The Gulp by Alan Baxter
This is the third Alan Baxter collection I have read. As soon as it was available to do so, I purchased this book in advance. There was no doubt in my mind that I would be getting my hands on it as soon as I could. It made me miss the “good old days” when readers lined up outside of bookstores for the midnight release of a favorite author’s newest work, excitedly discussing and debating their favorite characters and books from that beloved writer. While gatherings like that weren’t accessible, the buzz about the upcoming book was alive and well on social media. That at least gave me a place to share my anticipation as I waited impatiently for the official release on January 12, 2021. It’s the first time in a while I have had that kind of excitement for a new book to hit the shelves, even if it appeared magically on my e-reader without the crowd or fanfare.
The Gulp by Alan Baxter is composed of five novellas. Each story is intertwined with the rest, which makes for a really fun read as you get a variety of aha moments and satisfying recollections throughout the book. In the Afterword, Baxter refers to it as a “selection of dark weirdness.” This is a perfect description. I’ve read other short horror by Baxter, but this series of stories felt darker than what I’ve read in the past - and I’m not complaining. The tales take place in the small, isolated harbour town of Gulpepper in Australia. Rumor has it the town, known more intimately as The Gulp, has a habit of swallowing people. I know one thing for certain, though. It’s brimming with peculiar characters that will intrigue and enthrall readers.
Each of the five novellas piece together well, feeding off one another to give a well-rounded picture of the town and a sampling of the underlying secrets and horrors The Gulp possesses. I got really excited when I saw the “full” title online - The Gulp: Tales From the Gulp 1. When I finished the book, I felt hungry for more. I had only gotten a taste of these deliciously dark characters that create the backbone of The Gulp. Though the book felt whole in the sense that the stories were complete, I had a longing for more information when I finished reading. I wanted to know what happened to some of the characters who didn’t reappear in other stories. Thankfully, in the Afterword, Baxter teases us with the comment “There are certainly more tales to tell…” If I could pre-order the next book today, I would. Bring it on! Also, just because I want to share, my favorite story in the collection is “Mother In Bloom.” I’m looking forward to chatting with others who read this book to see their choices.
The Gulp has some gory moments, the kind that make you scrunch up your toes while you read the scenes. I enjoyed every last bit of those moments, but the squeamish might have some trouble. The gore isn’t unnecessary or extreme, but it is there in graphic detail. Aside from that warning, the characters are what keep you engrossed and drive this collection. They are weird, nefarious, and best of all - dark. Baxter gives the characters an array of personalities and motivations throughout that force them into situations that stretch their boundaries, taking them to the brink and allowing them to go over it to the next level - much to the readers’ delight. It’s quite a ride. I love that Baxter used the town as a character. The setting itself is a dark menace, a hungry beast that feeds on whomever it desires. As I was reading, I thought about all the smaller towns I’ve visited with their local networks and connections and how an outsider could be blindsided. You might find yourself thinking twice about a quick stop in a small town on your next road trip.
The title of this book got my attention. Along with the beautiful cover, which is “Warning Sign” (oil on canvas) © 2012 by Halinka Orszulok, I felt like it really set a mood for the book. “The Gulp” and that haunting image have you wondering what the name means. You will definitely find out as you read the novellas and get drawn to the mysterious location that’s sometimes not even listed on a map. Baxter has a way of grabbing me with his covers. His short story collection Served Cold was the first book of his I purchased, all because of an amazing cover. I am so glad I did.
At the end of the book, Baxter includes a glossary for the Australian terms used throughout the stories. I didn’t find that I needed to look anything up while I was reading. The terms and the context are pretty self-explanatory. I loved looking through them all at the end, though, and some of them took me back to spots in the book which made me smile as I remembered some cool scenes. Check it out beforehand if you’d like, too. Maybe I’ve been reading so many Aussie authors as of late I’ve been picking up the lingo.
I hope you will grab a copy of this book and enjoy the dive into the abyss that is The Gulp.
