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Served Cold
Collected together for the first time ever, these sixteen provocative and intensely chilling tales by multi-award-winning-author Alan Baxter venture into the depths of the darkest and most shadowy places where unspeakable horrors are the predators and we the willing prey.
Prepare for an always terrifying, frequently heartbreaking journey in multiple stages, each piece echoing Alan Baxter’s unique voice that effortlessly blends horror, fantasy and the weird with elements of the dark fantastique, resulting in an unforgettable volume of fiction.
Proudly presented by Grey Matter Press, the multiple Bram Stoker Award-nominated independent publisher. Grey Matter Press: Where Dark Thoughts Thrive.
Prepare for an always terrifying, frequently heartbreaking journey in multiple stages, each piece echoing Alan Baxter’s unique voice that effortlessly blends horror, fantasy and the weird with elements of the dark fantastique, resulting in an unforgettable volume of fiction.
Proudly presented by Grey Matter Press, the multiple Bram Stoker Award-nominated independent publisher. Grey Matter Press: Where Dark Thoughts Thrive.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 17, 2019
23 people are currently reading
408 people want to read
About the author
Alan Baxter
135 books528 followersMy book rating system:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Brilliant, I bloody loved it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Really good, highly recommended.
⭐⭐⭐ - Enjoyable, well worth a read.
I don't talk about ⭐⭐ and ⭐ reads because I only talking up the good stuff. That's why my Goodreads rarely has anything under a ⭐⭐⭐.
Bio: Alan Baxter is a British-Australian multi-award-winning author of horror, supernatural thrillers, dark fantasy, and crime. He’s also a martial arts expert, a whisky-soaked swear monkey, and dog lover. He creates dark, weird stories among the valleys of southern Tasmania.
Fond him online at www.alanbaxter.com.au
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Brilliant, I bloody loved it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Really good, highly recommended.
⭐⭐⭐ - Enjoyable, well worth a read.
I don't talk about ⭐⭐ and ⭐ reads because I only talking up the good stuff. That's why my Goodreads rarely has anything under a ⭐⭐⭐.
Bio: Alan Baxter is a British-Australian multi-award-winning author of horror, supernatural thrillers, dark fantasy, and crime. He’s also a martial arts expert, a whisky-soaked swear monkey, and dog lover. He creates dark, weird stories among the valleys of southern Tasmania.
Fond him online at www.alanbaxter.com.au
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
January 4, 2020
If you know me even a little bit, you probably know that I'm a big fan of short stories. I'm actually learning that there really isn't a type of writing that I don't enjoy (although I'm still sort of working on really loving poetry). I've read some of Baxter's novels in the past, and they were all very good. I'm a fan. So when I heard that we would be reading Baxter's short story collection SERVED COLD, I was pumped. And I was right to be. The collection is fun from start to finish.
The first story starts this collection off perfectly. A reputed haunted house and an abused boy who wants desperately to fit in at school comprise a creepy and satisfying start to a solid group of tales. Exquisite starts off as a burglary story and then takes a sudden and surprising left turn. In The Goodbye Message I knew early on that Baxter was giving the reader clues, I just didn't expect the consequences.
I was also thrilled to find some cosmic horror in this collection. Baxter uses alternative realities and parallel universes to write some of my favorite stories in the book. The Ocean Hushed the Stones involves a door that shouldn't exist. Possibly my favorite story of the bunch, In Vaulted Halls Entombed is about a group of soldiers who find more than just the enemy in a cave. Waters Strangely Clear is Baxter revisiting Lovecraft's Innsmouth in a style that is all his own, and in Yellowheart, the final story in the collection, two couples have a terrifying experience with an Airbnb.
While I enjoyed some of the stories in this collection more than others, all of them are infused with Baxter's voice. He is quickly becoming an author I can count on, and I'm eager to see what he has to offer in 2020.
The first story starts this collection off perfectly. A reputed haunted house and an abused boy who wants desperately to fit in at school comprise a creepy and satisfying start to a solid group of tales. Exquisite starts off as a burglary story and then takes a sudden and surprising left turn. In The Goodbye Message I knew early on that Baxter was giving the reader clues, I just didn't expect the consequences.
I was also thrilled to find some cosmic horror in this collection. Baxter uses alternative realities and parallel universes to write some of my favorite stories in the book. The Ocean Hushed the Stones involves a door that shouldn't exist. Possibly my favorite story of the bunch, In Vaulted Halls Entombed is about a group of soldiers who find more than just the enemy in a cave. Waters Strangely Clear is Baxter revisiting Lovecraft's Innsmouth in a style that is all his own, and in Yellowheart, the final story in the collection, two couples have a terrifying experience with an Airbnb.
While I enjoyed some of the stories in this collection more than others, all of them are infused with Baxter's voice. He is quickly becoming an author I can count on, and I'm eager to see what he has to offer in 2020.
April 14, 2020
Review originally published in issue 59 March/April 2020
Alan Baxter is a chameleon. I’m convinced he can write comfortably and expertly in just about any genre. Just a few months before reading this newest collection of sixteen stories, SERVED COLD, I read an older collection of Baxter’s titled, CROW SHINE. The flavor of that book was more dark fantasy and magical realism. I quite enjoyed it. SERVED COLD shines a bright light on Alan Baxter’s wheelhouse-horror.
There’s a story to suit everyone’s appetites here, military suspense, urban horror, modern technology gone awry (think Black Mirror episodes) haunted house, cosmic horror, paranormal, supernatural...you name your favorite trope or sub-genre and one of these sixteen stories will stick the landing for you.
For me, I just enjoy Baxter’s natural storytelling voice; it’s comfortable, well seasoned and confident. The title story, Served Cold, is a great indicator of what lies ahead for the reader. A young man has learned a coping mechanism, a way to self soothe during times of stress. This act he inflicts upon himself ultimately opens a door of communication with the dead. This tale was heartbreaking and creepy--I was immediately invested in the young protagonist. This is a calling card of the author, the reader will find in all the stories: Well developed characters thrown into situational horrors. I will say that sometimes, I found the endings to be a smidge too tidy; too safe. I like when horror dares to be ambiguous. For example, the story Crossroads and Carousels played with a familiar trope and didn’t challenge me with anything original. But the story, Exquisite was fresh, brutal and provocative.
Other favorites were: How Father Bryant Saw the Light, The Goodbye Message and Crying Demon. I wouldn’t say that every, single story could stand on their own in greatness but together, as a collection--they are a solid example of what good authors can do in just a few pages. A whole world of horror to explore in one book. I recommend SERVED COLD to horror fans who want a little bit of everything.
"Alan Baxter is a chameleon. This collection is a solid example of what seasoned, confident authors can do in just a few pages. A whole world of horror to explore in one book, recommended to fans who want to try a little bit of everything horror has to offer."
(Night Worms Book Party 2019)
Alan Baxter is a chameleon. I’m convinced he can write comfortably and expertly in just about any genre. Just a few months before reading this newest collection of sixteen stories, SERVED COLD, I read an older collection of Baxter’s titled, CROW SHINE. The flavor of that book was more dark fantasy and magical realism. I quite enjoyed it. SERVED COLD shines a bright light on Alan Baxter’s wheelhouse-horror.
There’s a story to suit everyone’s appetites here, military suspense, urban horror, modern technology gone awry (think Black Mirror episodes) haunted house, cosmic horror, paranormal, supernatural...you name your favorite trope or sub-genre and one of these sixteen stories will stick the landing for you.
For me, I just enjoy Baxter’s natural storytelling voice; it’s comfortable, well seasoned and confident. The title story, Served Cold, is a great indicator of what lies ahead for the reader. A young man has learned a coping mechanism, a way to self soothe during times of stress. This act he inflicts upon himself ultimately opens a door of communication with the dead. This tale was heartbreaking and creepy--I was immediately invested in the young protagonist. This is a calling card of the author, the reader will find in all the stories: Well developed characters thrown into situational horrors. I will say that sometimes, I found the endings to be a smidge too tidy; too safe. I like when horror dares to be ambiguous. For example, the story Crossroads and Carousels played with a familiar trope and didn’t challenge me with anything original. But the story, Exquisite was fresh, brutal and provocative.
Other favorites were: How Father Bryant Saw the Light, The Goodbye Message and Crying Demon. I wouldn’t say that every, single story could stand on their own in greatness but together, as a collection--they are a solid example of what good authors can do in just a few pages. A whole world of horror to explore in one book. I recommend SERVED COLD to horror fans who want a little bit of everything.
"Alan Baxter is a chameleon. This collection is a solid example of what seasoned, confident authors can do in just a few pages. A whole world of horror to explore in one book, recommended to fans who want to try a little bit of everything horror has to offer."
(Night Worms Book Party 2019)
September 17, 2019
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
“He needed razors for clarity.”
Last year I discovered Alan Baxter.
That statement is incredibly surprising because Baxter has a writing style that makes me feel like I’ve been reading his work my entire life.
‘Devouring Dark’ was a stunning read and when I saw that Baxter had a collection for review, I reached out and he kindly sent me ‘Crow Shine.’
‘Crow Shine’ had some stellar stories and a few that have stayed with me since reading it, but when I dove into his newest collection ‘Served Cold,’ it was immediately apparent that these new stories were from an author hell-bent on continuously improving his craft.
I raved a bit already about this collection on Twitter, but when I look at my notes on my phone, the lowest rated story I have is the first one ‘Served Cold’ at 4.5/5 and ‘Dream Shadow,’ also at 4.5/5. Everything else is at 5/5 except for one story, which I’ll finish the review with.
Baxter jumps between creepy, scary, gory and heartfelt in this collection and it just boggles my mind at how seamlessly the stories flowed. In fact, the only reason ‘Dream Shadow’ received a 4.5 was because the story directly before it ‘Waters Strangely Clear,’ which itself is a highlight of the collection, had similar themes. I think if ‘Dream Shadow’ had been placed after ‘Ways to Live and Die,’ I would have bumped it up to a 5!
Baxter delivers 16 stories here and all were outstanding. I’ll focus on a couple here just to highlight some.
‘In Vaulted Halls Entombed’ – I’m not sure if Baxter had been in consideration for the anthology Hellhole by Lee Murray, but this story would’ve been an absolute gem in that collection. We follow a group of soldiers as they enter into a subterranean system in chase of some insurgents. Things become… interesting shortly thereafter.
‘Crossroads and Carousels’ – much like the title story from ‘Crow Shine’ this story follows the journey of a musician wanting to be the greatest musician they can. Of course, it comes with a catch.
‘The Goodbye Message’ – an absolute haunting story of a writer receiving messages on paper, his typewriter and the answering machine from someone, somewhere. By the time he puts the dots together, you’ll be in tears.
‘How Father Bryant Saw the Light’ – three words describe why you need to read this story; the gangle man.
‘Crying Demon’ – this one ticked all of my boxes. Two friends find out about a dark web video game. Curiosity and the desire to not stoop to someone else’s level make this an engrossing read.
Lastly, I want to highlight the story ‘Exquisite.’ As I mentioned earlier in this review, all the stories received a 4.5 or 5/5 except one.
I actually have ‘Exquisite’ down in my notes as a 10/5 I liked it that much.
We follow a man as he breaks into a house. He isn’t wanting to steal anything, he simply has a compulsion to break in and look at other people’s stuff. He ends up in the basement and Baxter decides to invoke all levels of Clive Barker on us. Truly outstanding. This story should bring home some hardware and I’d absolutely love to see this on film.
This is a must-own/must-read collection. Baxter has upped his game, which means when he does that, all the other players must do it as well. I’m truly blown away by what I’ve read and I really can’t recommend this enough.
To finish this off – I’m just going to share something about my own reading experience.
I got this loaded on my Kindle and before I started reading it I saw a Facebook post from Alan remembering his best boy, Penry.
When I got to the first page and saw the dedication to Penry, his best boy, the waterworks came. It’s safe to say that Alan put everything he could into making these stories as best as they could.
I know Penry would be proud.
“He needed razors for clarity.”
Last year I discovered Alan Baxter.
That statement is incredibly surprising because Baxter has a writing style that makes me feel like I’ve been reading his work my entire life.
‘Devouring Dark’ was a stunning read and when I saw that Baxter had a collection for review, I reached out and he kindly sent me ‘Crow Shine.’
‘Crow Shine’ had some stellar stories and a few that have stayed with me since reading it, but when I dove into his newest collection ‘Served Cold,’ it was immediately apparent that these new stories were from an author hell-bent on continuously improving his craft.
I raved a bit already about this collection on Twitter, but when I look at my notes on my phone, the lowest rated story I have is the first one ‘Served Cold’ at 4.5/5 and ‘Dream Shadow,’ also at 4.5/5. Everything else is at 5/5 except for one story, which I’ll finish the review with.
Baxter jumps between creepy, scary, gory and heartfelt in this collection and it just boggles my mind at how seamlessly the stories flowed. In fact, the only reason ‘Dream Shadow’ received a 4.5 was because the story directly before it ‘Waters Strangely Clear,’ which itself is a highlight of the collection, had similar themes. I think if ‘Dream Shadow’ had been placed after ‘Ways to Live and Die,’ I would have bumped it up to a 5!
Baxter delivers 16 stories here and all were outstanding. I’ll focus on a couple here just to highlight some.
‘In Vaulted Halls Entombed’ – I’m not sure if Baxter had been in consideration for the anthology Hellhole by Lee Murray, but this story would’ve been an absolute gem in that collection. We follow a group of soldiers as they enter into a subterranean system in chase of some insurgents. Things become… interesting shortly thereafter.
‘Crossroads and Carousels’ – much like the title story from ‘Crow Shine’ this story follows the journey of a musician wanting to be the greatest musician they can. Of course, it comes with a catch.
‘The Goodbye Message’ – an absolute haunting story of a writer receiving messages on paper, his typewriter and the answering machine from someone, somewhere. By the time he puts the dots together, you’ll be in tears.
‘How Father Bryant Saw the Light’ – three words describe why you need to read this story; the gangle man.
‘Crying Demon’ – this one ticked all of my boxes. Two friends find out about a dark web video game. Curiosity and the desire to not stoop to someone else’s level make this an engrossing read.
Lastly, I want to highlight the story ‘Exquisite.’ As I mentioned earlier in this review, all the stories received a 4.5 or 5/5 except one.
I actually have ‘Exquisite’ down in my notes as a 10/5 I liked it that much.
We follow a man as he breaks into a house. He isn’t wanting to steal anything, he simply has a compulsion to break in and look at other people’s stuff. He ends up in the basement and Baxter decides to invoke all levels of Clive Barker on us. Truly outstanding. This story should bring home some hardware and I’d absolutely love to see this on film.
This is a must-own/must-read collection. Baxter has upped his game, which means when he does that, all the other players must do it as well. I’m truly blown away by what I’ve read and I really can’t recommend this enough.
To finish this off – I’m just going to share something about my own reading experience.
I got this loaded on my Kindle and before I started reading it I saw a Facebook post from Alan remembering his best boy, Penry.
When I got to the first page and saw the dedication to Penry, his best boy, the waterworks came. It’s safe to say that Alan put everything he could into making these stories as best as they could.
I know Penry would be proud.
December 23, 2019
Rating ★★★★½
SERVED COLD by Alan Baxter is a collection of sixteen eerily told short stories that I devoured one by one. I read this over a few days which is unusual for me, but it just felt right to go slow. Every story is unique, but they are all cohesively written with complex characters in ordinary settings until something dreadful or ghastly shows up.
There are a couple of stories that remind me of the show Black Mirror, such as THE GOODBYE MESSAGE and CRYING DEMON. Baxter writes in such a way that the horror appears in vignettes. And it quietly sneaks up on you how disturbing the story actually is.
Each story is well written, thought provoking, visceral, and haunting. I feel like I could take each one apart and analyze it for several meanings. Baxter writes with precision: his words are keenly sharp and what you read is all the reader needs to know.
Here are the stories that I individually rate ★★★★★:
SERVED COLD - a boy who practices self harm but ends up with a supernatural ability
EXPOSURE COMPENSATION - a perfect revenge story
EXQUISITE - a burglar in a gruesome encounter
HOW FATHER BRYANT SAW THE LIGHT - Oh do I love the Gangle Man
THE GOODBYE MESSAGE - I can’t get this story out of my head
THE OCEAN HUSHED THE STONES - a dream you can’t forget
CRYING DEMON - a darkweb urban legend done right
IN VAULTED HALLS ENTOMBED - a group of soldiers in a disturbing adventure
HER GRIEF IN MY HALLS - a ghost story with an interesting premise
WATERS STRANGELY CLEAR - a perfect story with a perfect ending
YELLOWHEART - friends on a trip + fun tropes
This is my first time reading Baxter’s work and I have to say it was the perfect introduction. I immediately purchased DEVOURING DARK and MANIFEST RECALL - from what I can tell they are all drastically different from each other so color me intrigued!
A special thanks to @mother.horror, @pageandparlor, @night_worms, @greymatterpress, and of course @warrior_scribe (check them out on Instagram)
Also, this acknowledgement...
“This book is for my best boy, Penry. I miss you”
SERVED COLD by Alan Baxter is a collection of sixteen eerily told short stories that I devoured one by one. I read this over a few days which is unusual for me, but it just felt right to go slow. Every story is unique, but they are all cohesively written with complex characters in ordinary settings until something dreadful or ghastly shows up.
There are a couple of stories that remind me of the show Black Mirror, such as THE GOODBYE MESSAGE and CRYING DEMON. Baxter writes in such a way that the horror appears in vignettes. And it quietly sneaks up on you how disturbing the story actually is.
Each story is well written, thought provoking, visceral, and haunting. I feel like I could take each one apart and analyze it for several meanings. Baxter writes with precision: his words are keenly sharp and what you read is all the reader needs to know.
Here are the stories that I individually rate ★★★★★:
SERVED COLD - a boy who practices self harm but ends up with a supernatural ability
EXPOSURE COMPENSATION - a perfect revenge story
EXQUISITE - a burglar in a gruesome encounter
HOW FATHER BRYANT SAW THE LIGHT - Oh do I love the Gangle Man
THE GOODBYE MESSAGE - I can’t get this story out of my head
THE OCEAN HUSHED THE STONES - a dream you can’t forget
CRYING DEMON - a darkweb urban legend done right
IN VAULTED HALLS ENTOMBED - a group of soldiers in a disturbing adventure
HER GRIEF IN MY HALLS - a ghost story with an interesting premise
WATERS STRANGELY CLEAR - a perfect story with a perfect ending
YELLOWHEART - friends on a trip + fun tropes
This is my first time reading Baxter’s work and I have to say it was the perfect introduction. I immediately purchased DEVOURING DARK and MANIFEST RECALL - from what I can tell they are all drastically different from each other so color me intrigued!
A special thanks to @mother.horror, @pageandparlor, @night_worms, @greymatterpress, and of course @warrior_scribe (check them out on Instagram)
Also, this acknowledgement...
“This book is for my best boy, Penry. I miss you”
January 1, 2020
I am a huge fan of short story collections and Served Cold definitely delivered the horror goods. This collection is the perfect blend of several different horror sub-genres and I think that there is at least one story in here for everyone. It is always harder for me to review story collections like this because each story is so different and as much as I would love to go on and on about each and every one, I do not want to give too much away. If I had to narrow it down to my favorite three of the sixteen stories in the book, I would have to say In Vaulted Halls Entombed, The Goodbye Message and Yellowheart take the cake.
In Vaulted Halls Entombed is what I like to call "super awesome adventure time". A small group of soldiers track enemy forces to a cave system in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan and what they find is far more frightening than more insurgents. This story is an epic adventure and reminiscent of James Rollins (whom I love) but, with more horror.
In The Goodbye Message, we meet Simon Taylor, an up-and-coming author that is experiencing writers block. He begins recieving mysterious messages on his answering machine that begin with a single word, "goodbye". The end of this story is a gut-punch. If you find yourself enjoying stories where you feel you may know where it is headed but man, you really do not want to be right, this one is for you!
Yellowheart is the final story in the collection and also the longest. Four friends find a retreat, Yellowheart Cabin, through Airbnb for a getaway in the country. However, their relaxing secluding accommodations are not as advertised. Unsettling events ensue from the first night they arrive and that is all I am going to give you. Who doesn't like a story about a creepy cabin in the woods? I could easily see this story as a full length novel and I devoured it!
This is my first experience reading Alan Baxter's work and it will definitely not be my last! I read this collection with a group of other horror lovers this month and in our group chats, there were many different stories that were mentioned as favorites throughout the book. This just shows how talented the author is at catering to every reader. Baxter is definitely NOT a one trick pony! This is the perfect collection to pick up when you have no idea what you want to read next. I gaurantee you will be entertained!
In Vaulted Halls Entombed is what I like to call "super awesome adventure time". A small group of soldiers track enemy forces to a cave system in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan and what they find is far more frightening than more insurgents. This story is an epic adventure and reminiscent of James Rollins (whom I love) but, with more horror.
In The Goodbye Message, we meet Simon Taylor, an up-and-coming author that is experiencing writers block. He begins recieving mysterious messages on his answering machine that begin with a single word, "goodbye". The end of this story is a gut-punch. If you find yourself enjoying stories where you feel you may know where it is headed but man, you really do not want to be right, this one is for you!
Yellowheart is the final story in the collection and also the longest. Four friends find a retreat, Yellowheart Cabin, through Airbnb for a getaway in the country. However, their relaxing secluding accommodations are not as advertised. Unsettling events ensue from the first night they arrive and that is all I am going to give you. Who doesn't like a story about a creepy cabin in the woods? I could easily see this story as a full length novel and I devoured it!
This is my first experience reading Alan Baxter's work and it will definitely not be my last! I read this collection with a group of other horror lovers this month and in our group chats, there were many different stories that were mentioned as favorites throughout the book. This just shows how talented the author is at catering to every reader. Baxter is definitely NOT a one trick pony! This is the perfect collection to pick up when you have no idea what you want to read next. I gaurantee you will be entertained!
September 29, 2019
The short stories run the gamut between scary, creepy, horrific and sad. Each unique tale is better than the last, if that's even possible. Baxter is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors because everything he releases is amazing!
December 18, 2019
My review of SERVED COLD can be found at High Fever Books.
While I’m not overly familiar with the works of Alan Baxter, the few books and anthologized short stories I’ve read of his have been enough to convince me he’s a pretty solid and reliable story teller. Served Cold solidifies this opinion even further.
As is the case with me and most short story collections, not every story was a perfect read. I liked some more than others, and there were only a couple here that didn’t really work for me. Rather than dwell on those few servings, though, I’m gonna highlight some of what I thought were the best and that really make this collection stand out.
Baxter grabbed me straight away with the title story, “Served Cold.” This one kicks off the collection in terrific fashion as a boy with a penchant for cutting makes a startling discovery in an abandoned house. Turns out the pain of fresh wounds allows him to communicate with the dead! It’s a really cool premise with a bit of crime thrown in for good measure, and I, surprisingly perhaps, don’t see many stories revolving around cutters. Baxter handles the issue of self-injury sensibly and without judgement, and without vilifying or sensationalizing the act of non-suicidal self-injury. I really appreciated his approach here, and the story as a whole clicked for me really well.
“Exposure Compensation” is a quickie with some neat imagery in its last pages, telling a story about revenge via magic, but it’s “Exquisite” that really takes the cake and is a stand-out entry. Baxter gets his Clive Barker groove on when a burglar makes a shocking discovery in the basement of his mark’s home. Baxter sends up some lushly vivid descriptions of mutilation that really got me squirming! “How Father Bryant Saw the Light” serves up a cool twist on the possessed child trope, but since I have a thing about eyes, Baxter, again, left me feeling pretty antsy with some of his descriptions here.
Given that I’m a big fan of military spec fic like Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger series and James Rollins’s Sigma Force books, I had a blast with “In Vaulted Halls Entombed.” Team Epsilon hunts insurgents in a Kandahar cave system, but finds several of their targets have been reduced to bone. Military action, cosmic horror, and a bit of The Blob make this one an A+ adventure.
I also really love cosmic and Lovecraftian horror, which is probably why “Waters Strangely Clear” was another big favorite. I dug seeing Baxter use Lovecraftian lore to tell a story about a marriage on the brink of either ending or finding reconciliation. There’s some really great, vivid imagery in here, along with doses of the weird and uncanny.
Served Cold wraps up in fine fashion with “Yellowheart,” a lengthier piece that works despite being so heavily stacked with trope after trope. A pair of couples go on a mountain retreat vacation, but rather than the posh Airbnb cabin they booked they find a dilapidated cabin in the woods and a super creepy redneck. After tripping balls on mushrooms, the group decides to take a hike and are stalked through the woods by not just the creepy redneck, but a strange entity. This story is built on the bones of a classic set-up, but Baxter still finds room for a few sparks of originality and innovation, which I appreciated quite a lot, enough so that I felt “Yellowheart” was a really strong note to end this collection on.
As a whole, Served Cold presented a number of strong stories and further cements my good opinion of Alan Baxter. He’s an author whose new releases I’ll be watching out for.
[Note: I received a copy of this title from Grey Matter Press via Night Worms.]
While I’m not overly familiar with the works of Alan Baxter, the few books and anthologized short stories I’ve read of his have been enough to convince me he’s a pretty solid and reliable story teller. Served Cold solidifies this opinion even further.
As is the case with me and most short story collections, not every story was a perfect read. I liked some more than others, and there were only a couple here that didn’t really work for me. Rather than dwell on those few servings, though, I’m gonna highlight some of what I thought were the best and that really make this collection stand out.
Baxter grabbed me straight away with the title story, “Served Cold.” This one kicks off the collection in terrific fashion as a boy with a penchant for cutting makes a startling discovery in an abandoned house. Turns out the pain of fresh wounds allows him to communicate with the dead! It’s a really cool premise with a bit of crime thrown in for good measure, and I, surprisingly perhaps, don’t see many stories revolving around cutters. Baxter handles the issue of self-injury sensibly and without judgement, and without vilifying or sensationalizing the act of non-suicidal self-injury. I really appreciated his approach here, and the story as a whole clicked for me really well.
“Exposure Compensation” is a quickie with some neat imagery in its last pages, telling a story about revenge via magic, but it’s “Exquisite” that really takes the cake and is a stand-out entry. Baxter gets his Clive Barker groove on when a burglar makes a shocking discovery in the basement of his mark’s home. Baxter sends up some lushly vivid descriptions of mutilation that really got me squirming! “How Father Bryant Saw the Light” serves up a cool twist on the possessed child trope, but since I have a thing about eyes, Baxter, again, left me feeling pretty antsy with some of his descriptions here.
Given that I’m a big fan of military spec fic like Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger series and James Rollins’s Sigma Force books, I had a blast with “In Vaulted Halls Entombed.” Team Epsilon hunts insurgents in a Kandahar cave system, but finds several of their targets have been reduced to bone. Military action, cosmic horror, and a bit of The Blob make this one an A+ adventure.
I also really love cosmic and Lovecraftian horror, which is probably why “Waters Strangely Clear” was another big favorite. I dug seeing Baxter use Lovecraftian lore to tell a story about a marriage on the brink of either ending or finding reconciliation. There’s some really great, vivid imagery in here, along with doses of the weird and uncanny.
Served Cold wraps up in fine fashion with “Yellowheart,” a lengthier piece that works despite being so heavily stacked with trope after trope. A pair of couples go on a mountain retreat vacation, but rather than the posh Airbnb cabin they booked they find a dilapidated cabin in the woods and a super creepy redneck. After tripping balls on mushrooms, the group decides to take a hike and are stalked through the woods by not just the creepy redneck, but a strange entity. This story is built on the bones of a classic set-up, but Baxter still finds room for a few sparks of originality and innovation, which I appreciated quite a lot, enough so that I felt “Yellowheart” was a really strong note to end this collection on.
As a whole, Served Cold presented a number of strong stories and further cements my good opinion of Alan Baxter. He’s an author whose new releases I’ll be watching out for.
[Note: I received a copy of this title from Grey Matter Press via Night Worms.]
September 29, 2019
By many accounts, writing a good short story is much different than writing a good novel. Many prolific authors may struggle to write a few good short stories, never mind an entire collection. With that being said, what’s accomplished here is no small feat. Alan Baxter has written one of the finest short fiction collections I’ve ever read.
I struggled with that introduction because simply put, words don’t do this collection justice. Alan Baxter’s Served Cold is a collection of sixteen stories brought together in one stunning package. From the strikingly beautiful cover, to the immaculately written stories contained within these pages, everything about this book is perfect. Baxter writes like a man possessed. The stories within are brutal, deftly written examples of an author who has perfected his craft.
With a collection this good, it’s difficult to choose my favorite stories, I loved them all. Some of them are creepy, some gory, some of them emotional, but all of them wonderful. If I had a gun to my head I’d choose Exquisite and Simulacrum of Hope. Those two were my favorites for sure. More standouts include How Father Bryant Saw the Light and Goodbye Message. This collection is so good though, that my list would be completely different if I were asked again.
2019 saw multiple high profile collections in the genre, and I believe that Served Cold stands as the best of the bunch. This is a book which would be a highlight in any authors bibliography. It’s a must own, deserving of a place on any readers bookshelf.
5/5
I struggled with that introduction because simply put, words don’t do this collection justice. Alan Baxter’s Served Cold is a collection of sixteen stories brought together in one stunning package. From the strikingly beautiful cover, to the immaculately written stories contained within these pages, everything about this book is perfect. Baxter writes like a man possessed. The stories within are brutal, deftly written examples of an author who has perfected his craft.
With a collection this good, it’s difficult to choose my favorite stories, I loved them all. Some of them are creepy, some gory, some of them emotional, but all of them wonderful. If I had a gun to my head I’d choose Exquisite and Simulacrum of Hope. Those two were my favorites for sure. More standouts include How Father Bryant Saw the Light and Goodbye Message. This collection is so good though, that my list would be completely different if I were asked again.
2019 saw multiple high profile collections in the genre, and I believe that Served Cold stands as the best of the bunch. This is a book which would be a highlight in any authors bibliography. It’s a must own, deserving of a place on any readers bookshelf.
5/5
Read
January 8, 2020Served Cold by Alan Baxter is a collection of horror short stories. This was my first time reading a book of short stories, I am not sure that the format works the best for me. I find it hard to come to an overall rating because there were stories that I enjoyed more than others. I seem to give the longer stories higher ratings, this is the reason I believe short stories may not be for me. Alan's writing is truly great and his ideas are pretty cool, I would really like to read a full length novel from him! One of my favorite stories from the collection was How Father Bryant Saw the Light, I found myself wanting more of that story. I wanted more build up and atmosphere because the story was great, Alan did such a good job building as much as possible in so few words though. The horror is more than just a ghost in the corner, this horror takes you to multiple places, it’s different with each story. It takes you to those dark places that some have lived that may scare some more than others because they have been in that darkness. Saying this, some stories definitely made the hair on the back of my neck stand more than others. Overall, I would say, if you like short stories and different types of horror this book would be a good choice.
December 27, 2020
Alan Baxter continues to astound me with his short story collections and his novels.
I started off by reading Devouring Dark and I couldn't believe that a novelist could go from writing a full length novel to writing Crow Shine which absolutely took my breath away. Every story just got better and better.
I recently read Baxter's novella, The Book Club and what was actually a cover buy turned out to be one of my favourite reads this year.
This brings me to Served Cold. Sixteen assorted stories of pure dark delight. Every story connected with me in some way, be it creepy, haunting, emotional or all three. Baxter gets better with age and I'll definitely be a fan for life.
Top stories for me if I had to pick
Served Cold
The Goodbye Message
Crying Demon
Exquisite
I highly recommend you pick up an Alan Baxter book. You won't regret it.
I started off by reading Devouring Dark and I couldn't believe that a novelist could go from writing a full length novel to writing Crow Shine which absolutely took my breath away. Every story just got better and better.
I recently read Baxter's novella, The Book Club and what was actually a cover buy turned out to be one of my favourite reads this year.
This brings me to Served Cold. Sixteen assorted stories of pure dark delight. Every story connected with me in some way, be it creepy, haunting, emotional or all three. Baxter gets better with age and I'll definitely be a fan for life.
Top stories for me if I had to pick
Served Cold
The Goodbye Message
Crying Demon
Exquisite
I highly recommend you pick up an Alan Baxter book. You won't regret it.
December 31, 2019
Short story collections are tricky. I typically have a hard time rating them because only a handful of them are noteworthy. Most of them for me are a cover buy, and being that this was my first Baxter, I wasn't sure what to expect.
Let me say that THIS collection was very different and very refreshing. Each story was uniquely its own. Believable, palatable characters you become invested in. I found that with each story I was quickly absorbing the words in anticipation of its end. Outcome. Finality.
By far the best in the collection was Exquisite. Some stories sadly fell short of its strong beginning. But as they say, to each is own and that is the beauty of a short story. There is literally something for everyone and it is everyone you cannot please. I can honestly say this collection is worth every second of your time. Modern writing style but one should note that there are some geographical variations on words but nothing that you cannot decipher.
This collection had me feeling anxious, dark, disgusted, delighted and at times paralyzed. This collection is sure to recollect your every childhood fear and perhaps create some to carry throughout your adulthood as well.
Baxter could very well be the next Barker of a new generation. Kudos!
Living in anticipation of more by this author.
Let me say that THIS collection was very different and very refreshing. Each story was uniquely its own. Believable, palatable characters you become invested in. I found that with each story I was quickly absorbing the words in anticipation of its end. Outcome. Finality.
By far the best in the collection was Exquisite. Some stories sadly fell short of its strong beginning. But as they say, to each is own and that is the beauty of a short story. There is literally something for everyone and it is everyone you cannot please. I can honestly say this collection is worth every second of your time. Modern writing style but one should note that there are some geographical variations on words but nothing that you cannot decipher.
This collection had me feeling anxious, dark, disgusted, delighted and at times paralyzed. This collection is sure to recollect your every childhood fear and perhaps create some to carry throughout your adulthood as well.
Baxter could very well be the next Barker of a new generation. Kudos!
Living in anticipation of more by this author.
December 26, 2019
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for Goodreads.
WOW WOW WOW!! First off let me start by saying that I don’t like short stories. Something about the format just throws me off, but I wanted to check some out and see if I had a change of heart. So, When I was presented with the opportunity to review this book for a #nightwormsbookparty I jumped on it, plus the title, yes please.
Guys, I am so glad I did because this book is chock full of terrifying stories! Each story is better than the last. I don’t tend to get scared with books but this one gave me chills. I have chosen a few favorites but honestly, it was so hard choosing cause they were all fantastic, which is not usually the case in collections. I often find that the majority of the stories in a collection tend to fall short but SERVED COLD is quite the opposite. Needless to say Mr. Baxter can write the hell out of a short story. I will definitely be checking out more of his work!
Some of my 5⭐️ picks:
-Exquisite
-How Father Bryant Saw the Light
-The Goodbye Message
-The Ocean Hushed the Stones
-In Vaulted Halls Entombed
-Yellowheart
And my most favorite, -Her Grief In My Halls.
If you have ever had trouble with short story collections and want to give one a go, I HIGHLY recommend this one!
WOW WOW WOW!! First off let me start by saying that I don’t like short stories. Something about the format just throws me off, but I wanted to check some out and see if I had a change of heart. So, When I was presented with the opportunity to review this book for a #nightwormsbookparty I jumped on it, plus the title, yes please.
Guys, I am so glad I did because this book is chock full of terrifying stories! Each story is better than the last. I don’t tend to get scared with books but this one gave me chills. I have chosen a few favorites but honestly, it was so hard choosing cause they were all fantastic, which is not usually the case in collections. I often find that the majority of the stories in a collection tend to fall short but SERVED COLD is quite the opposite. Needless to say Mr. Baxter can write the hell out of a short story. I will definitely be checking out more of his work!
Some of my 5⭐️ picks:
-Exquisite
-How Father Bryant Saw the Light
-The Goodbye Message
-The Ocean Hushed the Stones
-In Vaulted Halls Entombed
-Yellowheart
And my most favorite, -Her Grief In My Halls.
If you have ever had trouble with short story collections and want to give one a go, I HIGHLY recommend this one!
December 22, 2019
This is my first Alan Baxter experience and I can say that it won't be my last. Baxter makes the short story seem effortless. His writing is so good that I just want to keep reading, even when the content is gruesome, gory, and uncomfortable, Baxter's skill makes those stories shine. Some of my favorites in this collection are Exquisite, Crying Demon, The Goodbye Message, Waters Strangely Clear, and How Father Bryant Saw the Light.
Exquisite is the story of a thief that finds way more than he bargained for in the locked basement of a suburban home. I loved this one and it reminded me of Clive Barker.
In Crying Demon two teenagers find a satanic video game on the dark web. I'm a sucker for stories about urban legends that turn out to be real. I thought Baxter wrote the kids in this story quite well, which is not an easy thing to accomplish.
Reading The Goodbye Message was like being tied to emotional train tracks with a locomotive barreling toward you. You know what's going to happen and you know it's going to hurt but you can't stop it. This was probably my favorite out of the whole collection.
Waters Strangely Clear is about businessmen at a conference (true horror). This story was very Lovecraftian in feel and style. (It takes place in a town called Innsmouth) This is another one that I knew the path we were heading down but loved the journey nonetheless.
And finally, How Father Bryant Saw the Light. The Gangle Man. I love The Gangle Man. More Gangle Man, please.
There were a few stories in this collection that enjoyed less but absolutely none of them are not well written. These few stories kept me from rating it 5 stars but you should know that it was very close. There is definitely something in this collection for every type of reader. If you enjoy scary stuff, you'll dig this book.
Exquisite is the story of a thief that finds way more than he bargained for in the locked basement of a suburban home. I loved this one and it reminded me of Clive Barker.
In Crying Demon two teenagers find a satanic video game on the dark web. I'm a sucker for stories about urban legends that turn out to be real. I thought Baxter wrote the kids in this story quite well, which is not an easy thing to accomplish.
Reading The Goodbye Message was like being tied to emotional train tracks with a locomotive barreling toward you. You know what's going to happen and you know it's going to hurt but you can't stop it. This was probably my favorite out of the whole collection.
Waters Strangely Clear is about businessmen at a conference (true horror). This story was very Lovecraftian in feel and style. (It takes place in a town called Innsmouth) This is another one that I knew the path we were heading down but loved the journey nonetheless.
And finally, How Father Bryant Saw the Light. The Gangle Man. I love The Gangle Man. More Gangle Man, please.
There were a few stories in this collection that enjoyed less but absolutely none of them are not well written. These few stories kept me from rating it 5 stars but you should know that it was very close. There is definitely something in this collection for every type of reader. If you enjoy scary stuff, you'll dig this book.
September 24, 2019
“You know the part of the night that seems deepest, there’s nothing darker or stiller? From then, it’s a slow rise back to morning? Some nights it’s like that for hours. That’s when he comes. . .” - ’How Father Bryant Saw the Light’ Loved It!
This collection was a lot of fun to read - Highly Recommend! Thank you to Grey Matter Press and Alan Baxter for providing me with an advanced copy of SERVED COLD in exchange for an honest review
June 19, 2020
Solid collection of short stories from Baxter. Started out a bit slow and the first few didn't grip my interest but it picked up after that and ended up providing several worthwhile entries. My favorite was The Goodbye Message. 3.5 stars bumped to 4 for the quality of writing and strong finish.
October 26, 2019
Cutting straight to the chase, this is the best collection of short fiction I have read this year. No mean feat in a year that saw the release of books chock full of short stories from both Paul Tremblay and Joe Hill. Alan Baxter has put such a fantastic variety on display here, highlighting monsters of all types, shapes, and sizes as well as finding a myriad of different ways to examine humanity. If that sounds like a vague description of the stories contained within, that’s because it is. I assure you there’s nary a skip in the bunch, but please permit me to shine a spotlight on some of my favorites.
Exquisite – Not for the faint of heart, this one. I can’t even say I loved it per se, but it will unquestionably stick with me. Brutal depiction of just what people are capable of, and not just from one point of view either.
Crossroads and Carousels – This story I did love. This is a really excellent variation on the ageless devil-looking-to-buy-a-soul tale. The musician in me may have caused some bias here. This is one of the prime examples in the collection that shows this author can do a bit of tugging at the heartstrings as well as just making bad things happen.
How Father Bryant Saw the Light – I enjoyed the hell out of every aspect of this story, but it’s most notable for the Gangle Man. Baxter created a monster/antagonist for this story that is ab-so-lute-ly horrifying. “Except he wants my eyes.”
The Goodbye Message – I was able to figure out pretty early on what was happening in this story. That’s not one of my strengths. I generally find myself immersed and not necessarily trying to guess what the ending will be. The point? Despite knowing where this was heading, the execution was perfection, and got me emotionally invested in seeing it through to the end.
Crying Demon – The atmosphere and general vibe that Baxter establishes in Crying Demon is so genuinely creepy. In a way, this story is the Ring but with video games. Holy hell, is it ever good.
In Vaulted Halls Entombed – The first 2/3rd’s or so follow a military unit under attack by something supernatural and malicious. The way the scope of what’s happening expands toward the end is something to behold. We get a glimpse of a completely different world, but only a glimpse. The utilization here of the fear of the unknown just plain works.
Waters Strangely Clear – I’m not a huge fan of Lovecraft. As much as I love fiction that establishes lore and mythology, I just can’t get into it. Here, Baxter crafts a very Lovecraftian yarn that I loved to death. Like the previous story, we get to see a very small portion of a much larger world, and the implications are what turns the gears of the story.
Served Cold truly reads like a curated collection. Almost as though Alan Baxter sifted through hundreds of his own stories to find the 16 best examples of what he was capable. Perhaps he did, although it sounds exhausting. Or maybe this guy is just that damned good at writing a short story. I guess I’ll have to grab Crow Shine and find out.
Exquisite – Not for the faint of heart, this one. I can’t even say I loved it per se, but it will unquestionably stick with me. Brutal depiction of just what people are capable of, and not just from one point of view either.
Crossroads and Carousels – This story I did love. This is a really excellent variation on the ageless devil-looking-to-buy-a-soul tale. The musician in me may have caused some bias here. This is one of the prime examples in the collection that shows this author can do a bit of tugging at the heartstrings as well as just making bad things happen.
How Father Bryant Saw the Light – I enjoyed the hell out of every aspect of this story, but it’s most notable for the Gangle Man. Baxter created a monster/antagonist for this story that is ab-so-lute-ly horrifying. “Except he wants my eyes.”
The Goodbye Message – I was able to figure out pretty early on what was happening in this story. That’s not one of my strengths. I generally find myself immersed and not necessarily trying to guess what the ending will be. The point? Despite knowing where this was heading, the execution was perfection, and got me emotionally invested in seeing it through to the end.
Crying Demon – The atmosphere and general vibe that Baxter establishes in Crying Demon is so genuinely creepy. In a way, this story is the Ring but with video games. Holy hell, is it ever good.
In Vaulted Halls Entombed – The first 2/3rd’s or so follow a military unit under attack by something supernatural and malicious. The way the scope of what’s happening expands toward the end is something to behold. We get a glimpse of a completely different world, but only a glimpse. The utilization here of the fear of the unknown just plain works.
Waters Strangely Clear – I’m not a huge fan of Lovecraft. As much as I love fiction that establishes lore and mythology, I just can’t get into it. Here, Baxter crafts a very Lovecraftian yarn that I loved to death. Like the previous story, we get to see a very small portion of a much larger world, and the implications are what turns the gears of the story.
Served Cold truly reads like a curated collection. Almost as though Alan Baxter sifted through hundreds of his own stories to find the 16 best examples of what he was capable. Perhaps he did, although it sounds exhausting. Or maybe this guy is just that damned good at writing a short story. I guess I’ll have to grab Crow Shine and find out.
December 24, 2019
Served Cold is a collection of sixteen horror short stories. Some of them have been published in other publications and some are appearing here for the first time. This was my first time reading Baxter.
Baxter writes very well. The stories are well-written, easy to read and the descriptions are great. There were some very disturbing scenes which were really brought to life. There is a nice variety of stories here so there should be a little something for most horror lovers.
My favorites stories in this collection are: Served Cold, Exquisite, Crying Demon, and Ways to Live & Die. Those stories had enough explanation about what was happening to leave me satisfied and they were all unique.
I think that a lot of the stories could be more fleshed out. Things happened in some of these that could have been interesting, but there wasn't enough explanation about what the creatures were and why things were happening.
Short stories are hard to rate because there are different types of stories and people have different tastes. Some of these stories weren't for me simply because they're not the kind of things I enjoy reading about, but they might be the kind of thing another reader loves. I liked it but didn't love this collection. I would definitely read more by Baxter and I recommend reading this collection for yourself and drawing your own conclusion.
Baxter writes very well. The stories are well-written, easy to read and the descriptions are great. There were some very disturbing scenes which were really brought to life. There is a nice variety of stories here so there should be a little something for most horror lovers.
My favorites stories in this collection are: Served Cold, Exquisite, Crying Demon, and Ways to Live & Die. Those stories had enough explanation about what was happening to leave me satisfied and they were all unique.
I think that a lot of the stories could be more fleshed out. Things happened in some of these that could have been interesting, but there wasn't enough explanation about what the creatures were and why things were happening.
Short stories are hard to rate because there are different types of stories and people have different tastes. Some of these stories weren't for me simply because they're not the kind of things I enjoy reading about, but they might be the kind of thing another reader loves. I liked it but didn't love this collection. I would definitely read more by Baxter and I recommend reading this collection for yourself and drawing your own conclusion.
December 22, 2020
I loved this collection, every story is unique, with a good variety, with everything from a revenge story, creature/action story to a Lovecraft mythos story, If you like Books of Blood by Clive Barker, you would like this, one of the best books I have read this year.
May 10, 2022
Wow, what an amazing way to end a great year of reading! I finished this one a few hours before midnight on the 31st, and I’m so happy with the choice to wrap it up over anything else I was in the middle of reading – I absolutely loved it!
Being totally honest here: I sometimes struggle remembering specific stories as stand-alones when finishing a collection, and I find myself flipping back through the pages or through my notes to jog my memory of what happened, or what the story was about. With Baxter’s 16 short stories in SERVED COLD, I didn’t have that problem at all.
Just from looking at the titles in the table of contents from the book, I can easily recall the chilling scenes written on the pages, able to picture them in my mind due to how vividly the writing conveyed each tale’s situations and characters horrors. This is an absolute stand out collection, and I didn’t rate a single story in it anything less than 4 stars.
Alan Baxter’s ability to fluidly go from writing emotionally impactful horror (The Goodbye Message, pg. 106) to a terrifying adventure story about soldiers and mind-breaking monsters (In Vaulted Halls Entombed, pg. 156) is nothing short of impressive. In this collection, we meet ghosts and gangsters, murderers, demons, and worse. Rather than sticking to any specific theme beyond “darkness”, we go on a journey through doors-that-shouldn’t-be and lethal video games, stay in Lovecraftian hotels and Airbnbs that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.
The range in stories provides something for lovers of different types of horror – there are so many subgenres, and Baxter touches on quite a few of them expertly throughout the collection. His writing is simultaneously ethereal and blunt, allowing the reader to indulge themselves both in gorgeously haunting storytelling, as well as excellent pacing, and plenty of cringe-inducing gore to top it all off. That also isn’t to say that this is a strictly horror collection, as a lot of the stories seem to be heavily influenced by science fiction & fantasy both; obviously, with these being my 3 favorite book genres, this is a huge win for me!
I read this with my Night Worms pals and a few other friends on Instagram for a #nightwormsbookparty, and my friend Janelle mentioned that some of the stories felt like they could be episodes of BLACK MIRROR to her, which I absolutely agree with! In fact, Baxter’s written voice and writing ability is so strongly developed that I could easily picture any of the titles from this collection as incredible screen adaptations – and you’d better bet I’d watch every second of them if they’re ever made!
I can’t recommend this one highly enough, especially to readers who may want to explore horror a bit more in all of its many genres – but it surely won’t disappoint any long term fans of the genre either! Each of the stories is relatively short, which makes the entire collection feel really bite-sized and manageable, which are qualities I love from my short stories ’cause it makes me feel productive! 😉
Very excited to read more from the author in the future, and I’d highly recommend the publisher as well – Grey Matter Press!
Being totally honest here: I sometimes struggle remembering specific stories as stand-alones when finishing a collection, and I find myself flipping back through the pages or through my notes to jog my memory of what happened, or what the story was about. With Baxter’s 16 short stories in SERVED COLD, I didn’t have that problem at all.
Just from looking at the titles in the table of contents from the book, I can easily recall the chilling scenes written on the pages, able to picture them in my mind due to how vividly the writing conveyed each tale’s situations and characters horrors. This is an absolute stand out collection, and I didn’t rate a single story in it anything less than 4 stars.
Alan Baxter’s ability to fluidly go from writing emotionally impactful horror (The Goodbye Message, pg. 106) to a terrifying adventure story about soldiers and mind-breaking monsters (In Vaulted Halls Entombed, pg. 156) is nothing short of impressive. In this collection, we meet ghosts and gangsters, murderers, demons, and worse. Rather than sticking to any specific theme beyond “darkness”, we go on a journey through doors-that-shouldn’t-be and lethal video games, stay in Lovecraftian hotels and Airbnbs that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.
The range in stories provides something for lovers of different types of horror – there are so many subgenres, and Baxter touches on quite a few of them expertly throughout the collection. His writing is simultaneously ethereal and blunt, allowing the reader to indulge themselves both in gorgeously haunting storytelling, as well as excellent pacing, and plenty of cringe-inducing gore to top it all off. That also isn’t to say that this is a strictly horror collection, as a lot of the stories seem to be heavily influenced by science fiction & fantasy both; obviously, with these being my 3 favorite book genres, this is a huge win for me!
I read this with my Night Worms pals and a few other friends on Instagram for a #nightwormsbookparty, and my friend Janelle mentioned that some of the stories felt like they could be episodes of BLACK MIRROR to her, which I absolutely agree with! In fact, Baxter’s written voice and writing ability is so strongly developed that I could easily picture any of the titles from this collection as incredible screen adaptations – and you’d better bet I’d watch every second of them if they’re ever made!
I can’t recommend this one highly enough, especially to readers who may want to explore horror a bit more in all of its many genres – but it surely won’t disappoint any long term fans of the genre either! Each of the stories is relatively short, which makes the entire collection feel really bite-sized and manageable, which are qualities I love from my short stories ’cause it makes me feel productive! 😉
Very excited to read more from the author in the future, and I’d highly recommend the publisher as well – Grey Matter Press!
December 23, 2019
I was so happy to be part of this #nightwormsbookparty for SERVED COLD because I had never read any Alan Baxter before and was looking for something new and fresh to me.
SERVED COLD is a collection of sixteen horror stories with a weird fantasy twist. They are all incredibly well written and all go in directions you wouldn't expect.
My favorite of the bunch was Exquisite, a story about a thief who discovers something horrifying that will have him never look at people the same way again! It's one of the goriest stories in the bunch and I loved it! I also really enjoyed reading about The Gangle Man...a different type of Slenderman in How Father Bryant Saw the Light.
Revenge is a common theme in these tales and the writing is so good and paced out that most stories read like fully fleshed out novels!
Not every story is gory though. There's sweetness hidden in a few stories like The Goodbye Message that will break your heart. Alan Baxter has range!! I definitely am going to seek out more from him because if he can work this magic in stories a few pages long I can't wait to read what he does with a whole novel!
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars for this horror that hits you in the gut!
November 24, 2019
What a collection! While the stories take place in mundane settings, something frightful springs up to shake the foundations of the characters. There are hints of a bigger universe with weird and fantastic creatures that are only seen in glimpses.
As reflected by the title, the theme of revenge is clear. This is seen through a boy's desperate call for help in "Served Cold", a supernatural payback in "Exposure Compensation", a frightening adventure into the Dark Web in "Crying Demon".
This collection also has some truly scary, memorable monsters. In "How Father Bryant Saw the Light", a priest helps a child who claims she is haunted by the Gangle Man and ends up with more than he bargained for. "Yellowheart" features a group of friends on a vacation from hell, where the terrors come from something human, and something worse. Taking the tube will never be the same again for me after reading "They All Come Through London in the End", where a man stumbles into something malevolent while riding the underground train.
My favourite in this collection is "In Vaulted Halls Entombed" where a group of soldiers enter a dark cave and encounter inexplicable horrors. It's action-packed, gory but also moving, and I wouldn't mind reading an entire book taking place in this universe.
A strong collection of horror stories that not only frightens but forces the reader to think - would you make the same choices as these characters? Then again, what can you do when monsters come calling? Best not to read this after dark!
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
As reflected by the title, the theme of revenge is clear. This is seen through a boy's desperate call for help in "Served Cold", a supernatural payback in "Exposure Compensation", a frightening adventure into the Dark Web in "Crying Demon".
This collection also has some truly scary, memorable monsters. In "How Father Bryant Saw the Light", a priest helps a child who claims she is haunted by the Gangle Man and ends up with more than he bargained for. "Yellowheart" features a group of friends on a vacation from hell, where the terrors come from something human, and something worse. Taking the tube will never be the same again for me after reading "They All Come Through London in the End", where a man stumbles into something malevolent while riding the underground train.
My favourite in this collection is "In Vaulted Halls Entombed" where a group of soldiers enter a dark cave and encounter inexplicable horrors. It's action-packed, gory but also moving, and I wouldn't mind reading an entire book taking place in this universe.
A strong collection of horror stories that not only frightens but forces the reader to think - would you make the same choices as these characters? Then again, what can you do when monsters come calling? Best not to read this after dark!
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
October 21, 2019
This book! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you haven’t yet, do it! Amazing stories. It had me totally creeped out at times whilst leaving me poignant at others. Alan is a master story teller and all these stories are gold.
January 18, 2021
As always with collections or anthologies, I like to highlight my favorites. These are listed in the order they appear in the book, but I’ll be sure to note my two absolute favorites.
“Served Cold” - as an opening story, this one does the trick. I love revenge stories and Baxter delivers.
“How Father Bryant Saw the Light” - this one is short and a fascinating riff on demons/possession
“The Goodbye Message” - this one has a different writing style and as a reader that reads with her heart on her sleeve, this story of love and grief is an automatic win for me. This is one of my top two stories in the collection.
“Crying Demon” - like the first story, we meet young protagonists and Baxter writes them well. This also involves revenge and a video game storyline I really liked.
“Her Grief in My Halls” - what a title. This one pairs nicely with The Goodbye Message in terms of tone and content to a degree. Shout out to the author for spacing these stories out so they hold more power.
“Waters Strangely Clear” - again with the title! Baxter certainly has a knack for it. This story is the second of my two absolute favorites. It involves Halloween and dreams and is filled with little horror Easter eggs that made my horror heart happy.
“Yellowheart” - this novellette (maybe?) is a great bookend with Served Cold in terms of length and storytelling. I love survival stories and this one is a great end to a strong collection.
*if you need any CW, just shoot me a message*
I first read Baxter’s work in the Suspended in Dusk II anthology and I’m happy to report that his short story game is as strong as it ever was. I gravitate towards novels and novellas 95% of the time, but give me an Alan Baxter story and I’m a happy reader. Check this one out!
“Served Cold” - as an opening story, this one does the trick. I love revenge stories and Baxter delivers.
“How Father Bryant Saw the Light” - this one is short and a fascinating riff on demons/possession
“The Goodbye Message” - this one has a different writing style and as a reader that reads with her heart on her sleeve, this story of love and grief is an automatic win for me. This is one of my top two stories in the collection.
“Crying Demon” - like the first story, we meet young protagonists and Baxter writes them well. This also involves revenge and a video game storyline I really liked.
“Her Grief in My Halls” - what a title. This one pairs nicely with The Goodbye Message in terms of tone and content to a degree. Shout out to the author for spacing these stories out so they hold more power.
“Waters Strangely Clear” - again with the title! Baxter certainly has a knack for it. This story is the second of my two absolute favorites. It involves Halloween and dreams and is filled with little horror Easter eggs that made my horror heart happy.
“Yellowheart” - this novellette (maybe?) is a great bookend with Served Cold in terms of length and storytelling. I love survival stories and this one is a great end to a strong collection.
*if you need any CW, just shoot me a message*
I first read Baxter’s work in the Suspended in Dusk II anthology and I’m happy to report that his short story game is as strong as it ever was. I gravitate towards novels and novellas 95% of the time, but give me an Alan Baxter story and I’m a happy reader. Check this one out!
October 4, 2019
You absolutely need to read this book! Served Cold grabs you and holds on from the first page to the last. The day it arrives order take out because you won't want to put it down. I've never read Alan Baxter before but I will be again. This is a book that you want to reread, simply because you can't get enough of it!!!
Each story is completely unique , and brings a new adventure to the reader.
You need this book, and you need to get your local library to bring this author in. You won't regret it.
Each story is completely unique , and brings a new adventure to the reader.
You need this book, and you need to get your local library to bring this author in. You won't regret it.
August 30, 2025
One of my favorite episodes of Love, Death, and Robots was originally a short story in this book. I normally do not like short story novels, but Served Cold was a welcomed surprise. I liked most all the stories in this book, if not loved. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is b/c I need a good ending. Most short stories are appetizers. They can taste great, but not fill u up. They only exacerbate an appetite, not whet it. I need a main course. I want to be satiated when I read a book.
November 1, 2023
[2023.10.17_122]
《冷酷復仇》集結了十六篇非凡多樣的短篇，故事當中出現的奇幻﹝恐怖﹞元素，無論出自作者詼奇詭怪的想像力，或來自其他傳聞的引發，都恰到好處地讓故事鮮活生動，達到令人背脊生涼的效果，然而隨著劇情繼續開展，更加了解角色關係之後，更是讓人驚駭悚然。其中我最喜歡的三篇：〈冷酷復仇〉、〈平息石頭的海洋〉和〈黃心〉，都是完美的示範。
兩對男女朋友一同到山區度假，遇到詭異生物的惡意捉弄，〈黃心〉描述的是純然的驚恐與不解，就算有人僥倖逃出，作者也安排了類似《千萬別醒來》那樣，百口莫辯無人理解，在精神上被孤立的絕境給受害者。〈冷酷復仇〉裡的恐怖元素，發展成為少年自我成長的關鍵，以及互有助益的情誼，融合了一點巧心設計的機關，非常精彩。〈平息石頭的海洋〉的喬瑟夫，一直困在姊姊夏莉於十六歲早逝的悲傷和罪惡感，直到二十九歲遇見所愛，正開始看見幸福時，卻決定放棄眼前可能的快樂，回到過去拯救夏莉，那種未曾經歷過的人無法理解，陷於悲劇中走不出來的心理狀態，作者用一句「他終於擁有價值足夠的東西可以放棄了。」描述永遠與美好無緣的倖存者，令人心碎。
令人不得不注意到的，是書中一再出現像是作者的價值哲學的觀點：書中的男孩全都勇敢睿智，成年男性﹝父親、繼父、神父﹞大都邪惡、懦弱，或兩者兼具。〈冷酷復仇〉的少年喬納森不是不會害怕，但他一步步克服了對疼痛、屍體、鬼魂的恐懼，最終憑藉情報與智慧，完美擺脫家暴酗酒的繼父；〈希望的幻影〉中軟弱的父親只想自欺欺人地活在明知是謊言的幻影裡，反而是互為對方著想、保護家人又能面對現實的兩兄弟亞當和小波最終解決了問題；〈哭泣的惡魔〉裡面，不願報復霸凌他的同學，反而寧可犧牲自己也要救回同學的克勞戴說：「我不想變得跟他們一樣。我想要比他們更好。」根本聖人。
艾倫．巴克斯特難道認為這個世界如此混沌不堪，所以一個人﹝男性﹞在其中浸淫得越久，就越沒有擔當、不能面對現實，只能軟弱的委屈求存。此外，書中的女性會因為復仇而使壞、會因為無望而離家、會因為早已被生活榨乾而困在悲慘情境中，但絕不愚蠢自私不粗暴邪惡。是因為作者真心覺得成年男性比女性可鄙，抑或其實女性並不在其討論思考的範圍。
作者也擅於在簡短的篇幅中達到層層堆疊、一筆一畫讓人物心理層次漸漸浮凸鮮活。譬如〈布萊恩神父如何見到了光〉，對一個人如何做到欺騙自己然後自我感覺良好，描寫得深入詳盡，諷刺意味濃厚又析理透澈。故事一開始的布萊恩是「他真希望更多人能找到他現在所擁有的平靜。」(p.218) 的自滿，直到聽了娜狄亞恐怖的噩夢，硬著頭皮上場幫助她之前，背著信眾偷喝酒的神父「就像往常一樣，躲在酒瓶之後。如果真要他說實話，光靠上帝從來就不夠。」(p.224) 等到承認絕望時，神「抬起失明的雙眼，試圖尋找天堂，卻只看見黑暗」，最後補上一刀：「沒有什麼比不願看見的人更盲目的了！」(p.234) 令人深吐一口氣地大快人心。
這些精彩的情節和技巧，以及一再重複於寫作上，或者說是道德上的偏好，讓艾倫．巴克斯特的作品顯得不只真的很恐怖，而且還很有趣，但讓這些作品真正吸引人的，是如同亞莫爾．托歐斯 (Amor Towles) 在《上流法則》中提到的阿莎嘉克莉絲蒂：「在阿嘉莎．克莉絲蒂的世界裡，最後都是善有善報，惡有惡報。……男女老少，貧富貴賤，最後都要和應得的命運面對面。白羅和瑪波其實不算是傳統的中心腳色，他們只是代為執行複雜的道德平衡—太古之初由原始推動者建立起來的平衡。」就像這樣，讀《冷酷復仇》的故事，不用擔心不公不義，讓人覺得安心，而且痛快。
【12 Oct 2023 / 高寶】
《冷酷復仇》集結了十六篇非凡多樣的短篇，故事當中出現的奇幻﹝恐怖﹞元素，無論出自作者詼奇詭怪的想像力，或來自其他傳聞的引發，都恰到好處地讓故事鮮活生動，達到令人背脊生涼的效果，然而隨著劇情繼續開展，更加了解角色關係之後，更是讓人驚駭悚然。其中我最喜歡的三篇：〈冷酷復仇〉、〈平息石頭的海洋〉和〈黃心〉，都是完美的示範。
兩對男女朋友一同到山區度假，遇到詭異生物的惡意捉弄，〈黃心〉描述的是純然的驚恐與不解，就算有人僥倖逃出，作者也安排了類似《千萬別醒來》那樣，百口莫辯無人理解，在精神上被孤立的絕境給受害者。〈冷酷復仇〉裡的恐怖元素，發展成為少年自我成長的關鍵，以及互有助益的情誼，融合了一點巧心設計的機關，非常精彩。〈平息石頭的海洋〉的喬瑟夫，一直困在姊姊夏莉於十六歲早逝的悲傷和罪惡感，直到二十九歲遇見所愛，正開始看見幸福時，卻決定放棄眼前可能的快樂，回到過去拯救夏莉，那種未曾經歷過的人無法理解，陷於悲劇中走不出來的心理狀態，作者用一句「他終於擁有價值足夠的東西可以放棄了。」描述永遠與美好無緣的倖存者，令人心碎。
令人不得不注意到的，是書中一再出現像是作者的價值哲學的觀點：書中的男孩全都勇敢睿智，成年男性﹝父親、繼父、神父﹞大都邪惡、懦弱，或兩者兼具。〈冷酷復仇〉的少年喬納森不是不會害怕，但他一步步克服了對疼痛、屍體、鬼魂的恐懼，最終憑藉情報與智慧，完美擺脫家暴酗酒的繼父；〈希望的幻影〉中軟弱的父親只想自欺欺人地活在明知是謊言的幻影裡，反而是互為對方著想、保護家人又能面對現實的兩兄弟亞當和小波最終解決了問題；〈哭泣的惡魔〉裡面，不願報復霸凌他的同學，反而寧可犧牲自己也要救回同學的克勞戴說：「我不想變得跟他們一樣。我想要比他們更好。」根本聖人。
艾倫．巴克斯特難道認為這個世界如此混沌不堪，所以一個人﹝男性﹞在其中浸淫得越久，就越沒有擔當、不能面對現實，只能軟弱的委屈求存。此外，書中的女性會因為復仇而使壞、會因為無望而離家、會因為早已被生活榨乾而困在悲慘情境中，但絕不愚蠢自私不粗暴邪惡。是因為作者真心覺得成年男性比女性可鄙，抑或其實女性並不在其討論思考的範圍。
作者也擅於在簡短的篇幅中達到層層堆疊、一筆一畫讓人物心理層次漸漸浮凸鮮活。譬如〈布萊恩神父如何見到了光〉，對一個人如何做到欺騙自己然後自我感覺良好，描寫得深入詳盡，諷刺意味濃厚又析理透澈。故事一開始的布萊恩是「他真希望更多人能找到他現在所擁有的平靜。」(p.218) 的自滿，直到聽了娜狄亞恐怖的噩夢，硬著頭皮上場幫助她之前，背著信眾偷喝酒的神父「就像往常一樣，躲在酒瓶之後。如果真要他說實話，光靠上帝從來就不夠。」(p.224) 等到承認絕望時，神「抬起失明的雙眼，試圖尋找天堂，卻只看見黑暗」，最後補上一刀：「沒有什麼比不願看見的人更盲目的了！」(p.234) 令人深吐一口氣地大快人心。
這些精彩的情節和技巧，以及一再重複於寫作上，或者說是道德上的偏好，讓艾倫．巴克斯特的作品顯得不只真的很恐怖，而且還很有趣，但讓這些作品真正吸引人的，是如同亞莫爾．托歐斯 (Amor Towles) 在《上流法則》中提到的阿莎嘉克莉絲蒂：「在阿嘉莎．克莉絲蒂的世界裡，最後都是善有善報，惡有惡報。……男女老少，貧富貴賤，最後都要和應得的命運面對面。白羅和瑪波其實不算是傳統的中心腳色，他們只是代為執行複雜的道德平衡—太古之初由原始推動者建立起來的平衡。」就像這樣，讀《冷酷復仇》的故事，不用擔心不公不義，讓人覺得安心，而且痛快。
【12 Oct 2023 / 高寶】
December 20, 2019
Served Cold by Alan Baxter is not necessarily my favorite collection of the year, but it’s still a good time. Baxter’s writing is excellent, and it’s not the fault of his prose for my lacking star. Baxter does a great job with the set-up but more often than not, the payoff leaves much to be desired. Some had such great, memorable beginnings that it may not have been possible to finish them up in a meaningful way as a short story. I could have read a whole book based off the Gangle Man in “Father Bryant Sees the Light.”
A few of the stories fall far below the rest, looking at you, “Crossroads and Carousels”, but if I enjoy more stories in a collection than I dislike, that’s a win in my book. “Waters Strangely Clear” is a great one, throwing its hat in the ring with other Lovecraft-inspired stories, while “Simulacrum of Hope” gives a new spin on the old “My Stepmother is an Alien” concept. Baxter doesn’t shy away from anything here, and offers us a solid variety - from sheer horror to the melancholy fantasy of “The Ocean Hushed the Stones.” There’s sure to be at least a few stories that’ll appeal to any horror fan.
I initially angled for a 3.5/5, but I’ve rounded up to 4 based on the way some of the stories stuck with me and how incredible Baxter’s writing is.
A few of the stories fall far below the rest, looking at you, “Crossroads and Carousels”, but if I enjoy more stories in a collection than I dislike, that’s a win in my book. “Waters Strangely Clear” is a great one, throwing its hat in the ring with other Lovecraft-inspired stories, while “Simulacrum of Hope” gives a new spin on the old “My Stepmother is an Alien” concept. Baxter doesn’t shy away from anything here, and offers us a solid variety - from sheer horror to the melancholy fantasy of “The Ocean Hushed the Stones.” There’s sure to be at least a few stories that’ll appeal to any horror fan.
I initially angled for a 3.5/5, but I’ve rounded up to 4 based on the way some of the stories stuck with me and how incredible Baxter’s writing is.
December 24, 2019
Served Cold is a collection of 16 chilling horror short stories written by Alan Baxter. This is the first time I have read any of Baxter’s works and I must say I am quite pleased.
He is able to toy with my mind in a way that gives me the creeps, the writing was excellent and vivid, his stories ranged from the horrific, the sad and the gory; from the monster inside yourself, to that one weird neighbor down the street. Served Cold is a mix bag of horror sub genres and there is definitely a little something for everyone. I loved how original the stories were and how many great ideas Baxter came up with, each story had its own personality and hidden horror. A couple of my favorites include but are not limited to: Exposure Compensation, Exquisite, Crying Demon and Her Grief in my Halls.
Although I really enjoyed the collection overall I wished we had time to explore some of those great ideas and put together a couple of lose ends, maybe sit back and spend more time with a couple of the characters that we met in our journey, maybe not rush through that shocking or perhaps subtle ending but like its the case with many short stories, time is limited and so are the lives of those characters we get to meet.
He is able to toy with my mind in a way that gives me the creeps, the writing was excellent and vivid, his stories ranged from the horrific, the sad and the gory; from the monster inside yourself, to that one weird neighbor down the street. Served Cold is a mix bag of horror sub genres and there is definitely a little something for everyone. I loved how original the stories were and how many great ideas Baxter came up with, each story had its own personality and hidden horror. A couple of my favorites include but are not limited to: Exposure Compensation, Exquisite, Crying Demon and Her Grief in my Halls.
Although I really enjoyed the collection overall I wished we had time to explore some of those great ideas and put together a couple of lose ends, maybe sit back and spend more time with a couple of the characters that we met in our journey, maybe not rush through that shocking or perhaps subtle ending but like its the case with many short stories, time is limited and so are the lives of those characters we get to meet.
January 8, 2020
Rounded up from 3.5 to 4 stars for Goodreads.
I received this copy of Served Cold as part of a group reviewing.
Where to begin with this book. It had its ups and downs. With that being said, all of the stories were good, they just weren’t all for me. There is a great mixture of horror for everyone. Some stories were very visceral such as “Exquiste”, while others were more for the fans of supernatural horror like “Her Grief in my Halls”. One story in particular that was my favorite was “The Goodbye Message”. While it’s slightly predictable, I found it to be terrifying in a way that shows how little details can be overlooked until it’s too late.
This book is great for anyone looking for a wide variety of horror with every story and it’s very well written!
I received this copy of Served Cold as part of a group reviewing.
Where to begin with this book. It had its ups and downs. With that being said, all of the stories were good, they just weren’t all for me. There is a great mixture of horror for everyone. Some stories were very visceral such as “Exquiste”, while others were more for the fans of supernatural horror like “Her Grief in my Halls”. One story in particular that was my favorite was “The Goodbye Message”. While it’s slightly predictable, I found it to be terrifying in a way that shows how little details can be overlooked until it’s too late.
This book is great for anyone looking for a wide variety of horror with every story and it’s very well written!
April 10, 2020
A strong. enjoyable collection of short stories from an author who's quickly becoming one of my favorites. There's not a single story in here that I didn't love, and there's a wide variety of tone and subject matter. I appreciate that not every ending is dire - the story arc of each fit the piece. I wont try to write about each story, but stand out favorites included Exquisite, which was short, sharp and deliciously twisted; How Father Bryant Saw the Light, which was deeply disturbing in all the best ways; The Goodbye Message, which was viscerally eerie and evocative, and In Vaulted Halls Entombed, which was a completely different flavor and equally terrifyng and enjoyable.
Baxter is a gifted writer, and I look forward to catching up on his back catalog.
Baxter is a gifted writer, and I look forward to catching up on his back catalog.
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