The Fall: Tales From The Gulp 2 by Alan Baxter
The Fall: Tales From the Gulp 2 is a collection of five horror novellas by Alan Baxter. It weighs in at 320 pages and was published on April 12, 2022. The gorgeous cover “Night in the Anthropocene” (oil on canvas) is the creation of artist Halinka Orszulok, who also created the cover for The Gulp.
Alan Baxter was my gateway drug to Aussie horror, and I haven’t been able to kick the habit since. I’ve read numerous books of Baxter’s, and even have more sitting in my TBR pile waiting for me. If you like horror, I’m going to start out by suggesting grabbing some of Baxter’s work. You can thank me later.
I pre-ordered The Fall the first day it was available. I’d read its predecessor, The Gulp, and I couldn’t put it down. When I got to the end of it, I remember the feeling of excitement when I discovered Baxter’s note about more adventures in The Gulp to come. Between then and when I picked up The Fall, I was still able to recall each of the stories as well as the characters from the first book because they were so memorable. The best part is, The Fall is a continuation, and I was excited to be reunited with characters I’d already met and meet some new ones. There is something so satisfying about picking up a new book and being able to feel “at home” right away.
The Fall is comprised of five occult horror novellas, each associated with the cursed Australian town of Gulpepper - otherwise known by locals as The Gulp. I couldn’t wait to visit again, and I wasn’t disappointed with any of the tales. They each held my attention and brought that wonderfully weird horror with a dash of wit and snark that I’d come to love in the first book. I had a hard time putting this one down, too, and was again rewarded in the end with the knowledge that this wouldn’t be my last foray into the godforsaken town.
Baxter has a way of making misfortune and despair exciting. It’s such a guilty pleasure to read these stories, knowing bad things are about to befall unsuspecting people yet being unable to stop yourself from turning page after page for more. He will lure you to dip your toe into the water, and before you realize it you’re the next person to be ensconced in Gulpepper’s oddities and wonders, much like the characters in the book who wander into the small harbour town.
“Gulpepper, population 8,000
But the dead outnumber the living”
The five stories within The Fall are:
Gulpepper Curious
Cathedral Stack
That Damn Woman
Excursion Troop
The Fall
Each story fits seamlessly with the original five in The Gulp, adding on brilliantly. There are fine threads interweaving throughout each of these stories that build and build upon each other, creating a collection of horror that leaves you hungry for more.
Another favorite piece of Baxter’s books I’ve read is the Glossary at the end. I love learning some of the Australian language and slang as I read his stories, and I get such a kick out of this thoughtful inclusion. Of course, the stories are easy to follow and the words won’t trip you up, but it is indeed nice having the nod to the Aussie vernacular.
Need more Alan Baxter? Here are just a few of his available titles:
“In Vaulted Halls Entombed,” one of the horror stories featured in Served Cold, was recently aired on Volume 3 of the original Netflix series Love, Death & Robots.
Click HERE to learn more about the experience from Alan Baxter’s website.
Who is Alan Baxter?
Alan Baxter is a multi-award-winning author of horror, supernatural thrillers and dark fantasy liberally mixed with crime, mystery and noir. This Is Horror calls him “Australia’s master of literary darkness” and the Talking Scared Podcast dubbed him “The Lord of Weird Australia.” He’s also a martial arts expert, a whisky-soaked swear monkey, and dog lover. He creates dark, weird stories among dairy paddocks on the beautiful south coast of NSW, Australia, where he lives with his family and other animals.
Served Cold podcast & interview with Alan Baxter from Unsettling Reads:
My first taste of Baxter’s work was Served Cold. I fell in love with the cover when I saw it on social media, snatched it up, and I haven’t looked back since. Though I have read it, it’s not currently on this website. It was the first book we read and reviewed on our then-running Unsettling Reads podcast. That episode is still available on Spotify - CLICK HERE.
We also interviewed Alan Baxter. I fear I sounded like a total fangirl, but you can also listen to that interview if you CLICK HERE.
