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Shadow Bites: An Alan Baxter Horror Sampler
A SAMPLER OF ALAN BAXTER'S DARK FICTION
Horror, crime, and dark fantasy.
Four complete stories and the opening chapters of six longer books from Alan Baxter's extensive back catalogue.
Featuring one full novella ("Out On A Rim" from The Gulp), three entire short stories ("Crow Shine" from Crow Shine, "Simulacrum of Hope" from Served Cold, and "The Normandy Curse"), plus the opening chapters of six longer books: Devouring Dark, Hidden City, Bound, Manifest Recall, Primordial, and Blood Codex.
"Alan Baxter is Australia's master of literary darkness." – This Is Horror
"Alan Baxter can take horror from gonzo to heartbreaking in an instant. Good stuff… Alan Baxter can write like a m***********." – Gail Simone, best-selling author of DC's Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman, and more
"Alan Baxter is an accomplished storyteller who ably evokes magic and menace." – Laird Barron, author of Swift to Chase
"Baxter delivers the horror goods." – Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World
"Alan Baxter is one of the best horror writers in the business." – Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Turtle Boy, Kin, and Sour Candy
"Step into the ring with Alan Baxter, I dare you. He writes with the grace, precision, and swift brutality of a prizefighter." – Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Ararat and The Pandora Room
"Alan Baxter's thrillers have complete anatomy—muscles, brains, guts, and heart." – World Fantasy Award-nominated author, Anna Tambour
"Alan Baxter delivers a heady mix of magic, monsters and bloody fights to the death. Nobody does kick-ass brutality like Baxter." – Greig Beck, Internationally bestselling author
"Alan Baxter's fiction is dark, disturbing, hard-hitting and heart-breakingly honest. He reflects on worlds known and unknown with compassion, and demonstrates an almost second-sight into human behaviour." — Kaaron Warren, Shirley Jackson Award-winner and author of The Grief Hole
"…fantastic storytelling in the vein of Neil Gaiman or Alan Moore, but with a merciless black streak…" – Spooktapes
"…if Stephen King and Jim Butcher ever had a love child then it would be Alan Baxter." – Smash Dragons
"Alan's work is reminiscent of that of Clive Barker and Jim C. Hines, but with a unique flavour all of its own.” – Angela Slatter, World Fantasy, British Fantasy and Aurealis Award winner
“Baxter draws you along a knife’s edge of tension from the first page to the last, leaving your heart thumping and sweat on your brow.” – Midwest Book Review
Horror, crime, and dark fantasy.
Four complete stories and the opening chapters of six longer books from Alan Baxter's extensive back catalogue.
Featuring one full novella ("Out On A Rim" from The Gulp), three entire short stories ("Crow Shine" from Crow Shine, "Simulacrum of Hope" from Served Cold, and "The Normandy Curse"), plus the opening chapters of six longer books: Devouring Dark, Hidden City, Bound, Manifest Recall, Primordial, and Blood Codex.
"Alan Baxter is Australia's master of literary darkness." – This Is Horror
"Alan Baxter can take horror from gonzo to heartbreaking in an instant. Good stuff… Alan Baxter can write like a m***********." – Gail Simone, best-selling author of DC's Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman, and more
"Alan Baxter is an accomplished storyteller who ably evokes magic and menace." – Laird Barron, author of Swift to Chase
"Baxter delivers the horror goods." – Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World
"Alan Baxter is one of the best horror writers in the business." – Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Turtle Boy, Kin, and Sour Candy
"Step into the ring with Alan Baxter, I dare you. He writes with the grace, precision, and swift brutality of a prizefighter." – Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Ararat and The Pandora Room
"Alan Baxter's thrillers have complete anatomy—muscles, brains, guts, and heart." – World Fantasy Award-nominated author, Anna Tambour
"Alan Baxter delivers a heady mix of magic, monsters and bloody fights to the death. Nobody does kick-ass brutality like Baxter." – Greig Beck, Internationally bestselling author
"Alan Baxter's fiction is dark, disturbing, hard-hitting and heart-breakingly honest. He reflects on worlds known and unknown with compassion, and demonstrates an almost second-sight into human behaviour." — Kaaron Warren, Shirley Jackson Award-winner and author of The Grief Hole
"…fantastic storytelling in the vein of Neil Gaiman or Alan Moore, but with a merciless black streak…" – Spooktapes
"…if Stephen King and Jim Butcher ever had a love child then it would be Alan Baxter." – Smash Dragons
"Alan's work is reminiscent of that of Clive Barker and Jim C. Hines, but with a unique flavour all of its own.” – Angela Slatter, World Fantasy, British Fantasy and Aurealis Award winner
“Baxter draws you along a knife’s edge of tension from the first page to the last, leaving your heart thumping and sweat on your brow.” – Midwest Book Review
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
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Published July 6, 2021
22 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Alan Baxter
135 books526 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 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 25, 2021
This is an excellent showcase for the variety of Baxter's writing; excellent tension, action and atmosphere across several genres, all with an undercurrent of horror. Some are not my cup of tea, but I will surely be reading more of Baxter's short stories based on this volume.
More authors should do this kind of thing.
More authors should do this kind of thing.
December 6, 2022
This book has everything in it from short stories to first chapters and it’s a real great way to get to know Alan Baxter I have so many new books on my TBR pile and the first one I am starting with is Gulp i’m going to be honest and say I think I read this book before because it sounds so familiar but I don’t remember it enough that it still won’t be a great kind of first read to me. Alan Baxter has a wicked mind and that is a great attribute we’re looking for a horror author. I got this book for free on Amazon and I think that it’s always free but it’s definitely free today December 6, 2022. I would run and get it it’s so good. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
May 25, 2023
I've not read enough from Alan Baxter, and this is another case of 'why haven't I done so sooner'. After having devoured this sampler, it's clear how much I enjoy his work. Alan, sir, I did enjoy plenty, and will be getting a few of your books.
August 7, 2023
Absolutely loved this collection. I discovered Alan and his work on a podcast (the creative Penn), and I can't wait to get stuck into the rest of his books I just purchased.
October 29, 2025
An interesting collection of tales but unfortunately none made me want to read more from the author!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews