Harding, R.J. Howell, MA Hoyler, Marshall J. Moore, B.K. Loomis, AJ Martin, P. R. O’Leary, Rosalie A. Peng, Christopher Alex Ray, Michael Reed, Deborah Sheldon, J. Tonzelli, Valerie B. Williams, and John Wolf.

328 pages, Paperback

Published December 31, 2024

About the author

Alice Austin writes a broad mix of fiction. Her main focus is horror, but she often dips into fantasy, humour, and occasionally sci-fi; anything with a speculative element is fair game.

Alice lives in Kent with her partner Matt and a naughty orange demon/cat called Leo. Her day job sees her writing medical training resources, and she tries to focus on her creative writing in the evenings and weekends.

Her short stories have appeared in anthologies from Crystal Peake, Ghost Orchid Press and Bag of Bones Press, and hopefully plenty more to come! She is currently editing her debut novel Warp which she hopes to complete later this year, and getting distracted by hundreds of short story ideas.

Reviews

[PrettyBookish13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4.5
An absolutely thrilling collection of short stories, some of these kept me on the edge of my seat, others I thought I’d clocked then it turned out I was completely wrong! This whole collection was intriguing, creepy and occasionally scary and I loved every minute of it.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bite: A Vampiric Anthology is a great addition to the horror genre. It opens the reader’s mind to a whole new world of vampires. Gone is the iconic Count Dracula image of long ago. If vampires are your interest, this anthology is for you! The stories are well crafted, suspenseful, often with surprise endings.

[Deborah Sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each story features a new take on the vampire trope. The range of subgenres is also broad, which means, from one story to the next, you never quite know what to expect. (I have a story in this anthology, which I'm omitting from my review.) Highly recommended for horror aficionados who want to step outside the familiar and read something fresh.

[J. Neira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bite was the second vampire anthology I've ever read. The other one is A Brood of Vampires, which contains one of my stories. When I was submitting stories, that story was submitted to both Bite and Brood (and also Spooky Magazine 2) but was rejected by Brood & Spooky. However, I am a Graveside Press author, and this is my favorite horror house, so I definitely wanted to read Bite. Thank you Graveside Press for providing a free eBook ARC copy of this book!

One thing I was curious about when I started reading Bite was what would the similarities & differences of Bite & Brood. After reading through both anthologies, the difference is Bite is a horror anthology while Brood is a mixture of horror & fantasy. There are a few dark ones in Brood (Occurrence on the Delaware Farm is the darkest imo) but Brood is much darker on average. Thankfully, there are trigger warnings at the end of the book for every story that requires one. The Halloween Girl of Coldsprings trigger warning should be edited to add death of children, instead of just death of one child - as death of the child the trigger warning is referring to is not nearly as gruesome as the death of several children later on. Other than that, though, this section contains all the information that readers need to make the right decision on what to read or not read. I wish more horror anthologies contained trigger warnings like this. As someone who refuses to read certain topics (SA) I have been disturbed to accidentally stumble upon other stories that I wish included trigger warnings. So, I'm glad Bite has them!

I'll talk about four stories here in spoilery detail, but I talk about several more on my Threads profile. Let's begin!

The Halloween Girl of Coldsprings - This is one of my favorites. A macabre story that is written as a newspaper article reporting on a nine year old girl who visits a town in Ohio every Halloween. I like the way things escalate.

Medusa Evermore - It's about a vampire (?) who is looking for the Elephant's Foot in Chernobyl. The story is very interesting & I learned about the Foot for the first time. Though, I would never have guessed the MC was a vampire if not for the fact that this is Bite. He seems more like Wolverine & never refers to himself as a vampire nor does he display any vampiric power other than immortality - which could make him many other things too. Also... the MC is implied to be Jesus He mentions things not going well 2,000 years ago when he revealed himself, but that he didn't die. He mentions all the ways he tried to die, but none of them are the traditional methods of killing vampires. I could be completely wrong, but I think maybe the author (P.R. O'Leary) didn't intend for us to think of him as a vampire when he wrote the story? Anyway, it was interesting!

The Belly of the Beast - This tense story hooked me from the start. Full of satin and silk dresses, I love the look and vibe of this story. I will say, though, I ended up turning against the MC because of how easily she forgives the one responsible for the murder of her friends. What kind of BFF was she anyway? Anyway, this was a very tense and exciting story to read.

Man on Porch - This is a horror comedy, and it's my favorite of the bunch. It's about a woman homeowner who gets a series of bizarre, unwelcome visitors on her porch one night. I really like the MC, she was level-headed & did the smart thing unlike many horror characters. I felt sorry for the mosquito! This story also appeared in Monsters Next Door, which is cool!

I recommend Bite for sure. Did I like it better than A Brood of Vampires? No, but that just shows how good both of them are. I highly recommend both vampire anthologies.

Looking forward to Howl, the werewolf anthology by Graveside Press! Even more, I'm looking forward to the Cosmic Horror anthology that Graveside Press will release in June - I helped slush read for it, and can guarantee its disturbing perfection!

[Nathalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not great at writing anthology reviews, but I have to recommend this book because it is amazing.

Bite is a vampire anthology published by Graveside Press, and it has everything: dark stories, love stories, funny stories, and everything in between. Each tale is unique and touches on a different topic, keeping the whole book fresh for readers. You never know what kind of vampire story you’ll read next, but you’re always sure you’ll love it. That was definitely my experience and I am impressed with the selection.

With most anthologies, I tend to like some stories and not care much for the rest, but with Bite, I enjoyed them all, and it was hard to pick favorites.

Here are my top 3:

1. The Septimus Cure

2. A Final Request

3. The Best Mortician in Town

And a close 4th: Medusa Evermore (an honorable mention!)

I really hope I can get a physical copy of Bite in the future!

[David Edmonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bite: A Vampiric Anthology is a solid collection of vampire tales, ranging from the gruesome to the heartfelt, with some familiar tropes as well as fresh takes on vampire lore.

As with any anthology, some of the stories are stronger than others, but honestly, these are all great stories. Some standouts for me are: Medusa Evermore, Hunters Anonymous, The Best Mortician in Town, and Blood Red, Snow White.

This is definitely a collection worth checking out if you’re a fan of vampires in all their myriad offerings, and one I’m looking forward to adding to my collection.

I received a free copy of this book via Graveside Press and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stephanie W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read very many horror based stories, but this anthology was more than worth the risk.
I was introduced to a swath of authors whose work I would've never known under other circumstances.

I received a free copy of this book via Graveside Press and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Robin Knabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bite: A Vampiric Anthology was released on December 31, 2024 by Graveside Press and weighs in at 328 pages.

Bite is a horror anthology featuring twenty-three authors’ short horror stories. They all have one thing in common: creatures with sharp teeth.

I decided to grab a copy of this when I noticed one of my favorite authors had a story in the anthology, and I’m so glad I did! This whole collection was a thrilling deep dive into vampires and their prey.

There wasn’t a bad story in the bunch. Though some skewed more to my preferences and enjoyment, I can say that all twenty-three stories were engaging and kept my interest. I was impressed with the amount of variety, especially with the number of pieces. Kudos to Graveside Press for curating such a varied and thrilling anthology.

I enjoyed the variety of main characters and their points of view. The authors were quite creative and brought some very out-of-the-box plots to their pieces. There are also nods to folk horror, fairy tales, historical fiction, and even sci-fi. The best part was not feeling like I was reading the same story over and over. The different genres as well as the diversity of the characters and their journeys kept it fresh.

I always like to share the stories that hit me and stick with me the most, the stories and characters that haunt my thoughts as I’m driving down the road or when I’m showering—the times when my mind is free to roam and juggle thoughts and ideas. I struggled to keep this list small. I was hoping to do a top five, but the least amount I could (painfully!) pare it down to was eight. I’m curious what stories other readers will fall in love with, too!

There are so many great stories in Bite. I hope you’ll grab a copy and check out this gripping anthology! It will sink its teeth into you and won’t let go until the end. Enjoy the ride!

*****

My Top 8 Stories in order of appearance in the collection:

“The Septimus Curse” by Michael A. Reed
“A Final Request” by Ryan Benson
“The Piper” by Hannah Birss
“Her Own Terms” by B.K. Loomis
“Perfect Little Stitches” by Deborah Sheldon
“Daddy’s Girl” by Valerie B. Williams
“Camera Obscura” by Jonah Buck
“Devour” by Kelli Etheridge.

I received a free copy of this book via Graveside Press and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Robin Rose Graves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book had me under some sort of hypnotic spell and I could not stop thinking about it! This collection offers a variety of takes on "vampires," placing them in diverse settings across time and yes, even literally SPACE!! Whether vampires are the villain or an empathetic anti-hero varies throughout the anthology, and no two stories seem to tread the same ground. This is well written and well put together, with no single story slacking on the quality.

Some particular standouts to my taste: "The Halloween Girl of Coldsprings" (love the creative choice of being written as a newspaper article and how this obscures certain information, leading to further suspense and intrigue in the reader's experience). "Camera Obscura" (a post-apocalyptic war on vampires felt so unique with an empathetic vampire lead and fascinating worldbuilding and tech in response to the "vampire problem." I did not want this story to end, yet it does so in a satisfactory manner). "Her Own Terms" (sad but sweet in a way that makes the tale all the sadder) and "Daddy's Girl" (Vampires in space is a concept after my own heart)

[Catherine Crow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bite consists of 23 short stories set around the theme of vampires. Whether you like stories that pay homage to the original Dracula, dabble in stories with a gothic or historical setting or prefer more modern elements, this anthology will have something to sate your thirst.
A wide range of authors and styles means immortality is scrutinised from a range of different angles, whether it's a twisted take on a beloved fairytale or a vampire's search for a true death.
My personal favourites from the anthology include: A final request by Ryan Benson, Medusa Evermore by P.R. O'Leary, The other woman by Rosalie Peng and Son of the Dragon by Raluca Balasa.

I received a free copy of this book via Graveside Press and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this vampire horror anthology! While it was not my favorite (I prefer Splatterpunk in an anthology), I really enjoyed the stories and the writing style pulled me in. Graveside Press is not only against using AI, but they clearly pour their hearts and souls into every work that comes out. This book is no exception and I heavily recommend it to horror lovers, especially readers who enjoy vampire stories!

I received a free copy of this book via Graveside Press and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Smutty Demi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really liked this anthology! Every story was unique in its own way. It was well written en fast paced.

I received a free copy of this book via Graveside Press and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cat Treadwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first title released by ‘Graveside Press’ - and I absolutely could not believe it when I checked that fact. So many small publishers put together anthologies as a sample platter of what they have in mind, resulting in a mix of good and bad. Fair enough.

This is easily one of the best vampire anthologies I’ve ever read.

I kept waiting for the next story to be the one that let the side down, but the bangers just kept coming. Originality is hard to find in this genre, and the authors here have found more life in the undead that I’d never have expected

Some examples:

An ancient vampire trying to die finds his way into the reactor at Chernobyl.

An urban myth becomes a beloved Halloween icon.

A sassy skull and their Renfield find new victims.

Original riffs on Dracula (the novel), Dracula (the historic figure), the Pied Piper and Snow White.

What makes each story stand out is first off, the quality of writing - these are short stories, so they need to make their mark and leave like a vampire at dawn (sorry/notsorry). At the same time, almost all of them had me genuinely engaged and caring about the protagonists.

The depth of emotion accrued over centuries, the pain, the very real life of an immortal blood-drinker is all here. These stories delve into places that their predecessors haven’t dared (or perhaps even considered), and the result is a rich collection that I’ll be returning to again, as well as keeping an eye out for the authors.

If you want new and genuinely brilliant vampire tales, go hunt this down.

I was kindly sent an early copy of this book by the publisher, but the above opinions are entirely my own.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like another reader astutely observed, a mixed bag. Some shine, some don't.